If You Could Teach Driver Ed, What Would You Want to Cover?

[1995hoo]

....

5. Attentiveness.  Teach people to put the fucking phone down and keep their heads up and their wits about them as they drive.

To this I would add "including while stopped at a red light." Yesterday afternoon I blew my horn five times at traffic lights at people who didn't move when the light went green because they were playing with mobile phones. (Usually I just give two quick beeps of the horn. But if the same driver does it at consecutive lights, I give a loud blast of the horn the second time.) So many people fail to notice the light is green these days. It makes me think of those "While we're young" commercials running during the US Open.

[cpzilliacus]

(0) Basic overview of the mechanical systems of the vehicle - including - how to change a tire and warning lights in the vehicle for the braking system.

(1) How to safely enter and exit a freeway.  Acceleration, merging, deceleration and exiting.

(2) How to signal intentions before a lane change, not during the lane change or after the lane change. Related - when another driver signals a lane change, let them in and do not speed up to prevent same.

(3) No Nestoring - especially on a four lane highway, keep to the right except to pass.  On six or eight lane roads, leave the left lane for those that want to pass (exceptions made for left-side exits and if the road is operating at level-of-service "F").

(4) No stopping on freeways (and other high-speed roads where stopping is not allowed).

(5) Search pattern for problems and hazards on the road ahead.  Related to this is anticipating what other drivers might be doing.

(6) How to navigate the highway network (without and with a GPS unit).

(7) MUTCD overview.  Does not have to be as detailed as some members of this site, but should cover the basics.

(8) Financial and other consequences of DWI and reckless driving convictions.

[agentsteel53]

U-turn on a green left turn arrow may put one in conflict with a right turner who also has a green arrow.

does this ever happen?  in California, the green right arrow does not appear when a conflicting U-turn is permitted.  green right arrow occurs only perpendicular to a NO U TURN.

[1995hoo]

U-turn on a green left turn arrow may put one in conflict with a right turner who also has a green arrow.

does this ever happen?  in California, the green right arrow does not appear when a conflicting U-turn is permitted.  green right arrow occurs only perpendicular to a NO U TURN.

It does indeed. There's a situation like that less than two miles from my house. A "U-Turn Yield to Right Turn" sign is posted, but most of the U-turners ignore it–or, more likely, they don't notice it at all.

[agentsteel53]

without a sign, it would be ambiguous.  I know left turn has to yield to straight or right, but while I would assume U-turn had to yield to right turn, I do not know that for sure.

is there a situation where there is no signage for who has to give way?  in California, I generally assume that the right-turning traffic has a red light, and therefore must stop and yield, but that's only because here that is how things are designed.

[SidS1045]

I'm sick of self-appointed speed cops on the road who think it is their duty to make everyone obey an absurdly low speed limit on the freeway.

That absurdly low speed limit on the freeway is most likely there for a reason, and I'm betting you know what the reason is.

Hint:  It has nothing to do with safety.

[Revive 755]

does this ever happen?  in California, the green right arrow does not appear when a conflicting U-turn is permitted.  green right arrow occurs only perpendicular to a NO U TURN.

It could technically happen almost all the time in Chicagoland since U-turns are allowed unless a U-turn prohibition sign is present.  Most of the intersections do not have any 'U-Turn yield to right turn' signs.  If there is a high volumes of U-turns anticipated during the design phase though the right turn arrow is usually not installed.

Having done the U-turn maneuver a few times it seems the right turners are more willing to yield, but there have been a couple awkward times where no one want to be the first to complete their maneuver.

[agentsteel53]

\
That absurdly low speed limit on the freeway is most likely there for a reason, and I'm betting you know what the reason is.

Hint:  It has nothing to do with safety.

$orry, I'm cluele$$...

[agentsteel53]

It could technically happen almost all the time in Chicagoland since U-turns are allowed unless a U-turn prohibition sign is present.  Most of the intersections do not have any 'U-Turn yield to right turn' signs.  If there is a high volumes of U-turns anticipated during the design phase though the right turn arrow is usually not installed.

Having done the U-turn maneuver a few times it seems the right turners are more willing to yield, but there have been a couple awkward times where no one want to be the first to complete their maneuver.

do these right turning folks get an explicit right-turn green arrow?

[Brandon]

It could technically happen almost all the time in Chicagoland since U-turns are allowed unless a U-turn prohibition sign is present.  Most of the intersections do not have any 'U-Turn yield to right turn' signs.  If there is a high volumes of U-turns anticipated during the design phase though the right turn arrow is usually not installed.

