A New Low...But A Good Low!

In this recent article on traffic fatalities, the NHTSA has declared that traffic deaths have dropped to their lowest point since the 1950's. Several factors are at work, namely, more awareness of drunk driving, increased seat belt use, and the decline in overall driving because of the economy.

It seems as though education and laws are working after all!

Another Expert Parallel Parker Is Born!

Meet Maureen, the Driver Guy's newest adult student. Taking lessons for awhile now, she has recently successfully learned the fine and precise art of parallel parking! The Driver Guy is naturally an expert parallel parker, and, equally important, he is a master at teaching how to parallel park--an often elusive and frustrating exercise that reduces one to either a raving lunatic or a defeated puddle of mush as you try to sandwich your car between two others without destroying either one of them or yours.

But thanks to the Driver Guy, it seems as though Maureen had an easier time of it, judging by the Victory sign she's flashing! Maureen says she feels so confident in her progress that she's planning on taking her DMV Behind the Wheel test soon!

We'll be rooting for you Maureen!! Please keep us posted!

For more information on Alliance Defensive Driving School, please go to:http://www.thedriverguy.com/index.html

For more information on our adult program, please go to: http://www.thedriverguy.com/adults.html

For more information about our prices and online Drivers Ed program, please go to: http://www.thedriverguy.com/online_driversed.html

Announcing Teen Driving Safety Week!

On March 21 Teen Driving Safety Week begins, declared by the Assembly of the State of California as an awareness of the dangers and responsibilities of driving.

According to the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration) there were 13.2 million young drivers between the ages of 15-20 years of age in 2008--a 4.8 percent increase from 12.6 million within the decade. Within this same timeframe there was a 27 percent decrease in fatal crashes and a 20 percent drop in  driver fatalities among this age group. Despite this encouraging news, motor vehicle crashes are still the leading cause of death for 15-20 year old people. In 2008 there were 5, 864 (12%) young driver involved fatal accidents; 2, 739 of those were killed and an additional 228,000 were injured.

Taking the most salient points from the NHTSA 2008 statistical data on young drivers, here are some sobering numbers to remind us of the preventive work that still needs to be done:

•  30% (291) did not have valid operators licenses and had previous license revocation and suspensions.
• 31% of young drivers killed had been drinking and had a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .01 grams per deciliter or higher.
• 25% of young drivers killed had a BAC of .08 or higher--in other words, they were legally drunk!
• The severity of a crash increases with the amount of alcohol consumed. To wit: DUI crashes involving only property damage were 2%; DUI crashes resulting in injury leapt to 4%; DUI crashes ending in fatalities jumped exponentially to 22%!
• Alcohol involvement is higher among male young drivers than female; 26% of male drivers involved in a fatal crash had been drinking just before the accident, compared to 13% of young female drivers who were under the influence at the time of the accident.
• 63% of young drivers who had been drinking and were involved in fatal crashes were unrestrained.  73% of those drivers who were not wearing seat belts were killed on impact.
• In California there were 593 young driver fatalities for 2008.

Unfortunately, these statistics do not mention any fatalities involving texting while driving, an increasing concern. Two studies by the University of Utah in 2003 and 2006 respectively, comparing the effects of drunk driving versus texting and driving, showed that on the whole, texting while driving had the same effect on driving ability as being behind the wheel with a .08 BAC. What's more, it showed that a hands free device was not any safer than a hand held one. The conclusion is, anytime you take your eyes and mind away from the task of driving, you are inevitably putting yourself and others in much greater danger.

Keeping this in mind, the next time you're behind the wheel, ask yourself if it's worth getting in an accident and you and/or someone else gets hurt or killed while you answer the message on your phone? Is any message/call really that urgent, that it couldn't wait? Isn't it worth waiting a few seconds until you're safely off the road before you answer the phone or text message? Think about it...what if the last call/message you answered while driving...

                                                                    ...was your last?

