Teen Driver's First Year Guidelines
 
Basic Driver's Ed is complete. The driving test has been passed. A safe car with appropriate insurance is available. Now onto solo driving. Its a time to balance the thrill of new-found freedom with that of adult responsibility. A time to realize that a major part of driver's education is still occurring. The first twelve months after licensure is a particularly dangerous time which has been shown statistically.
 

We all know that more risk comes with certain times of the day. For instance, the most dangerous times to ride a motorcycle are 3pm - 6pm weekdays and 6pm - 9pm weekends. This infographic has several juicy bits of information that could steer you into changing the times you're on the road. Check out the Worst Times To Drive at igottadrive.com.

Aquaplaning can sneak up on you when driving on wet surfaces. And when it does, it can wreak havoc and put you into a very unsafe situation. You can literally loose control of the car you are driving which can result in a crash. SWERVE's driving tip on "How To Control Aquaplaning" is a must read for anyone who drives on wet surfaces - which is just about everyone at some point.

It is difficult to remain engaged when driving down the highway for long periods of time. Boredom can set in and you can loose your concentration. And if you're not careful, you will begin driving less safely which could eventually lead to a crash. Check out our tip, "Pick A New Challenge", which could help keep you alert and safe.

No doubt about it - when you're in a skid it is an emergency situation. And one that if not handled properly can literally mean the difference between life and death. Forget about the old sayings such as steering into a skid, which virtually nobody can quite figure out. This tip, "How To Control A Skid", provides you with a much simpler method of managing this tricky situation.

In the U.S. there are some driving schools that have added a “skid car” component to their driving lessons. The goal of skid car training is to increase the car control skills of the operator, which in theory should create a safer drive (i.e., one that has a reduced likelihood of a crash). However, rather than actually improving novice driver safety, research shows that skid car training can actually decrease the safety of a novice driver.

When driving down the road, creating and managing a protective zone around your car is one of the key aspects of driving safely. Check out our "How To Protect Your Bubble" tip which will give you a good technique for making sure you have a buffer zone around your vehicle. By carefully managing the bubble, your chances of safely reacting to troubling situations are increased.

Its winter and there's lots of snow and ice. Check out our "Getting Traction In Snow And Ice" tip which will give you a few pointers on how to "get going" on winter roads. Around the country its been an unusually tough winter season. There has been lots of cold weather and the accompanying snow and ice. It can be difficult to get traction in the snow and with a few pointers we can help you become a better and safer winter driver.

Check out our "Driving In The Rain" tip as it's worth a look given the current Seattle weather. Winter in Seattle means a bit of driving in the snow, but mostly lots of driving in the rain. And driving in the rain safely requires an enhanced awareness and honed driving skills. Its a good time to check out this tip and work on becoming a better and safer driver.

Just yesterday we were driving around town and I turned left with a protected left turn green arrow. There was a truck following me through the intersection and we were both just going about our business. However, from the other direction a person approaching the intersection from the opposite direction decides to run the red light and wound up driving between myself and the following truck. Wow – that was a close call and could have been a very bad start to the day! Clearly this person had forgotten what they learned in drivers ed.