Having done the U-turn maneuver a few times it seems the right turners are more willing to yield, but there have been a couple awkward times where no one want to be the first to complete their maneuver.

do these right turning folks get an explicit right-turn green arrow?

Not always - some do, some don't.  However, there's no way of knowing, from a right-turn perspective, that a driver will be making a U-Turn from the left turn lane.  Welcome to the highly inconsistent world of IDOT.

[Thing 342]

Navigation skills is one of the biggest areas, if not the biggest area that drivers' education is sorely lacking.  Far too much time was spent on seat belts (OK, we wear them anyway, big flipping deal), accidents (the goal, IMHO, is avoidance), and drunk driving (big flipping yawn, under 16, not supposed to drink regardless) than on navigation.  Yet, the biggest problem I see on the roads is a complete and total lack of navigational skills by the typical driver.  I have seen more close calls caused by a severe lack of navigational skills when people make last minute decisions to take an exit ramp on the other side of the freeway, enter a turn lane late (or turn from the wrong lane), or simply get lost and not pay any attention to where they are going.

I agree. The Driver's ed classes offered in my school district spend at least half of a marking period (4.5 weeks) on drunk driving. Considering that the class is only supposed to last a full marking period (9 weeks), they hardly spend any time at all on navigational skills. While DUI education is a noble cause and should be taught in a driver's ed class, it should not take up as much time as it does.

[kkt]

Pedestrians have the right of way at crosswalks, and a crosswalk is any intersection, with or without painted lines, where pedestrians are not expressly prohibited.  Pedestrians often have less judgement about traffic than licensed drivers, so it's the responsibility of the driver to keep the pedestrian safe.

It's a driver's responsibility to avoid an accident whenever possible.  Getting into an accident that you could have avoided can get you a ticket, financial responsibility for the damage, and higher insurance rates, even if the other party should have yielded the right of way.

[WichitaRoads]

Wow! This topic just blew up! Thanks for all of your ideas. I, for the greater part, cover pretty much all of these things. A lot of DrEd teachers just go through it mechanically. I bring my inner RoadGeek out, and I cover this stuff... I cover the book topics, and then get realistic.

And I DO spend time on the highway system (numbering) and route planning.

Keep it coming! I'm glad to know I am amongst similar minds here!

ICTRds

[1995hoo]

Something I was thinking about Saturday while driving on some two-lane roads: If your car doesn't have DRLs, turning on your headlights on two-lane roads, even during the day, can be really helpful in making your car visible to people coming the other way who might be thinking about pulling out to try to pass someone, especially during the summer when you get that heat mirage effect that makes the road look like it's disappearing into water. I first saw this when I was a kid on family vacations to Canada. They didn't require DRLs yet, but the vast majority of drivers on the Trans-Canada Highway outside urban areas seemed to use their headlights all the time for exactly this sort of reason. I always liked the idea and have always done it, at least on two-lane roads that have passing zones anyway (meaning I don't necessarily use lights during the day on urban two-lane roads).

I tend to err in favor of turning on my lights whenever I have any doubt about visibility. It can't hurt.

[kkt]

I think it's the law now in Canada that you must have lights on at all times when the car is in operation.  If you don't have DRL, you must turn on the main headlights.  In Washington, it's not the law, but many people do so anyway.

[Henry]

In addition to what has alerady been mentioned, I'd stress the dangers of using a cell phone to talk/text while driving. In this age of the Internet, iPods/iPhones/iPads, smartphones, etc., they're becoming a major problem on our streets and highways today, much like drunk driving was back in the 90s.

[KEK Inc.]

In addition to what has alerady been mentioned, I'd stress the dangers of using a cell phone to talk/text while driving. In this age of the Internet, iPods/iPhones/iPads, smartphones, etc., they're becoming a major problem on our streets and highways today, much like drunk driving was back in the 90s.

What?  Drunk Driving has always been a problem...

