OPINION - Raising the Level of Consequences
Taking away someone's privilege to drive is viewed as a drastic step in correcting driving behaviour. Currently, a fully licensed driver has to accumulate a significant number of points in a year before the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles takes steps to apply this penalty. In my experience, the traffic courts are also reluctant to take this step, saying "I'll leave that up to the Superintendent." when the officer prosecuting requests a prohibition as part of the penalty.
The Driving With Us archive contains articles written by Steve Wallace, owner of Wallace Driving School. Steve shares valuable insights into defensive driving with readers and sometimes slips in an opinion or two. The articles also appear regularly in the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper. In either format, the articles are always worth your time to read and consider.
My mother learned to drive on the prairies as a teenager. She paid her two dollars, was given a driver's licence and then learned to drive. I learned in my teens as well, studying the driving guide, took a twenty question test, spent some time as a learner, passed a 20 minute road test and I had my licence.
I am occasionally asked about using the left foot for braking instead of the right foot. The usual justification given for this is that the brakes may be applied more quickly because the left foot is ready while the right foot is busy with the accelerator pedal. While there are different schools of thought on whether this is appropriate for highway driving it may not be a good idea for the average driver.
If you insist on "do it yourself" when your teen needs a driving instructor, be prepared to do the job right. After all, safe driving is a life skill well worth learning properly from the beginning. Your teen trusts you, but are you really prepared to do a comprehensive job as a teacher?
Young Drivers of Canada and State Farm Insurance have created an interactive video test of your driving skills. You are required to observe a developing driving situation, assess it's level of risk and identify the specific risk by clicking on the video itself.
This video is produced by the Michelin Tire people and illustrates four topics: shorter stopping distances with winter tires, control difficulties with mis-matched tires, braking with and without ABS and steering while braking with and without ABS. All of this is conducted on snow covered ground.
There is such an incredible shortage of common sense about the practicalities of driving, as well as so many people who seem unable to think clearly any more. You cannot get people to drive better just by saying "drive better".
The Royal Auto Club Foundation asks "Are we getting it right?" Is education in road safety a good thing? In the paper Professor McKenna argues that educational interventions are often designed in the absence of theory or any formal body of evidence. In some circumstances they may inadvertently increase exposure to risk.