driver safety course Archives - Comedy Defensive Driving®

FOLLOWING DISTANCE

Daun Thompson — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 07:24:05 +0000

One of the leading causes for a multiple vehicle pileup is from tailgating. Why do people insist on following too close? Especially on the freeway, less than a car length between them and the car ahead, doing 80+ mph. Basic drivers education teaches the current formula or method to create a safe following distance (or what some also call a stopping distance). But, especially in heavy traffic, that formula goes right out the window, along with your manners and any remaining dignity. If you do go to the trouble of creating a safe following distance, another car will slip into that space, forcing you to tailgate. So, you once again you repeat the process to leave a safe distance between you and the car ahead and someone else slips into that space. Maybe that’s why people generally leave less than a car length between them and the car ahead. There’s no winning. Combine this with distractions and no clear visibility ahead and here comes your pileup and your picture on the six o’clock news.

This is why tailgating is most definitely a moving violation. With the rise of speed limits, the current following distance is now 3 seconds in dry weather. This is to be doubled to a 6 second rule in wet weather. And it is to be tripled to a 9 second rule in icy/snowy weather.

I believe that most driver education instructors teach drivers the following way. Once the car ahead of you has passed a stationary object, you should be able to count the appropriate number of seconds before your car passes the same object.

So, good luck there my friend! It may take you twice as long to get to your destination if you practice this method, but at least you will arrive (undead).

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

FOLLOWING DISTANCE – Comedy Defensive Driving School

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WINTER TIRE PRESSURE

Daun Thompson — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 13:00:40 +0000

We’ve already had a few freezes in Texas this month, which is not typical for November. But Mother Nature is certainly bipolar or perhaps she’s off her meds. My new car has so many crazy sensors in it. Last week, the dash lit up with a flashing sign “Warning: Tire Pressure Low.” But, which tire?? There are four of them, as I recall. I tried to ignore it as it would come on and then later in the day went off. The next morning I had the same issue with the flashing warning sign and that obnoxious “dinging.” So I went to the gas station (like I had time to kill) and aired up all four tires. I have a tire gauge, but God only knows where I put it. So I just figured I’d give them each a wee bit of air. The very next morning, there was that goofy warning sign again. My neighbor just had a new roof put on and wouldn’t it be just my luck to have a big ole roofing nail in one. I checked them all and found nothing. Then I remembered…duh…tire pressure decreases when it’s cold out. I had forgotten all about winter tire pressure.

WHY TIRE PRESSURE CHANGES WITH TEMPERATURE

Just as cold weather causes psi to drop, excessive heat can cause your tire pressure to increase. The Goodyear Tire Company says that checking tire pressure in cold weather is the same as in the heat, but is increasingly important, as inflation tends to drop with temperatures. And for every 10 degrees of temperature drop, tires will drop 1-2 lbs of pressure. It’s just the opposite during hot weather. When temperature drops, molecules in the air move slower and huddle together. When temperature increases, molecules move faster and farther away from one another. (Don’t be impressed, I’m not that smart, I read it on the Firestone Tire website). I have witnessed this, although, when my yoga ball ended up in the back yard all last winter and shrunk to the size of a basketball.

WHAT SHOULD TIRE PRESSURE BE IN COLD WEATHER

It should always be whatever your car manufacturer specifies. Typically tire pressure recommendations are between 30 and 35 psi. Although your low tires will recover when weather warms up, it is still important to not drive with low tire pressure to maintain traction, handling and durability. Low tire pressure can lead to increased stopping time, poor fuel economy and a decreased tire lifespan. And we all know how big of a pain it is to buy new tires during the holidays when we have more important things to be buying (Jack Daniels).

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

WINTER TIRE PRESSURE – Comedy Defensive Driving

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The Spirit Ride

Daun Thompson — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 16:07:22 +0000

All tow truck drivers are required to take a defensive driving course prior to renewing their city permits. I can usually tell if someone in my Comedy Defensive Driving class is a tow truck driver because they often resemble Grizzly Adams with their ZZ-Top, lumbersexual type beards. I have also learned to tell the difference between the ones that come to your rescue (like a knight in shining armor) when your car is broken down, or the ones that either repo cars or snatch them away while you’re in a bar with your friends having a good time, which is later squelched when you go outside and your car is gone. Either way, it’s a dangerous job. In 2011, Texas passed an addendum to the Move Over Law. You are now required to steer clear of tow truck drivers working on the side of the road. The Move Over/Slow Down law requires motorists to move over or slow down when certain vehicles are stopped on the side of the road with emergency lights activated. Motorists are required to vacate the lane closest to the stopped vehicle (if there is more than one available lane in the same direction of travel) or slow to 20 miles below the speed limit. An organization called The Spirit Ride honors those tragically killed in roadside accidents. In 2014 alone, 33 tow truck operators were killed while trying to rescue stranded drivers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics. And those numbers continue to increase annually. In fact, the numbers show a tow truck driver dies on average every six days.

