driver education Archives - Comedy Defensive Driving®

Happy Mother’s Day

Daun Thompson — Mon, 15 May 2017 13:52:37 +0000

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms around the world, we literally would not be here without you. Funny how some parental roles have switched over time. The trend now seems to be that more and more mothers are teaching their teens how to drive. It was typically dads who did the teaching when I was a kid. Most kids when asked why their father didn’t teach them to drive will say it’s because their dad is way too impatient. Apparently that role has changed as well, because my mom was the impatient parent when I was a kid. We called her (and still do) “Old Yeller.” My dad was just a laid-back alcoholic, an inebriated role model who taught us how to drive. I was taught to drive by a drunk driver and I learned how to weave and drift across three lanes. He’d put his beer can in the middle of the dashboard and say “Line up this can with the side of the road (to get your perspective then, one would typically use the pointed part of the hood or the hood ornament).” Then he’d climb over the seat and pass out. That was back in the 70’s though, in Illinois where there was nothing but cornfields and liquor stores (and liquor made out of corn). Now, you go to jail for allowing your child to drive you home from the bar. But kids are much more important now than when I was a kid. My dad got his only DWI when he was in his mid 70’s. His license was suspended and he was not allowed to drive, which was ironic, because he would often say “Your mother drives me to drink.” And then after his license was suspended, she had to drive him to drink.
I, too, was one of those mothers that taught my daughter how to drive. Her father had no part, whatsoever, in teaching her about driving a car (Ha! As if I even know who her dad is). Since I am a Defensive Driving Instructor, she is a very careful and cautious driver. And, not to be hypercritical, one can often be too cautious. And I have also noticed lately that many young women have driving anxiety because of higher speed limits that they are not comfortable with, dealing with angry and impatient drivers and/or they’ve had an accident. Doing a little research on driving anxiety, I found this nifty seven question quiz to determine one’s level of driving anxiety. https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety-test
Being too cautious and driving too slowly (not keeping up with the flow of traffic) can also cause accidents or road rage. If you have extreme driving anxiety, it can be dangerous for you and for others around you. Perhaps seeing a therapist for driving anxiety may be the best choice. Not everyone likes to drive, I know that I don’t. Now, with many inexpensive ways to commute, perhaps driving less or not putting yourself on a high speed roadway may save your life and the life of others.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Happy Mother’s Day – Comedy Defensive Driving

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PARENT TO PARENT Step 2: The Learners License a.k.a. Instruction Permit

Lisa — Mon, 16 May 2011 19:28:04 +0000

As promised, Step Two, in the step-by-step how to for parents of new drivers.

We mailed our $20 and Form DL-92 Request For A Parent Taught Driver Education Packet to the License Issuance Bureau, Texas DPS, in Austin and received our packet in a little over 2 weeks.The packet is 40 pages thick and includes all of the forms you will need to complete the process.Within the first few pages of the packet, it was written, This is a Parent-Taught Driver Education Program, not a “student-go-study-on-your-own” program.I felt like I was being scolded by my third grade teacher all over again…Mrs. Krable? Are you even still alive??

Since we have decided to do a Concurrent Program (both classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction done concurrently), we’ve chosen to kick this experience off with an online course for the classroom portion.The cost, $119.00. In addition to the course, it also comes with several free practice tests.The parent must sit with the student while they do their online program. No more than 2 hours per day.Fine, since I also teach Defensive Driving and can help to better explain some of the situations they cover. The program automatically keeps a log of her hours.Once the first 6 hours (a.k.a. Module 1) are completed and mastered, we will be able to download an official Certificate of Partial Course Completion that will allow my little student to take the DPS Instruction Permit Written Test and get her Learners License, at a fee of $16.Yay! I can’t wait to stand in line again.

She will need to bring an I.D., Social Security card, verification of enrollment in school form (TEA Form GEA-043R93), her completed application for a Texas drivers license (DL-14A), Parental Driver Ed Affidavit (DL-90A), proof of completion of objectives for first 6 hours of parent-taught drivers ed program and classroom instruction record (DL-91A).

She will have to pass a vision test and a knowledge (rules and signs) test to get her Learners License. Once she has her learners license, she will be required to practice driving for at least 6 months before she can apply for her provisional drivers license.

Once the learners license is acquired, the remaining 26 hours of online classroom instruction (a total of 32 hours) will need to be completed concurrent with 34 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction (that includes 7 hours of in-car observations and 27 hours of behind-the-wheel instructions… 10 hours of this at night) before she can complete the course.

Accepting driving as a privilege with responsibilities, obligations, and potential consequences, it’s the first step toward being a good driver.

To Be Continued…Look for Step 3:“We’ve Received the Learners License. What Now?”

Hang in there!Chin (and wallet) up.

Daun Thompson

( Daun Thompson is a Comedienne, Writer and Artist residing in Dallas, Texas )

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Brush up on your Defensive Driving in Texas

Lisa — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:50:56 +0000

Defensive driving can help to get you out of near collisions with other road users, as when you are always on your guard you will be able to react quicker to other drivers’ risky maneuvers. If you live in Texas State and are looking for lessons in defensive driving, Texas State does recognize certified online defensive driving courses, so that you can participate in a course which consists of watching instructional videos in comfort.

Learn Defensive Driving in Texas through Humor

Learning can feel a chore when it is presented in a manner that is without humor, but fun online defensive driving in Texas, which presents lessons in a humorous yet thorough manner, will help the time to fly by. If you have to satisfy conditions for traffic ticket dismissal by completing a traffic school or defensive driving course, online learning will not inconvenience you too much as you can watch your lessons in the hours which suit you, and your progress will be automatically tracked.

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Defensive Driving or Mind, Body and Soul.

Lisa — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 17:18:45 +0000

Have you ever thought how everything is govern by basic laws? All living things, the elements, nature, from the atom to the grand universe, everything is under the laws of the universe. The Golden Rule “”Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”” “you reap what you sow” and never drink with a guy who only has one arm. I have no idea where that comes from but it sounds like a good idea. If something is out of “wack” then nothing falls into place. The same applies to your vehicle’s tire alignment, if your alignment is out of “wack” then your steering will be off too and the life of your tires will be cut short.

Have you ever heard of the MIND, BODY and SOUL connection? Everything is in threes, when it comes to your tire’s alignment there is the CAMBER, CASTER and TOE. If you’re not a mechanic do not attempt to do the alignment yourself or you could lose a toe and a finger.

The CAMBER is how vertical your tire is in relation to the road. Kinda like your MIND is how vertical you are to the world around you. The is also “Negitive CAMBER” and “Positive CAMBER,” just like sometimes your MIND is in a positive state and sometimes negitive. Positive CAMBER means the tires angle out, negitive means they angle in towards the car. Sometimes your mind is just mello, like yellow if you’ve been a smokin’ somthin’ greeeen!

The Toe is how the tires ride. TOE-in means the tires point to the inside of the car, if you where looking at the car straight on. TOE-out means the opposite. Just like your BODY and how you walk, some people walk with their feet-in, I call those people “pigeon-toed.” Some people walk with their feet out, I call those people drunk.

The CASTER is the angle the wheels pivot on and it’s measured in degrees. Just like the SOUL, brother! Your SOUL is the CASTER of you! Your SOUL is the angle your being pivots on through time and space.

Get your tire alignment done when you purchase new tires and meditate before you start your new day, both can make all the difference in the world.

Join me again next week and until then…

Take care and be safe-
Danny Keaton

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