joe.apex's blog

Dating back to the last 1800's the electric car has been with us longer than most people think. And given the recent addition of electric cars that are becoming more practical, such as Tesla Motors vehicles, its time to update driver's ed to accommodate the growing impact of electric cars on our roads.

While we always advocate drivers obey the law when on the road, we also advocate that drivers be aware of their rights under the law. The use of automated traffic enforcement equipment has always been controversial. Those advocating this type of equipment extol its virtues for saving lives while others write it off as a money-making operation trampling our constitutional rights. These are important issues for all drivers, including those taking online drivers ed.

This article is an update on the slower traffic moving to the right issue. It finally seems we are getting some action from legislators in some states to make it illegal to drive slowly in the fast lane. 

There is a definite protocol that should be followed when being stopped by a police officer. This situation is probably not covered in driver's ed and the most important item is to remain calm and follow this simple set of guidelines.

One of the big issues for teens taking driver's ed is building confidence when getting behind the steering wheel. In most cases they have spent many hours as a passenger so the concept of driving is very familiar. However, it becomes a different story when actually moving to the "big seat" and taking charge of a 4,000 pound vehicle.

With so much being written about distracted driving,  it's worth digging a little deeper into the actual reasons why distracted driving occurs. Its a fairly complex topic about how the human brain operates and some of the limitations we have as humans. The root of distracted driving is the misunderstanding about multitasking, which is a technical term loosely used to imply that people can perform concurrent multiple tasks equally well.

Conventional wisdom says that by keeping your hands on the steering wheel and not on the phone, you will be a much safer driver. The problem, known as driving while texting, or DWT, is now illegal in most states. By now most everyone knows the research shows that DWT is very dangerous and any driver's ed course worth its salt will cover this topic in depth.

Even for those drivers who are experienced at driving on snow-covered roads it takes a great deal of effort to drive safely. In addition to snow, driving conditions can also include ice and limited visibility. Unfortunately this is something seldom covered in drivers ed, so whether you're going about your daily commute or headed to the mountains with skis in tow it is worth paying attention to these tips.

Renting a car can be a daunting experience for first time renters. Choosing a rental car company, type of car, how to get the best deal, what insurance do I need, etc. There are many items to consider when renting a car and virtually no drivers ed programs cover any of this information. Most agencies have a minimum age requirement of 25, but some agencies provide rentals to younger drivers so make sure you check the age requirements before renting a car.

In many parts of the country winter is in full force and with it comes cold weather, snow, snowy roads, and snowplows. Snowplows are fantastic pieces of machinery and keep our roads open in difficult winter conditions. Over the years snowplows have become more powerful and efficient at the task of moving snow from our roads. Most drivers ed courses don't cover much about snowplows and how to drive safety in their presence which we'll cover in this article.