You can read about it several times a week; a driver who is either texting, using a cell phone, or engaged in some other form of distracted driving, drifts over into the oncoming lane causing a crash. This type of crash is becoming all too common and unfortunately, death is often the result. Head-on crashes are the worst type of crash with the greatest potential for serious injuries and death. However, a driver in your lane doesn't automatically have to result in a head-on crash if you are prepared.

To be prepared for the unexpected drivers should always use the S.I.P.D.E method of defensive driving. That is:

• Search the driving scene - Always be aware of what is happening in front of you, to the sides, and behind.


• Identify hazards – Be on the lookout for anything that could be a potential hazard whether that be a driver about to pull out of a parking lot or a driver ahead who is obviously distracted and isn't looking at the roadway.


• Predict what may happen – When trying to predict what the other driver might do, in order to best prepare yourself, always predict the worst thing that could possibly happen.


• Decide what you will do – Having a decision already in mind if that other driver should do the worst will allow you additional precious time to escape a collision situation.


• Execute your decision – If the worst thing happens, you will have to put your plan into action in order to escape a collision.

Note: Sometimes you may not be able to completely escape a collision, when planning and executing your decision, you may have to choose to lessen the crash forces rather than escape a crash altogether.

If a driver ahead should suddenly swerve into your lane, you may have very few choices but, to avoid or reduce the severity of the crash, follow these tips:

• Honk your horn to alert the other driver


• Don't try to swerve to the left into his lane to avoid a crash, he may realize what he is doing and try to swerve back into his lane at the same time.


• Rather than face a head-on crash, it is better to go off the road to the right. There may be hazards there too so steer to avoid them and try to quickly slow to a stop. It is better to go into some bushes than to crash into something hard.


• Sometimes you may face the very tough choice of hitting a car on the right to avoid a head-on crash. Hitting a vehicle that is going in the same direction as you, while still very serious, is often safer than facing a head-on crash.

Labels: defensive driving, distracted driving, motor vehicle collisions, motor vehicle crashes, S.I.P.D.E, texting and driving

Is mandatory traffic school truly mandatory? In most states, drivers who have been ticketed have the option of attending traffic school if they want the points for their driving infraction removed from their driving record. However, some states make attendance at traffic school mandatory for certain serious infractions. In Florida, a driver will be ordered to attend mandatory traffic school if he or she is guilty of infractions such as: running a red light, failing to stop for a school bus while its stop lights are flashing, racing on the highways, reckless driving, or simply if the driver is a repeat offender of a minor traffic violation.

If a driver is given a traffic ticket and found guilty of one of the listed violations, they will receive notice from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles of the requirement to attend a mandatory traffic school.

Here's how one could satisfy the court's requirements:

Find out what the court is exactly requiring you to do – Find out the deadline period of completion, find out where you could take your mandatory traffic school.

Look for a good traffic school – One that is court-approved. The student has an option of an online traffic school, or attending online traffic school, or the classroom traffic school.

Learn – Put in the effort to learn how to change your driving behavior. Thing is, driving school is a great way to refresh a driver's knowledge on driving. It's also a great way to learn new new ways to change their driving behavior and prevent getting another ticket or worse, being involved in a serious collision.

Upon completion, submit your requirements to the court – The state allows 90 days for a driver to complete mandatory traffic school. Find the time to complete it, get the certificate of completion, and submit it to the court immediately.

Points are only removed if a student "elects" to go to traffic school.

Labels: driving school, florida traffic school, florida traffic ticket, online traffic school, traffic school

We all know that traffic signs do an important job: they tell us what exactly we can or can't do on the road. But what if the signs were confusing? Sometimes this leads to funny stories afterwards, other times it leads to tragedy, as a misunderstood sign may sometimes lead to crashes.

These signs, wherever state they may show up, must be approved by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). They create the standard by which all signs could be installed, maintained, and managed by road managers everywhere. The MUTCD is published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Here then, is a list of some of the more … confusing traffic signs that are currently out there.

Yield – The red upside-down triangle sign, or sometimes, a simple verbal instruction to “YIELD”? It's surprising just how many people get confused with this sign. The best way to describe it is it's like a lighter version of the STOP sign. When faced with this sign, motorists should stop, give way to vehicles from another approach and then enter an intersection. These usually appear in smaller roads that don’t get enough traffic that they don’t necessarily need a STOP sign.

Runaway Vehicles Only – But what if you weren't running away? This sign signifies that a runaway device is installed in an area. This is usually for trucks that have lost control --- the device is usually a patch of road with sand or gravel, which helps vehicles come to a safe stop. The gravel or sand allows the momentum of the big vehicle to dissipate, allowing for safe stopping.

This Side of Sign – This sign signifies that something is allowed on “this side” or the side where the sign is installed. A variation of this sign may say “Parking This Side of Street.” This means that one may only park on that specific side and parking elsewhere may give you a parking ticket.



To Request Green Wait On [Bicycle symbol] – Blame it on confusing wording. This sign is supposed to give bikers a green light. This sign should be used in conjunction with traffic actuators that are adjusted to the amount of metal a bicycle has. If you’ll notice, there is a vertical line going on the top and bottom of the bicycle symbol. This means that bikers should position themselves in the designated marking for them to be detected by the actuators, giving them a green light. Some people confuse this as waiting for bicycles to ride by until they can get a green light.

Look <----> - Looking left-to-right? Isn’t that what parents and preschool teachers teach kids before crossing the road? This sign is usually located near railways, signifying that motorists should be on the lookout for trains from both directions.

Truck Rollover – Nope this sign doesn't signify the truck-wheelie lane --- it only means that there is a slope nearby that truck drivers should be aware of, since there’s a big tendency for their vehicles to rollover.


Circular Intersection – Though it bears a striking resemblance to the recycling sign, this sign simply signifies that a circular intersection is coming up. Some circular intersections are different. In some cases, the entering vehicles have the right-of-way, while the vehicles inside the circle must yield. Sometimes this is reversed, so drivers have to do a bit of research before they go right through.

Stop Ahead – Stop vertically? No --- this is simply a sign that signifies that there will be an oncoming stop. A sign for a sign, perhaps?

9% Grade – The roads aren't trying to quantify your reading level or your abilities with math. This only means that there is an oncoming 9% Grade slope. Slopes on the road are measured in grades: consider that 9% is 9-feet off a hundred. It means that elevation may change from 5 (5% Grade) to 9 (9% Grade) feet.

DIP – Motorists have to wonder: how exactly are they going to “dip” their cars? This simple sign that says “DIP” means that there will be a dip in the road: parts of the road may go down, and then elevate right back up again.

Having trouble with learning the Roads of the Road and Traffic Signs? Take a DMV Practice Test to become an expert and pass your DMV written exam the first time.

Labels: driver education, traffic safety, traffic signs