Tips for Driving & Dialing Safely

You have heard it before and you will hear it again. Auto accidents because of distracted drivers who are concentrating on their cell phones more than the road. Here are some tips for drivers who must have their cell phone with them when driving:

1. Pay attention. Just as it's unsafe to look at a map or read directions while driving, it's unsafe to focus on your cell phone.
2. Do not have a conversation that may be emotional. This will distract you from your primary focus - safe and responsible driving.
   
3. Use speed dial only - you can find the speed dial and redial features without taking your eyes off the road.
4. Position your phone where you can reach it easily, without diverting your attention from driving.
5. Always use a hands-free unit so that your hands can remain on the steering wheel. Many states are now requiring a head set for all cell phone users. This is a great idea that encourages safe driving and will decrease accidents caused by cell phone use.
6. Hang up if conditions become hazardous (e.g., if the traffic's congested or the weather turns bad) so that you can pay full attention to the situation in front of you.

Get off the road and out of the way!!!

I live in a fairly big city (SF). I grew up near an even bigger city (NY). NY is notorious for crazy drivers but SF drivers are by far more dangerous. Why you ask? Because they are clueless and inconsiderate.

Cause in point. I was driving to the office this morning and found myself stuck in the Broadway tunnel for 10 minutes. I could not understand why. And if you have ever been stuck in a tunnel, you know that it just plain sucks. Finally, when I emerged from the tunnel and was still stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. Finally, 1 1/2 blocks up the road (between Powell and Stockton), some old woman was double parked, waiting for her friend/family to come out of the grocery. Damn, I was angry.

Why I am mentioning this story? Answer - To remind all drivers, new and old, that double parking is inconsiderate, illegal and dangerous! If you cannot find a parking space, go around the block. Use you cellphone to coordinate with your friend/family about picking he/she up. But do not clog up the road!

The Two-Second Rule

Tailgating can be defined as a driver who is following the car in front of him/her much too closely. Driving schools will correctly teach students to invoke the two-second rule to determine a safe following distance. To invoke this rule, please select a fixed object on the road and count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two". You should not reach the object before you count to one-thousand-two. If you do, you are following too closely. Most rear-end collisions are caused by the vehicle in back following too closely.

Source: Cyberdriveillinois.com

Driving on Slippery Surfaces

Hey everyone - do not let anyone tell you that is does not rain in California. It does! And when the road is wet, going too fast can cause your car to "hydroplain", which is not only dangerous for you, but for other drivers.

Therefore, take my advice - when you are driving on wet roads, do not "gun" the accelerator. Drive the speed limit and be aware of others who are either walking or driving. If you hit the accelerator and you feel the wheels spin but you have no traction, let up on the accelerator until you feel the traction return to your wheels.

Safe and responsible driving is cool! Be cool and not a fool!!!

Driving Tip #3: Seating Position

Here's another Driving Tip that everyone should consider...seating position.

Driving Tips

I found a couple of driving tips on YouTube, which I found very informative.

Tip #1: Look Forward!

Tip #2: Slow Down

Written by Dave Arizabal

Stop Reckless Driving

WASHINGTON, DC / PRNewswire / - Car crashes are the number one killer of teens in the U.S. and The Advertising Council wants to put the brakes on this alarming situation. In partnership with a coalition of state Attorneys General and consumer protection agencies, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and AAA (American Automobile Association), the organization launched the UR the Spokesperson campaign to save lives by reducing youth reckless driving.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data show that, on average, more than 300,000 teens are injured in car crashes each year, nearly 8,000 are involved in fatal crashes and more than 3,500 are killed. NHTSA research also shows that teen drivers are involved in more than five times as many fatal crashes as adults. Young drivers are more likely to speed, run red lights, make illegal turns, and die in an SUV rollover.

Don't be part of the statistics. Avoid all the risks involved with drunk driving and driving recklessly because once the damage is done, you have to deal with the consequences and you could never turn back in time and change the decisions you made.

We all need to remember that driving is not a RIGHT, it's a PRIVILEGE. Be responsible and considerate of others and it's critical to make the right choice when you're behind-the-wheel so make sure you follow the rules of the road.

Please join our efforts to spread awareness about the dangers of driving under the influence.

Written by Dave Arizabal

Alarm-Clock Set at 5:15am!

Since the collapse of the eastbound I-580 freeway, getting ready for work has been very difficult for me and for some other employees of DriversEd.com who also has to get on I-80 west.

Waking up thirty minutes earlier is dreadful, but I have to be up this early or else I won't find space at the El Cerrito parking garage so I can take the BART.