For more information about Alliance Defensive Driving School, please go to: http://www.thedriverguy.com/index.html

For more information about our Teen Program, please go to: http://www.thedriverguy.com/teens.html

For more information about our prices and online Drivers Ed Program, please go to: http://www.thedriverguy.com/online_driversed.html



Car accident photograph from: www.fugly.com
Casket photograph from: www.scrapetv.com

Weird and Funny Video? Not Really....

We found this video on YouTube, and, despite the title, we think it illustrates an important point when driving in wet weather. In this particular video there are several elements that make this driving experience all the more treacherous:

1. The wet weather!

2. People NOT slowing down in wet weather!

3. People NOT slowing down when approaching the curve--in wet or dry weather!

Added to this is the dismaying lack of any sort of regulatory or advisory sign before the curve--or at least one that could be seen on the video.

All these elements make for very dangerous driving. Make no mistake, while the filmmakers clearly intended this to be a form of entertainment, judging from the title and the accompanying music; to us, it is a very pointed reminder that this sort of driving is no joke! It also goes without saying that all these drivers would fail the Behind the Wheel test at their DMV!

One thing to keep in mind while watching this video, is that probably most of the drivers use this route on a daily basis as part of their commute, and therefore may think that they know how to take the curve in any sort of weather. This is dangerous thinking, as you'll hopefully notice as you watch the film. Never underestimate what could happen in an unexpected situation, such as a pedestrian stepping off the curb when you least expect it. On a sharp curve, you cannot really see this happening until it's too late. Look closely at the film and you'll see some frightening near misses involving pedestrians as well as on-coming and cross traffic.

Please, always remember in wet weather, always drive 5 to 10 mph slower than the posted speed limit! Especially during the first few days of rainy weather when the roads are particularly slick due to a build up of dirt and oil! Also, coming on a blind, uncontrolled intersection, such as the curve shown in the video, slow down to 15 mph before entering it!

For more tips, see The Driver Guy's Blog entry for December 22, 2009 for a more complete explanation on defensive driving in foul weather.

For more information about Alliance Defensive Driving School, please visit http://www.thedriverguy.com/index.html

For information about our teen program, please visit http://www.thedriverguy.com/teens.html

For more information about our online Drivers Ed. course and prices, please visit http://www.thedriverguy.com/online_driversed.html

Announcing Two New Drivers on America's Highways!!

We've decided to add an exciting feature to our blog: an Honor Roll of sorts, featuring our latest graduates and their well earned accomplishments!

To inaugurate this feature we'd like to congratulate JASON on a job well done!! Jason was a model student, listening to The Driver Guy's instructions very respectfully, thereby making the experience of teaching and learning easier for both of them! He passed his behind the wheel test on the first try with only five mistakes! Good going Jason!!

Jason said, "I'll recommend The Driver Guy to all my friends! Even my girlfriend!" Thanks Jason! We were happy to have you as a student and we look forward to meeting and teaching your friends (and your girlfriend!)


Our second honoree is JESSICA. Jessica had gone to another driving school only to fail after taking the DMV behind the wheel test. Deciding to start afresh with another driving school, she chose Alliance Defensive Driving School, and after the requisite six hour lessons with The Driver Guy, she easily passed her behind the wheel test with only three errors! Congratulations Jessica!

Said Jessica, "The Driver Guy is the best instructor in the world!! I am so happy!!! Also, the other school charged too much!" We're very glad we could help you, Jessica!

Again, our hearty congratulations to our two latest graduates! May they have a safe, long and happy driving experience!

Please keep in touch! Don't hesitate to email or phone us with any driving question or problem you might have!


For information regarding our school, please go to http://www.thedriverguy.com/index.html

For information about our teen program, please go to http://www.thedriverguy.com/teens.html

For information about our online Drivers Ed. program and our prices, please go to http://www.thedriverguy.com/online_driversed.html

Also, please read our other blogs: The Driver Guy and The Highway for more great tips on driving, cars, and car maintenance!

