Defensive Driving Programs

CTSP04

New Member
Several "Car Control" clinics for teens and young adults have been scheduled for the Southern Maryland area at Calvert High School. The two listed on the website are in March or April and will be the last until right before the new school year begins in August. The cost of that program is $179.00, and they allow 10 students per driving session. More information and registration is at Car Control, and parents can call me with questions at 410 535-2200.

I've been told that the Howard County Police Department's Collision Avoidance Training may be modified in the future, and changed from a weekend class to a one-day program, starting sometime in April. The cost of that program was $99.00 last year. http://www.howardcountymd.gov/Police/Docs/CATflier.pdf

Debbie Jennings
Community Traffic Safety Program Coordinator
Calvert County Traffic Safety Council
210 Main Street
Prince Frederick, Maryland 20678
 

JosephIV

New Member
I passed a student/instructor vehicle on the right while they were just "hanging out" in the passing lane a few weeks ago. I don't recall who the instructor represented. They were content to do 52 in a 55 in the passing lane.

It's sad when the youth are taking instructions from schmucks who have no clue what the rules of the road are.

I'm not talking about the company mentioned in the original post, I have no clue how good their instructors are.
 

magicmike

New Member
I passed a student/instructor vehicle on the right while they were just "hanging out" in the passing lane a few weeks ago. I don't recall who the instructor represented. They were content to do 52 in a 55 in the passing lane.

It's sad when the youth are taking instructions from schmucks who have no clue what the rules of the road are.

I'm not talking about the company mentioned in the original post, I have no clue how good their instructors are.

Do you think they might turn and needed to be in the left lane? Why don't you give these new drivers a break. They are learning and maybe YOU should set a good example by following the laws!
 

gemma_rae

Well-Known Member
Several "Car Control" clinics for teens and young adults have been scheduled for the Southern Maryland area at Calvert High School. The two listed on the website are in March or April and will be the last until right before the new school year begins in August. The cost of that program is $179.00, and they allow 10 students per driving session. More information and registration is at Car Control, and parents can call me with questions at 410 535-2200.

I've been told that the Howard County Police Department's Collision Avoidance Training may be modified in the future, and changed from a weekend class to a one-day program, starting sometime in April. The cost of that program was $99.00 last year. http://www.howardcountymd.gov/Police/Docs/CATflier.pdf

Debbie Jennings
Community Traffic Safety Program Coordinator
Calvert County Traffic Safety Council
210 Main Street
Prince Frederick, Maryland 20678

$179.00 for what?
 

CTSP04

New Member
$179.00 for what?
It's fully explained with a video on the carcontrol website - Car Control. The instructors work with the teens on braking with ABS... or not. You wouldn't believe how many parents purchased cars for their teens, and don't know if they have anti lock brakes or how to use them...

Then they practice wet and dry emergency braking particular to their vehicle (abs or not, clutch or automatic, etc.) and accident avoidance exercises. It's on the website.
 

aps45819

24/7 Single Dad
I passed a student/instructor vehicle on the right while they were just "hanging out" in the passing lane a few weeks ago. I don't recall who the instructor represented. They were content to do 52 in a 55 in the passing lane.

It's sad when the youth are taking instructions from schmucks who have no clue what the rules of the road are.

.

They teach car control.
The state required schools teach kids how to navigate an appliance on the highway from point A to point B without violating any laws.

Not the same thing. Most adults could benefit from a car control clinic. I went to a BMW sponsored school a few years ago and it was great, I learned a lot, especially on the skid pad.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
They teach car control.
The state required schools teach kids how to navigate an appliance on the highway from point A to point B without violating any laws.

Not the same thing. Most adults could benefit from a car control clinic. I went to a BMW sponsored school a few years ago and it was great, I learned a lot, especially on the skid pad.

:yeahthat:


Normal driving school teaches you how to drive when everything going right. This sort of stuff teaches you what to do when stuff goes wrong. Because contrary to what folks seem to think, theres no instinctual response to an emergency behind the wheel. Those responses need to first be learned, then practiced.

A lot of crashes could be avoided or minimized if more folks had this simple training. See, since we don't train folks, they go with panic, and either lock up, or do exactly the wrong thing, Or, when a crash is inevitable, a lot of times you can "choose your crash" to mitigate it somewhat. Choose those bushes rather the back end of that semi.

Given the incredible preponderance of teens in accidents, fatal ones especially, it only makes sense to give a teen as much training as possible. We dont only train pilots how to fly the plane when things are right, but also what to do when things go wrong.
 

Michael Delaney

Porsche 917K
Exactly!:buddies:

BSR is another organization which provides advanced driver instruction. I have been given advanced driver instruction by a few of their instructors and give them a :yay:

They teach car control.
The state required schools teach kids how to navigate an appliance on the highway from point A to point B without violating any laws.