Speaking of BART, this public transportation has been a lot more crowded than usual. According to the news report on Tuesday, there's been a 9% increase in BART passengers (12,000 more commuters) , and it will continue to stay this way until the highway is fixed.

I hope it won't take more than half a year to get it fixed. I can't be tired and sleepy when I'm at work. I need to be alert!

Written by Dave Arizabal

DriversEd.com is Approved In Georgia for Online Drivers Ed!!!

DriversEd.com is approved by the GA Department of Driver Services (License#: DT397) to offer a 30 hour online program to students who are 16 years old. Effective January 1st, 2007 all those 16 years-of-age must be in compliance with Joshua’s Law in order to apply for a Class D driver’s license. They must show proof that they comply with Joshua’s Law by having completed one of the following methods of Online Driver Education.

(a) Virtual or Online (30 hours) classroom and (6 hours) private behind the wheel training (students will also need an additional 40 hours of supervised driving experience).

(b) Virtual or Online (30 hours) classroom and (40 hour) parent taught behind the wheel (Completing the Parent/Teen Driving Guide available online meets this requirement)

To be eligible for a License, students who opt for the parent taught option, must complete the 40 hour Parent/Teen Driving Guide which can be downloaded online at www.gateendrivereducation.dds.ga.gov. The parents must provide to GA DDS a certified and notarized statement stating that their child has completed 40 hours of guided practice, 6 hours of which were after sunset and that each session of the 40 Hour Parent/Teen Driving Guide and Driving Log has been completed. Upon completion of DriversEd.com's 30 hour online program, a Certificate of Completion will be emailed or mailed to the student depending on their request.

Written by Dave Arizabal

Adtech in San Francisco

The marketing team of DriversEd.com attended our very first Adtech conference as an exhibitor in San Francisco yesterday. It was a great experience and I learned a lot of new and imperative marketing tools that our team can utilize.

Some companies have something new and unique to offer in terms of marketing ideas and the one that stood out to me the most is the marketing company AdBrite. The name speaks for it's logo, with it's utlra bright green background, which the brand logo gives a depiction of a laundry detergent soap.

They offered a CPC marketing tool that would allow publishers to create photos and videos which contains an advertiser's logo. This would allow your company to make money from advertisers who simply want to place an ad on your photo or video creation.

It's really cool.

The venue was packed with people from around the country and some parts of the world. It's amazing how internet marketing has evolved overtime and how it can bring everyone together and create such a big network of marketing savvy companies.

Written by Dave Arizabal

Get Your Driver's License Colorado

Colorado has changed it's laws for teens who want to get their driver's license.

If you're under 18, you may take your drivers ed and complete the course -without interruption- to attain a Certificate of Completion and present it to DMV in order to take the permit test. No more affidavit!!

Once you get your permit, you may then enroll for behind-the-wheel's training and complete the minimum hours required for driving with an instructor in order to take your actual driving test at the DMV.

Driversed.com's Customer Support Representatives were very ecstatic after hearing this good news.

Now everyone's happy!

Written by Dave Arizabal

A moment of Silence

Our thoughts and prayers for Virginia Tech.

Written by Dave Arizabal

Enroll Over The Phone

Customers may now call DriversEd.com over the phone to enroll!!

This option will allow customers who may have trouble enrolling online for whatever reason to simply pick up the phone and have one of our Customer Support Representatives (CSR) enroll them.

Anything to make our students happy... cheers to that!

Written by Dave Arizabal

Web 2.0 Rules!

This video clearly demonstrates the evolution of internet usage.

Web 2.0 makes our job easier and fun. It helps us stay connected with with our audience. The marketing team of DriversEd.com salutes Web 2.0.

Thank you Michael Wesch (Assistant Professor of Cultural AnthropologyKansas State University) for your brief but yet informative and artistic clip of this ever changing web.

Written by Dave Arizabal

DriversEd.com Plans to YouTube

I've written about my own personal take on social networking sites, but this video puts the icing on the cake!

This spoof on Facebook is a genius, and I hope someone out there can create a spoof on DriversEd.com *hint, hint*. But what would it be about?

Well, we finally have a video camera and our next project is to create a video that would help mainstream us on YouTube -and we hope to reach more than 1 million viewers.

Written by Dave Arizabal

Dave's Take on Social Networking Sites

Almost everyone is there from friends, cousins, girlfriends, boyfriends, parents, grandparents, nieces, nephews, classmates, and people you haven't seen in years. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about, it's the infamous social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook that's keeping everyone on their computers for -at least- a minimum of two hours.