Slow Down, Move Over laws are in effect in all fifty states. They require passing vehicles to move over one lane or slow down when approaching an incident where tow operators, police, fire fighters and EMS people are working. Sadly, 71% of Americans have not heard of “Move Over” laws, according to a poll by the National Safety Commission. The Spirit Ride is designed to draw media attention to Move-Over laws and the needless sacrifices towers and other first responders make in serving the motoring public and transportation industry. To date, over 300 towing companies have signed up to carry the “Spirit” by car carrier as towers continue to volunteer to participate and also lend their ideas to the project. You can find more information on their facebook page at the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/atspiritride

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

The Spirit Ride – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Costly Traffic Tickets

Daun Thompson — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 16:08:27 +0000

If you’ve received a traffic citation lately, they look like a Wal-Mart receipt. When I was a new driver, a traffic ticket was a small carbon copy and the price of the ticket was posted on the back side of the ticket. Assuming you were speeding, it would indicate what the cost was by how many miles over the speed limit you were clocked at. And the maximum cost of a ticket was around $50 (and that was probably for manslaughter). Now, speeding fines range anywhere between $180 and $400, and the price of the ticket is not printed on the ticket because some police officers are not trained paramedics. They don’t want you to have a heart attack right there in the car. But they want you to call or go online to see what the price of these costly traffic tickets are, then you can have that heart attack in the privacy of your own home.

Speeding is just the tip of the iceberg. There are other fines I have come across that may be useful to know (at least it may save you some money).

• Loud Music $144.00
• Really Loud Banda Music (unforgiveable)
• No Mud Flaps On Your Dully Truck $350.00
• Road Kill Stuck To Your Mud Flaps (unforgiveable)
• No Seat Belt $100.00-$25.00
• Fastening The Seat Belt Behind You So It Doesn’t Beep (unforgiveable)
• Not Signaling Before Changing Lanes Or Turning $177.00
• Cutting People Off Without Signaling (unforgiveable)

Some of the fines I am still waiting to see:

• TWI (Texting While Intoxicated)
• DWS (Driving While Sexting)
• DAD (Dumb A## Driving)

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Costly Traffic Tickets – Comedy Defensive Driving School

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Fuel Shortage

Daun Thompson — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 05:18:54 +0000

When Hurricane Harvey was about to hit (and boy did it hit like a prize-fighter), newscasters were warning folks to get fuel now because there will be a fuel shortage due to Texas refineries shutting down. Of course, Texas is the energy capital of the country. They shut down as a precaution before the hurricane made landfall. And then, due to widespread flooding, more inland refineries stopped operations. As a result, more than a fifth of the nation’s refining capacity, including two of the country’s largest oil refineries was out of commission as oil companies battled flooding. So, in a panic, drivers were lined-up at gas stations, hoping to get a full tank (and filling gas cans) before the shortage. People were hoarding fuel and preparing for Armageddon. The following day, the news was reporting that people should NOT hoard fuel, as it is causing a fuel shortage…duh! Make up your MIND!

If this should happen in the future, perhaps it is best to know how to “conserve” fuel, rather than hoarding it. Here a few tips that may help…

• Check your tire pressure often (great time to check for nails and/or an ex-girlfriend’s nail file jammed in the grooves).
• Avoid idling (fact: bank robbers may be causing a fuel crisis)
• Keep your engine tuned regularly (keep it purring like a kitten…kittens eat less than a full grown cat)
• Check for extra junk in the trunk (d.i.v.o.r.c.e.)
• Be certain to use your manufacturer’s recommended grade of oil
• Keep it close to the speed limit on the highway. It will also save you from a ticket from Johnny Law.
• Try to coast to a stop. This will surely honk other people off (check…and double check).
• Avoid slowly crawling up to a speed. 15 seconds to accelerate to 50 mph uses less fuel than taking 30 seconds to reach the same speed (this will also save you from a stray bullet from the guy in the diesel truck behind you).
• Close the car windows and run the A/C. Conserving on A/C does not really help, especially at high speeds. Be comfortable on your journey…you cheapskate!

Some refer to these driving techniques as hypermiling. Most of these techniques improve your car’s fuel efficiency by reducing the demands placed on the engine. So, it’s possible to improve fuel economy by 37% just by changing the way your drive. But, there are also some hypermiling methods that are controversial and could pose an element of danger…such as riding in a big rig’s draft. Not cool, dude…your Honda Accord could become a Honda accordion!

Until next week… Cool it on the fuel.

