Driver's Education

Salesianum's Driver's Education program prepares students to safely and successfully navigate the roads as young drivers.

Tips for Parents

Insist on belt use.
Make sure your teens know the importance of seat belts. Remember, it's the law in every state (except New Hampshire), and you and your teen could be held liable legally and financially if someone is injured riding with you. Belt use reduces the chances of a serious injury or fatality significantly.

Drinking and driving don't mix.
More than a third of all teen traffic fatalities involve alcohol. Make it clear that it is illegal and highly dangerous for anyone to drive after drinking of using any other drug. No excuses. No second chances. No alcohol, period. It is illegal in all 50 states for anyone under age 21 to drink alcohol much less drink and drive.

Slow down.
Excessive speed is a major factor in crashes involving teens. Tell your teenager to slow down and take their time. Teens should keep their speed equal to the driving conditions they encounter. For example, when it rains the road becomes slicker. Also, visibility is less and they need more time to stop-so leave more space between the car and other vehicles. Also, they should turn on the headlights in inclement weather, it's the law in most states. Keep right except to pass...and pass carefully.

Avoid distractions.
Teens learning to drive demand full attention. Your teen's responsibility is to operate the vehicle safely. Distractions like the radio, cell phones, and passengers take your teens attention away from the road. Remember increasing distractions, increases the risk of a crash.

Limit passengers while learning.
Fatal crashes are more likely to occur when other teenagers are in the car. The risk of a crash increases with every additional passenger. The best policy is to restrict teen passengers, especially multiple teens, all the time. Teens should be concentrating on driving and not talking to others, this can cause a distraction and could become lethal.

Caution in intersections.
Red light and stop sign running are huge problems and many people are seriously injured or killed because they didn't pay extra attention to other traffic. After a traffic light has turned green, or your teen is pulling away from a stop sign, teach them to look left, right, and left again before proceeding. The light may be green, but that means "proceed with caution." No one should assume that other traffic will stop for a red light or stop sign.

Watch out for deer and other animals
Striking a deer or other large animal can cause significant damage to the vehicle, and many people are seriously injured or killed in such crashes. Teach teens to scan the horizon carefully, especially at night, so they will have time to react in a controlled manner rather than panic swerving that could cause a crash even without striking the animal.

Don't drive when sleepy
Drowsy driving is a serious problem that leads to thousands of auto crashes each year and teens don't often get enough sleep. If they find themselves becoming sleepy while driving, pull over at a safe place and get out and walk around. Another solution is to reschedule the trip for another time to reduce risk of drowsy driving, especially if it's a long trip.

Use your head!
Teens and all drivers should use their head, always looking over their shoulder before changing lanes or merging, don't rely on the mirrors alone, they have blind spots.

Use turn signals.
Advise your teen to signal when they change lanes as well as when turning.

Don't tailgate.
This is a bad habit that is a major cause of crashes. Insist teens leave plenty of space between themselves and the vehicle ahead. They should be able to see the rear tires of the car in front in slow traffic situations. At higher speeds they should leave a three-second cushion between the car and vehicle in front of them.

Be courteous.
Teach teens to be courteous by letting motorists trying to enter the roadway out into traffic ahead of them. When a driver ahead puts on a turn signal, slow down and let him over. Courtesy on the road goes a long way to making life more enjoyable for everyone.

Learn to use antilock brakes.
Teach your teens how to safely use the technology that's in their vehicles like antilock brakes. With antilock brakes you must stomp on the brakes, stay on them (not pump them) and then steer away from danger. Teach your teen how to use them on a remote road or parking lot so they get used to the feel and they know what to expect ion an emergency situation.

Remember you are a role model.
New drivers learn a lot by example, so practice safe driving. Teens with crashes and violations often have parents with poor driving records.

Faculty
John Corcoran '66
jcorcoran@salesianum.org / Ext. 269

James Taylor
jdtaylor@salesianum.org / Ext. 243