Keeping Safe--In The Car and Out

Recently there has been a lot of publicity surrounding the disappearance and subsequent deaths of Chelsea King and Amber Dubois, and the capture of  John Albert Gardner III in connection with their murders. Three commonalities will always join these two girls forever more in this heinous crime: they were teenagers, they were walking alone, they did not do anything to provoke their attacker.

Being in a seemingly safe, affluent area, as Chelsea King was, might give some a sense of security. But in reality, sadly, no one is safe anywhere, and our guard must not be dropped under any circumstance. It's a sad fact of our modern life. To be fair though, this has been true of any age. There have, and always will exist, people who, for whatever reason, want to do us harm.

There are various websites on the internet devoted to the subject of personal safety, offering valuable tips and classes that you can take to safeguard yourself and your family. A simple Google search will offer a plethora of helpful sites.

One of the core concepts of defensive driving that we at Alliance Defensive Driving School teach is S.I.P.D.E., which stands for Search, Identify, Predict, Determine, Execute. While this is often taught as part of driving defensively, the exact same concept could be used for walking...or jogging...or riding the bus. In other words, anywhere you happen to be in a public space; from an isolated wooded area to a bustling mall or crowded city street.

To illustrate how S.I.P.D.E. could be used as a pedestrian, let's imagine the following scenario:

You're walking along a busy street, aware of people around you, when you suddenly spot out of the corner of your eye someone possibly following you. You keep an eye on him, noticing that he is definitely following you. He is not going to stop following you, no matter what you do. You decide to go into the nearest store and call for help and you head for the store you're passing and call the authorities. Meanwhile you also let the store staff know about your concerns.

Search: For possible trouble

Identify: Person following you

Predict: By his actions, he looks like he will not stop following you

Determine: What you are going to do, i.e. duck into a store and call for help.

Execute: You go into the store and call for help.

Depending on where you are, the scenario would change slightly, but the principles of S.I.P.D.E. remain exactly the same, whether on foot or driving or on public transportation. That's the great thing about this simple acronym; remember it and it will carry you through any situation that you might find yourself in!

Whether in a car or on foot, please be safe out there! If you feel uncomfortable about a certain situation you find yourself in, heed your instinct and remove yourself from possible harm! If it turns out to be a false alarm, well, better to be embarrassed than to wind up in a hospital...or worse!

For more information about Alliance Defensive Driving School, please go to: http://www.thedriverguy.com/index.html

For more information regarding our Teen Program, please go to: http://www.thedriverguy.com/teens.html

For information about our online Driver's Ed. Program and prices, please go to: http://www.thedriverguy.com/online_driversed.html

Also be sure to read our other blogs: The Driver Guy and The Highway for more great info and tips!

Buzz Off! Say San Diego Freeway Drivers!

According to this article in the San Diego Union Tribune, Caltrans has struck a nerve with freeway drivers over an electronic sign reminding drivers to share the road with motorcycles. It seems as if, uniformly, drivers are for the most part exasperated with motorcycle riders and their seemingly flouting the law with impunity as they watch them zip along the freeways, probably going over the speed limit, splitting the lane, riding up beside them noisily, exhaust enveloping their car. And now the county is asking its drivers to look out for them?!

To some people, especially novice drivers, hearing a motorcycle roaring up beside them can be extremely unnerving. Although the California Vehicle Code says nothing overtly regarding the legalities of lane splitting, if an officer spots a motorcyclist splitting the lane in what he/she considers to be a safety hazard, the officer can issue a citation. So, despite the perception, motorcyclists are not always given free passes.

The best rule of thumb to use in any driving situation, is to always assume that there are unseen dangers lurking on the roadway and one should always be on the alert regardless of where one is. After all, that is the central tenet of defensive driving.

To find out more about our school, please go to http://www.thedriverguy.com/index.html

To find out about our Teen Drivers Ed. course, please go to: http://www.thedriverguy.com/online_driversed.html

To learn more about Teen Drivers, please go to: http://www.thedriverguy.com/teens.html