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Fuel Shortage

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Car Color and Insurance Rates

Daun Thompson — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 14:23:45 +0000

I thought the color of your car was not significant when it comes to auto insurance. And I hadn’t really thought about it much until I saw the parking lot where they were holding a fireman’s picnic. I noticed that most of the pickup trucks there were red, just like the fire trucks parked there. I had read articles regarding “weird laws” that are still on the books in some states but they don’t likely enforce them. One such article says that in Minneapolis you cannot drive a red car down Lake Street. In Colorado, you cannot drive a black car on Sundays. This one certainly doesn’t make sense as you may need to drive a black hearse for a funeral on a Sunday, or a black limousine for a Sunday wedding (just married/just buried…same difference). But really, what is the correlation between car color and insurance rates?

Some people think that if you have a flashy eye-catching car, police take notice of your car before they would notice a bland colored car. Perhaps this is true. But if you are not driving like a bat out of hell, there would be no reason for them to pull you over. I thought since my car is the color of a yield sign (midlife crisis yellow), other drivers would see me, making it a safer vehicle to drive. I have noticed that most cars on the roads are typically white, silver or silver-blue. These colors tend to blend in with the road and sky in the background and, to me, would likely be more prone to being hit. Keeping your headlights on at all times would likely be helpful so you would be better seen.

Insurance agents say that car color does not affect your insurance rates, but keeping a lighter foot on the gas pedal will. And driving more alert, looking out for other drivers will also prevent an accident. So, keep on driving that red corvette with the top down…wind blowing through those last two hairs on your bald head. Just keep it within the speed limit.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Car Color and Insurance Rates – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Emotional Impatient Drivers

Daun Thompson — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 05:26:09 +0000

Drivers are so emotional these days. Every little thing is a trigger for road rage. I remember when, if you wanted to pass another car, you would flash your headlights at them. And it meant “I would like to pass, would you please move over.” Now flashing your headlights means “Get the heck out of my way.” When did we become such impatient drivers? And honking your horn? Forget about it. There’s no friendly honk. Heaven forbid you should lay on the horn. But even if you give someone a little toot to snap them out of their distracted moment to proceed when the light turns green, they lose it. I have heard that there are some intersections in NYC where the traffic light actually honks when the light turns green. What a brilliant idea. This takes the pressure off of drivers and puts it on the traffic device. Although I haven’t been able to find any proof verifying this traffic light with sound effects, I did find that in Japan, some lights make a Cuckoo clock sound, but that is probably not for drivers, but for blind pedestrians. Still, either way, it’s an excellent idea.

I was making a joke in my Comedy Defensive Driving class that, perhaps they should slip a little Prozac in the water system to mellow people out. Little did I know that there may be a bit of Lithium in the groundwater or drinking water in some cities, and this is what I found.

According to the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health,
Using data for 27 Texas counties from 1978-1987, it is shown that the incidence rates of suicide, homicide and rape are significantly higher in counties whose drinking water supplies contain little or no lithium than in counties with water with higher lithium levels. These results suggest that lithium has moderating effects on suicidal and violent criminal behavior at levels that may be encountered in municipal water supplies. Comparisons of drinking water lithium levels, in the respective Texas counties, with the incidences of arrests for possession of opium, cocaine, and their derivatives (morphine, heroin, and codeine) from 1981-1986 also produced statistically significant inverse associations, whereas no significant or consistent associations were observed with the reported arrest rates for possession of marijuana, driving under the influence of alcohol, and drunkenness. These results suggest that lithium at low dosage levels has a generally beneficial effect on human behavior, which may be associated with the functions of lithium as a nutritionally-essential trace element.

It was just a joke, guys. Apparently, as most jokes, not a very original one since someone has already thought about this, studied it and implemented it. I’ll have to read more about this and help spread the word to promote World peace, calmness, less crime and of course those awesome honking traffic lights.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Impatient Drivers – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Drinking and Driving

Daun Thompson — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 17:09:01 +0000

Today is Independence Day and I’m 1776% sure that most people are celebrating with alcohol. While we in the U.S. are commemorating our liberation from Great Britain, I’m curious how the British spend this day (sulking?). Celebrating our independence is our God-given right. Drinking and driving is not and may result in someone losing their rights as well as their independence. In fact, July 4th is the deadliest day of the year on our roads. While most people at least have a sip of champagne on New Years Eve, drinking usually begins closer to midnight. Holidays like today, people will likely be drinking all day and then driving to and from the celebration. Perhaps it’s not practical to assume that everyone will limit their drinking today, so here is a practical option to drinking and driving.

Four score and seven beers ago…The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) created a list of sober/safe ride programs across the country. Use the link below to locate one in your area and save the number in your cell phone so you always have it on you. Share the number via text message with friends and family too. It may save their lives and may also save you a trip to bail someone out of jail.