Similar social networking sites are driven to reach the success of MySpace and Facebook -in relevance to the number of traffic and users- partly because these sites can be very profitable at a very low cost.

MySpace, for example, generates millions in revenues from banners and other forms of advertisements that target youthful users. In addition, Facebook, geared to college students, is also cashing in from ads that students can purchase for whatever means they find it effective.

These social sites reinforces the whole idea of cyberspace being a real place. But for those who didn't grow up with internet will find this whole thing hard to believe.

For teens, these sites are becoming the digital equivalent to hanging-out at the mall, where they can also load -often HOT- pictures, and update their profiles according to their likes and dislikes.

Their page becomes their personality.

But how much influence do these sites have on teens? Depending on how you see it, it can have both positive and negative influence on them.

Positive:

• Minimizes gallivanting. Teens would rather be online and browse thru social networking sights instead of going out
• Getting reacquainted with old friends
• They become creative and computer savvy especially MySpace users

Negative:

• Spending too much time on it can be counter productive
• Younger users become less active and sits infront of their computers instead
• Curiousity can lead to danger. Meeting predators online

Social networking sites were not available yet when I was in high school, and even if it was, I don't think I would have one because I'm just not computer savvy enough. MySpace for example allows users to personalize their page. But in order to make it your own, you need to know how to configure html codes, but I hear that you can get templates from sites, which makes it easier for users.

Many teens nowadays are addicted to MySpace and if that were the case for me, then that would only add to the distractions I received in high school.

Even kids as young as 5 years old have MySpace, and I wonder who's teaching them how to use it and for what purpose? Well, I guess for the same reason as the other 47 million people that use it. This is one of the reasons why kids are less active now compared to kids then who didn't have access to computers. We can see why there’s so many overweight children… and I know this is a whole different topic but I just have to mention it.

I personally love Facebook. It’s very safe and user friendly. You can have the option of setting your account on private. Plus you can also control who can have access to certain things on your profile by setting up your privacy account accordingly. Predators will always be around so advice you to keep your account on private.

If you have a Facebook account, you may add DriversEd.com on your facebook group under DriversEd.com Students and Alumni. Tell your friends!!

We're also finding a way to utilize Facebook to help DriversEd.com reach all the freshmen and sophomore students in all approved states. So look out for us and add us!

Take the good with the bad but make sure to stay safe so keep on social networking!

Written by Dave Arizabal

California Charter School Conference

Not having to fully recuperate from the night before with only two hours of sleep, I managed to get myself ready to leave for San Diego for my very first business trip.

I had to leave for the California Charter School Association (CCSA) conference with my colleague Angela. The conference was held from March 28th thru the 30th of 2007, but we left the bay area on the 25th.

I was very excited for this trip since we had to travel by car. I felt the rush and got antsy days before the trip. I couldn't wait to go. Road trips can be so exciting, don’t you agree?

What I like most about road trips is food. You make rode stops and buy food from gas stations and you’re excused from buying all that junk and you don't have to feel guilty about it. It’s road trip man! Snack and eat the whole bag of Doritos until you get food coma and fall asleep, and finish the crumbs when you wake up again. Now that’s life!

We took the DriversEd.com mini cooper, which was part of our display for the conference, and I didn’t expect the amount of attention that it received. The attendees were asking if the car was for a raffle and I wasn’t sure whether to take their question seriously, but the moment they smiled I knew they wouldn’t want a car with DriversEd.com logos all over it.

I take it back...maybe they did really want it.

Overall, the conference went really well. Teachers and principals expressed their interest in having their students take online drivers ed with DriversEd.com. They’re well aware of the convenience and the benefit it will bring to their students considering that students are very computer savvy nowadays.

People loved our swag! Words were spreading how nice our pens were and people were coming to our booth to get their hands on it.

In addition, we had this attractive bright orange bracelets, which says I AM NOT A STATISTIC on them to promote safe driving. We passed out a lot of these bracelets, and I’m glad that people still find them cool. It sure made someone in our marketing team happy when she found out that we came back with not a single bracelet left…ahem *Dasha*

There's nothing that I can complain about our trip, except their wasn't a lot of space in the minicooper since we had to shove all our stuff in the back and so I had to scoot my seat forward.

But other than that everything was great, from the people we met, the food we ate and the food we ate.. oh the food!!!

I’m definitely looking forward to more future conferences.

Written by Dave Arizabal

Licensed To Drive

Late one night, I was aimlessly flipping through channels and cursing myself for even being up this late knowing I have a full day ahead of me. It was 2:00 AM!