[agentsteel53]

some freeway observations.  in short: people need to learn how to drive on the freeway efficiently, in such a way as to minimize congestion.  remember, the ideal freeway driver is as follows: if you were eliminated from the road, the traffic pattern should remain unchanged.  in other words, you should, in the ideal sense, add zero congestion.

first, passing.  when you pass, increase your speed slightly from your cruising speed.  this allows the incidence time to diminish - i.e. you're not creeping past the other car.  you should attempt to minimize the amount of time you spend between the following endpoints: 1) when you enter the other driver's blind spot, 2) when the other driver exits your blind spot.  about 3-4 mph of extra oomph will really get things going more efficiently.

this goes double for trucks.  nobody likes being beside a truck - neither you, nor the people behind you.  so, get things moving!  certainly, under no circumstances whatsoever, should you slow down while passing a truck.  that reeks of ineptitude, cowardice, and contempt for your fellow road users. 

and one more note - never slow down when passing to "pull alongside".  flying in formation is dangerous.  doubly so when you're passing on the right.  if you can't be arsed to speed up a few miles per hour to diminish the time spent passing, at least maintain your comfortable speed.  never, ever slow down while passing someone.

second - that comfortable speed I keep mentioning: find one.  live it, love it, be it.  cruise control is your best friend.  for the average driver, it will save you one tank of gas every 20.  maybe one every five if you're extra terrible at regulating your speed otherwise.  definitely don't waver on the freeway.  if two cars each have their own comfortable speed, they will see each other precisely once (barring gas stops).  nobody wants to see the same car over and over again - playing leapfrog is for three-year-olds.

[agentsteel53]

and on a completely different topic: you will make mistakes while driving.  this is not an if, this is a when.

so, don't worry about administrative mistakes.  nobody, except maybe Rain Man, can be arsed to remember that there are N jurisdictions scattered about the US in which it is illegal to make a u-turn, a right turn on red, etc.  these are, under most circumstances, perfectly safe maneuvers; to do them in a safe manner increases the capacity of the road.  so go ahead and do them, and don't for a minute worry if it's Buckshot, Wisconsin, or Buckskin, Wyoming, that forbids using the two-direction left turn lane as an entry lane.

[vdeane]

I think it's the law now in Canada that you must have lights on at all times when the car is in operation.  If you don't have DRL, you must turn on the main headlights.  In Washington, it's not the law, but many people do so anyway.

Just one problem: some cars have auto-dimming controls that assume that headlights are only used at night and so dim the controls whenever the headlights are on.  If I use the headlights in daylight, I can't see anything on the dashboard.

[busman_49]

Flashing yellow lights do NOT mean "come to a complete stop,"  especially where it's a yellow-only light, OR at a signal that's under study to be removed.

[1995hoo]

I think it's the law now in Canada that you must have lights on at all times when the car is in operation.  If you don't have DRL, you must turn on the main headlights.  In Washington, it's not the law, but many people do so anyway.

Just one problem: some cars have auto-dimming controls that assume that headlights are only used at night and so dim the controls whenever the headlights are on.  If I use the headlights in daylight, I can't see anything on the dashboard.

Mine has that but I can override it by hitting the "MAX" button that boosts the dash to full brightness (it works as a toggle, so I hit it again to return to auto-dimming). Given laws about using lights during the day in bad weather, I have to think most cars would provide some sort of way to override auto-dimming.

[roadman]

I also believe that much more emphasis should be placed on navigation skills.  When I took drivers ed in the mid-1970s, we were given an interesting classroom assignment.  We were each given a road atlas and a destination, and told to plot a route from Boston.  Further, we had to identify the major junction points where our route changed, and explain why we chose the route we did.

As I recall, I was one of only three or four students, out of a class of 30, who finished the assignment on time and to the satisfaction of the instructor.

[kphoger]

Speaking as a Wichita resident, I would say the two most appropriate suggestions (besides the ones you're already covering such as keeping right except to pass) are these:

1. The proper way to signal turns at a roundabout.  I don't think I've seen a single driver use a turn signal at all at a roundabout in Wichita.  We have a few in town to practice on.

2. Pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks.  People don't seem to get the concept here.  Just yesterday, my wife and two boys and I were walking/jogging under the canal route, and came to where the path crosses 9th Street.  That crosswalk has white lines across the pavement and big yellow signs.  We had already crossed half the road, and were standing in the median about three inches from the other travel lanes–a family of four with a stroller–and not a single driver even slowed down to let us across.  I wonder if they would even have stopped if we'd simply walked out into the road.  Now, I'm sure the topic of crosswalks is covered, but be very clear about what consitutes a crosswalk, both marked and unmarked.

[Brandon]

Speaking as a Wichita resident, I would say the two most appropriate suggestions (besides the ones you're already covering such as keeping right except to pass) are these:

1. The proper way to signal turns at a roundabout.  I don't think I've seen a single driver use a turn signal at all at a roundabout in Wichita.  We have a few in town to practice on.

I'm not even sure what is the right way to use a signal in a roundabout.  Anyway, with one hand on the stick and one on the steering wheel, I don't have a third hand for the turn signal stalk.