Not the same thing. Most adults could benefit from a car control clinic. I went to a BMW sponsored school a few years ago and it was great, I learned a lot, especially on the skid pad.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
BSR is not really what you want the kids to be going to, unless your and your raising kids under heavy threat of kidnapping:) The course list online shows this as course available...

# Security Driver
# Evasive Driving
# Security Driver Instructor
# Unimproved/Off-Road
# Vehicle Commandeering

Very cool, and given the budget, I would love to do them all, but if those course are not over $1000 a piece, I would shocked, more like $1500-$2000 or better.

would be nice if they offered a basic "offensive driver" course that was the basics of keeping an road rager, say, from pinning you in and doing bad things. Most folks dont need the full security driver thing, they are not likely to need that level, but the basics might not be bad. We got some classroom stuff about this sort of thing when visiting countries like El Salvador, Israel, turkey, and Saudi, but never any hands on stuff.
 
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libertytyranny

Dream Stealer
Also, parents of teens...remember that most insurances will give a nice discount for taking this class. I took it when I was a teen, and I STILL get a discount because of it. Best money ever spent :howdy:
 

JosephIV

New Member
Do you think they might turn and needed to be in the left lane? Why don't you give these new drivers a break. They are learning and maybe YOU should set a good example by following the laws!

Do you know the rules of the road? The MVA handbook clearly states: "When you are driving more slowly than the traffic flow on a highway that has two or more lanes in your direction, you should move to and stay in the right lane."

It also states: ""It is legal to pass on the left or right on highways with four or more lanes."

I was driving on 235 approximately 4 miles South of Hollywood VFD. The vehicle in question was in line of sight for an eighth mile or so as I approached and probably the same distance in my rearview. At no time did they signal that they were turning and at no time did they move over to the right since they were going slower than myself and other traffic.

I don't tailgate, cut people off, etc. I expect adults to know the rules of the road and follow them. I expect the driving instructors to teach the rules of the road, not what is popular locally. If you are turning left 3 miles down the road that's great. You should stay out of the passing lane until you are within a reasonable distance of the turn. It's common sense and clearly stated when you study for your driving test.

Cops that run radar on 17 in Virginia know when a person is a Southern Marylander because they are familiar with them cruising down the road in the passing lane. That's straight from the policeman that gave me a warning for loud exhaust (3 inch duals) years ago.
 

Michael Delaney

Porsche 917K
BSR also instructs accident avoidance courses at SP. I have taken their courses and attended FATTS:

https://www.accidentavoidance.com/


BSR is not really what you want the kids to be going to, unless your and your raising kids under heavy threat of kidnapping:) The course list online shows this as course available...



Very cool, and given the budget, I would love to do them all, but if those course are not over $1000 a piece, I would shocked, more like $1500-$2000 or better.

would be nice if they offered a basic "offensive driver" course that was the basics of keeping an road rager, say, from pinning you in and doing bad things. Most folks dont need the full security driver thing, they are not likely to need that level, but the basics might not be bad. We got some classroom stuff about this sort of thing when visiting countries like El Salvador, Israel, turkey, and Saudi, but never any hands on stuff.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
Great!!!! Thanks for that. Yet another one to send the daughter to, after she goes through the other two. since this one uses CVs, that will get her the full size RWD experience the other two I plan for her to attend lack. I would love to do FATT but the effect that would have on my annual tire budget would be prohibitive:)
 
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aps45819

24/7 Single Dad
The state required schools teach kids how to navigate an appliance on the highway from point A to point B without violating any laws.

Do you know the rules of the road? The MVA handbook clearly states: "When you are driving more slowly than the traffic flow on a highway that has two or more lanes in your direction, you should move to and stay in the right lane."


I was driving on 235 approximately 4 miles South of Hollywood VFD. The vehicle in question was in line of sight for an eighth mile or so as I approached and probably the same distance in my rearview. At no time did they signal that they were turning and at no time did they move over to the right since they were going slower than myself and other traffic.

I don't tailgate, cut people off, etc. I expect adults to know the rules of the road and follow them. I expect the driving instructors to teach the rules of the road, not what is popular locally. If you are turning left 3 miles down the road that's great. You should stay out of the passing lane until you are within a reasonable distance of the turn. It's common sense and clearly stated when you study for your driving test.

While I agree with you, it's not illegal to park in the left lane, it's just rude.

There are a lot of people here with large SUVs and changing lanes would require them to remove the phone from the side of their face and turn their head to check the next lane.
 

Peter Forsberg

New Member
Practice

I had to practice defensive driving today on Solomons bridge. Guy was in my lane heading straight at me while texting on his phone. I made an evasive defensive move to avoid a head-on collision is that defensive driving?
 

Michael Delaney

Porsche 917K
That would be accident avoidance.
Considering your situation, not much room for accident avoidance on the bridge. Lol!

I had to practice defensive driving today on Solomons bridge. Guy was in my lane heading straight at me while texting on his phone. I made an evasive defensive move to avoid a head-on collision is that defensive driving?
 
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