I was ready to doze of but the television caught my eye and I began watching the movie Licensed To Drive.

Considering that I got my license only 6 months ago, and working has me constantly involved in making life easier for teens to get their first experience of independence....I turned the volume up, grabbed a blanket and settled in to what I personally found a ride of its own.

Set in the 1980's Les (Corey Haim) is about to go through one of the most important adolescent rites-of-passage. Les is preparing to take his driver's license exam. He is overly confident that he will not only pass the exam with flying colors but is also looking forward to taking out Mercedes, an older blonde babe played by Heather Graham.

There are of course the 3 nerdy friends who are depending on you to pass your test and free them from the atrocious rides they are forced to deal with from their parentals. Les and his twin sister (the overachiever and exact opposite of Les) goes to DMV to take the first written exam. After getting 4 wrong, Les hits the computer screen and shuts down the system by accident.

Personally, I was surprised to see a movie from the 80's where permit tests are taken on computers....its 2007 and we don't have that privilege.

Anyhow, his test information was lost due to system malfunction and because his twin sister passed Les is allowed to go on to take the driving exam. I was laughing hysterically as Les got into the car to take his test, only to be told by the instructor that he doesn't believe in clipboards and checkpoints. Therefore Les's challenge was based on driving carefully enough not to spill the instructors coffee. As Les is getting his picture taken and already grinning broadly from passing the drivers test...he is told that his written test results were retrieved and he FAILED.

That word echoes through his mind as he walk home, only to walk into a living room and lie to his parents about his test. Later that evening while mom is doing laundry, she of course finds the test results in his pocket and grounds Les.

But nevertheless, he does what we all did at one point. He waits patiently until the house is quiet and asleep, then slips out into the dark night and "borrows" his grandfather’s vintage sky blue caddy. After getting behind that wheel, the night is young for Les and his friends.

What Les doesn't realize is that in one night...everything that can possibly go wrong does and his whole world crashes in an instance.

Because I was born in the late 80's I was so intrigued by the manners, the cars, and the general life style back then. Yet as times change, teens and the overwhelming process of not only getting a license, but getting behind the wheel and listing to your favorite tape, or ipod in my case while cruising down the street to pick up friends will always stay the same.

Written by Dasha Vasilyeva

Car Talk: Hooptie vs. New

Most teens would definitely prefer driving a new car over a hooptie. Unless you're one of those teens from MTV's hit show Sweet Sixteen, chances are you'll be getting a hand-me-down.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with driving a used car. I mean, I drive one myself, a 1999 two door Honda Civic EX from my mom.

As shallow as it may sound, when it comes to cars we value style, appearance, performance, size (not too large but enough room for friends), and accessories (custom equipment). Ideally, your car projects your personality, but it also conveys other things: a sense of freedom and maybe, to a degree, desire for peer approval. Of course, it also helps get us to school or work and back.

Parents want their kids to have a safe car. They weigh economical merits (purchase price, miles on a gallon, operation and maintenance costs), reliability, and insurance rates. Teens expected to pay their own way may also start looking into these things early on.

Cost plays a major factor. This is where the issue of used-versus-new comes in. Getting a used car can be less expensive than buying a new car, but they can also be less dependable, require unexpected repairs, have less safety equipment, and may not be as attractive as newer models. The nice thing about getting a used car is that in some cases your insurance rate can be less costly.

If you’re curious about what kind of cars are out there, we have a neat little resource where you can check out new, used and pre-owned cars in your area.

Newer cars tend to have better safety equipment, better reliability, improved gas mileage, and, in some cases, lower insurance rates - because of better safety and reliability.

Top 10 cars:
1) Ford Focus ZX3
2) Scion-Braun xB Rampvan
3) Honda Civic
4) Hyundai Accent
5) Kia Optima
6) Honda Fit
7) Pontiac G5
8) Mazda 3
10) Toyota Corolla

If you end up buying one of these cars, you definitely won’t have a problem getting seen. Just remember that mobility comes with responsibility. Drive safely!

Written by Dave Arizabal

Dave Gets Excited About Alcohol Statistics

"I’m okay to drive." Sound familiar? It does to me. I've heard it many times from friends, family, and acquaintances after a few or more drinks.

We've all heard the saying "friends don't let friends drive drunk." But most of us are guilty of letting someone we know drive home after putting alcohol in their systems.

In high school, at least among my friends, this wasn’t that big of an issue. But I saw this happen a lot in college.

Now that I’m working here and learning a lot more about the statistical atmosphere surrounding driver education, it bothers me to discover how many adolescent drivers are dying alcohol-related deaths.