You can find a ride at this link:
soberrides.org

Uber and Lyft, cabs, and other such “wingman” services are likely available in your area as well. Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) have partnered with Uber, saying that taking an Uber is saving lives. The app is easy to manipulate when you’re impaired. When you download the app, it requires that you add your credit card information, so you also don’t have to exchange money when you’re impaired. Plus, with GPS, the driver knows where you are and you simply push a button and they’re on their way. A picture of the driver will pop up with the description of the vehicle and the license plate number (so you don’t get into the wrong car). An additional bonus is, when the picture of the driver pops up, if they’re not really your “type,” you can cancel it and order another one until you get a cuter driver (Ha! I’m just kidding…I don’t really do that…or do I??). It’s like an e-harmony/uber combo.

So, please have a safe and happy Independence Day. As far as my friends and family are concerned, it’s time to get star spangled hammered.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Drinking and Driving – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Elderly Driver

Daun Thompson — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 19:02:09 +0000

My Mother turned 80 years old and had to take both a driving test and a written test to renew her license as an elderly driver in Illinois. Every time I spoke with her on the phone, she was studying her state’s driver handbook. She was clearly worried that she may not pass the driving or written portion of the test. One time I called and she said she couldn’t hear me. At first I was concerned that her hearing was going. Maybe we had a bad connection. Then she admitted that she had the phone upside down and was speaking into the receiver. Although I assured her that she is a very good driver, she did end up flunking the driving test because she blew through a solid yellow light that turned red before she was out of the intersection. Illinois state law requires that after 80, she will need to renew her license every two years. And after 87, she will be required to renew it every year.

License renewal procedures vary from state to state but tend to follow the same pattern. In addition to taking a written test and a driving test, most states also require a vision test, hearing test (thank goodness) and a medical evaluation. Doctors and family members can also submit requests to the DMV to conduct unsafe driver investigations before license renewal. I have found it to be true that independence is very important to the elderly and once someone is forced to give up driving, they often slip into depression. But, if driving is becoming a danger to themselves and to others, this may be the only resort. Now that we have inexpensive ways to get a lift (such as Uber and Lyft), one can still be independent without actually driving.

Another thing that will help as an elderly driver is taking a defensive driving course. This will not only lower your insurance rates but will also double as an excellent refresher course regarding both new laws and existing laws. Your insurance agent should be more than happy to give you an insurance discount as a reward for making an effort to be a better driver.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Artist / Comedienne

Elderly Driver – ComedyDefensiveDriving.com

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Car Maintenance

Daun Thompson — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 16:35:34 +0000

It’s true that regular preventative car maintenance improves fuel efficiency and produces less vehicle emissions. So, to help the environment and to save a little cash at the same time, please have your car maintenance scheduled today! One would think that protecting our ozone layer for the future health of our kids would encourage people to not leave an imprint, but some states don’t even require an annual vehicle emissions inspection. It’s also true that some cars just last longer than other cars, no matter what. I truly believe that, if the World comes to an end, the only things that will survive will be cockroaches and Hondas.

Since you can find just about anything on the internet, most people don’t even read their car manual. I am guilty of this as well. I haven’t even broken the factory seal on my manual and my car is 14 years old. One never knows if you may want to sell the manual on ebay and you certainly don’t want coffee stains on it. Yesterday, I was fishing out a french fry from between the seats and I found a bar for a lumbar support! When purchasing a new car or a used car that comes with an extended warranty, certain items won’t be covered if you don’t do the scheduled car maintenance.

Here are just a few items that you may want to observe to keep your investment in top running order:

• Alignment: Annual alignment checks are your best way to maximize tire life and ensure that your car performs on the road as it should. Red flags are uneven tire wear, shaking and the car pulling to one side.
• Fuel economy: Speeding, aggressive and jerky driving can reduce gas mileage as much as 33% on the highway and 5% on city streets.
• Vision: Extreme weather is wearing on wiper blades. Check them every 6 months.
• Brakes: Check them every time you get an oil change to minimize cost of future repairs.
• Gas Cap: A loose gas cap can trigger the “check engine” or “service engine soon” lights.
• Odor: A must smell could be caused by a dirty or clogged air filter. Checking it will prevent HVAC issues. Low coolant can overheat your engine and will have a salty odor.
• Fluids: Have all fluid levels checked and topped off when getting your oil changed.
• Battery: Have your battery tested every fall. Batteries should last at least 3 years if properly checked.
• Oil: Have your oil changed regularly to prevent costly engine repairs.
• Air Filter: Have it checked when your oil is changed.
• Lights: Have them checked for visibility and brightness.
• Spare Tire: Always have your spare tire checked for proper inflation when oil is changed.

Following these tips will ensure that your car will remain on the road long after your own expiration date.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Car Maintenance – Comedy Defensive Driving

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