We all know alcohol can impair your judgment, and by acting on this knowledge, these deaths can be avoided. While it may not seem like a big deal to drive a few miles home, the risk of drunk driving can change your life in one tragic and dark moment.

Some stats:

• In 2001, 46,000 high school seniors nationwide suffered a crash while under the influence of alcohol
• Someone dies in an alcohol-related car accident every half hour
• 60 percent of all teen deaths in car accidents somehow involve alcohol

And here's more:

• According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 17,013 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in 2003
• In a single year, 522 children under age 14 were arrested for driving while intoxicated, 113 under 10 years old. This is crazy! No one under the age of 16 should be driving, let alone 10! Worst of all they're intoxicated!
• Also in 2003, 25 percent of 15- to 20-year-old drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking; 19 percent were drunk

Is the risk of becoming one of these statistics worth your life? This is rhetorical, but let me go ahead and answer it – I don’t think so!

Of course not everyone is aware of these statistics, and even if everyone were, it’s not like we’d remember them after getting drunk. But even when we have been drinking, we do have the common sense to know – somewhere in the back of our minds – that we’re taking a risk every time we nod toward a friend's concerned face and go, “I’m okay to drive.”

We often fail to realize how big the risk really is, and how ill-prepared we are for what could happen behind the wheel when we’ve been drinking.

So what's being done?

In 1995 Congress passed a zero-tolerance law that all states adopted by 1999. This regulation restricts drivers under 21 from having any amount of alcohol in their bodies while driving, and this law is strictly enforced.

While the law permits those 21 and over to have a 0.08 percent Blood Alcohol Content (BAC), for teens, any blood alcohol level beyond 0.01 percent is STRICTLY illegal. If caught, you’ll be treated like an adult with a 0.08 percent BAC.

Have you ever talked to somebody who got a DUI? That situation sucks. You’re looking at a long miserable night in jail, 12 hours of traffic school (online traffic school won’t help there), a massive fine (a few thousand dollars, usually) and an indefinitely suspended license. The law is not friendly toward drunk drivers, and when you think about how many lives they put to risk, they really shouldn’t be anyway.

There are other consequences to consider when you drink and drive. Besides getting your car towed and license suspended, not to mention the mental pressures put on you and your family, your insurance rates skyrocket. I hate to be superficial but getting caught driving drunk, even if you don’t injure anybody, can be a huge financial disaster.

So when you’re out with friends and having drinks, listen for the famous “I’m okay to drive” line. If you hear it, step up and say, "I'll get you a cab" or "You can sleep on the couch" - anything to prevent that person from driving.

It's not so easy in practice, especially when you're dealing with somebody who’s fully confident in his or her ability to get behind the wheel. But make the effort anyway – take their keys or call a cab before they even think about walking out the door.

You could save a life!

For more information on drunk driving or to read stories from teens who've been there, check out DriversEd.com's I Am Not a Statistic Campaign. For a free campaign wristband, turn in your own story or artwork.

Written by Dave Arizabal

Dave Joins DriversEd.com Marketing Team

Hello, my name is Dave and I just joined the Driversed.com marketing team. I started working here two weeks ago and I must admit I get really excited every time I come to work every morning.

I know I know, it sounds corny but it’s true! Why? Two reasons:

• I get to take BART every morning, which wasn't a common mode of transportation for me growing up. Oddly enough, it's helping me adapt to a fast-paced environment.
• I really enjoy working with Angela, our Marketing Executive. She’s good at what she does and brings a positive vibe to work. And NO, I’m not brown nosing. Really.

In the time I started working here it's hit me how much has changed since I got my driver's license. I remember attending driving school near my high school and having to sit through 8 hours of class for 2 weekends straight.

The memory is vivid because the excitement of getting my license was like a high, but attending the classes was dreadful. I can barely sit still for 2 hours, let alone 8! Coupled with the dry information that makes up theoretical drivers ed, that's torture.

It was also a pain to lose my weekends. When you think about it, they're the only days you get to take off school to spend time with family and friends or do extracurricular activities.

But it wasn't all bad. One thing I liked about driving school was meeting new people my age. How often do you get to meet other city kids outside your high school?

But taking drivers ed in a classroom was part of growing up. Everybody had to do it. It's amazing to me that this rite of passage can be completed online.

If drivers ed was available online when I was in high school, it would have been neat to just take it on my computer from wherever I was after school. That would have also meant more leisure time for what I wanted to do.

Guys, take advantage! You’re only a mouse click away and you can start getting ahead with Driversed.com. Thank God technology can change things for the better.

Written by Dave Arizabal