Almost every kid yearns for the day when they can be old enough to learn how to drive. Getting that driver’s license is a rite of passage that carries so much meaning. For most young drivers, learning how to drive symbolizes freedom and responsibility. It’s a giant leap away from childhood and a small step toward adulthood. Once you learn how to drive, you can go places without your parents, run errands for your parents, get a job that’s beyond walking or bicycling distance, and go on real dates. It’s an amazing time in life that happens only once.

Drivers Ed

How you learn to drive depends on where you live and what your situation is. If you go to a school where they offer Drivers Ed, you might learn how to drive with a bunch of your friends sitting in the back seat, which is simultaneously a blast and intimidating. If driving school is affordable, you might learn about defensive driving from a stranger. Your last – and sometimes preferable option – is to learn how to drive from your parents or a family friend. However, you officially learn about defensive driving, there’s probably a bunch of stuff you didn’t learn. But don’t worry. We’re here to fill in the gaps. Here’s the guide on how to drive that you’ll never hear from anyone else.

Watch Other Drivers’ Faces

When you watch driving videos, they always tell you to “look out for other cars.” But defensive driving requires more than that. You can get a whole lot of information about what a car is going to do by watching the driver’s face. Say you’re coming up on an intersection. The driver of the car at the stop sign is laughing and talking to his buddy. Every now and then his car creeps forward. He can’t wait to zip out. Does he see you coming? Keep an eye on that driver to make sure he looks at you. If he doesn’t, there’s a good chance he might pull out right in front of you. To be on the safe side, slow down or move to the next inside lane.

Don’t Double Pedal

Your right foot is for driving, and your left foot is for the clutch if you have a manual transmission. Don’t double pedal with your left foot hovering over the brake and your right foot hovering over the accelerator. This is a bad habit that can lead to a) overuse of brakes, b) an accident. Just don’t do it.

Don’t Eat in the Car

Yes, your mom’s car is full of Burger King wrappers. You grew up at the drive-thru. That’s what drive-thrus are for, right? We’ve heard it all before. But eating in the car is a bad, bad idea. First, you could choke, and trying to maneuver your car out of traffic and danger is a lot harder when you’re also trying to not choke to death. Second, if you’re eating, you’re not holding the wheel with both hands. Third, eating in the car is messy business. You’ll end up trashing your car, getting stains on your clothes and not paying attention to the task at hand, which is, ahem, driving. Eating in the car puts your life at risk. Burger King won’t tell you that, but we will.

Drive Safe!

So now that you know the real secrets to knowing how to drive, we feel confident you’re ready for adulthood. Learning how to drive is something that almost everyone hopes to accomplish one day. But do you want to know the best part of learning how to drive? It’s learning how to drive safely.

Even on the Federal Highway System, the Rules of The Road vary from state to state. Here we’ve collected and commented on some of the more arcane and unusual traffic laws you may want to remember if you live in, or travel in the United States. Read up! Ignorance of the law is no excuse, and if you break the law, you may have to take traffic school to dismiss the ticket.

Alabama – It’s illegal to drive a car while blindfolded.

Alaska – No driving with a dog tethered to your car.

Arizona – It’s against the law to drive a car in reverse on a public road.

Arkansas – in Little Rock it’s against the law to honk your car horn anywhere that serves cold drinks or sandwiches after 9 p.m.

California – In Glendale, it’s illegal to jump from a car going over 65 mph.

Colorado – It’s illegal to drive a black car on a Sunday in Denver.

Connecticut – it’s illegal to hunt from a car.

Delaware – “R” rated movies shall not be shown at drive-in theaters.

Florida – It is illegal to skateboard without a license.

Georgia – There’s no driving through playgrounds in Georgia.

Hawaii – It’s against the law for a vehicle in motion to use its hazard lights. People might think it’s a Luau.

Idaho – it’s forbidden for Senior Citizens over the age of 88 must lose all sense of balance, them to ride a motorcycle in Idaho Falls.

Illinois – It’s illegal to drive a car without a steering wheel. And, of course, impossible.

Indiana – It’s against the law to sell cars on Sundays. Try Maine.

Iowa – No vehicle may sell ice cream in Indianola, Iowa.

Kansas – No tire screeching in Derby, Kansas.

Kentucky – It’s illegal for your pet to molest a vehicle in Fort Thomas.

Louisiana – A woman’s husband is required by law to walk in front of the car waving a flag as she drives it.

Maine – It’s illegal to buy a car on a Sunday. Better move to Indiana.

Maryland – It’s a misdemeanor to swear from a vehicle while driving through Rockville.

Massachusetts – You cannot drive with a gorilla in your backseat. In the front seat is okay with the seat belt buckled.

Michigan – It’s against the law to sit in the middle of the street and read a newspaper. But in Detroit you may lie there and be covered by one.

Minnesota – You can be charged as a public nuisance if your truck leaves mud, dirt or sticky substances on the road in Minnetonka.

Mississippi – In Oxford, it’s illegal to honk your horn, even though it is an additional means of communication included in the price of your car.

Missouri – You can’t honk someone else’s car horn in University City, Missouri.

Montana – You can’t drive a herd of livestock numbering more than 10 on an interstate highway unless the herd is preceded and followed by flagmen.

Nebraska – By law, drivers on mountains should drive with caution near the right edge of the highway. Surprisingly, Bighorn Mountain rises to 4,731 feet.

Nevada – Even though it’s the desert, t’s illegal to ride a camel on the highway.

New Hampshire – It’s against the law to inhale bus fumes with the intent of inducing euphoria. If you want to kill yourself, that’s covered under a different law.

New Jersey – If you have been convicted of DUI, you can never apply for personalized license plates.

New Mexico – It may or may not be kidnapping, but it is illegal for cab drivers to reach out and pull potential customers into their taxis.

New York – It’s against the law to disrobe in your car in the beach town of Sag Harbor, Long Island.

North Carolina – In Dunn, North Carolina it’s illegal to play in traffic.

North Dakota – it’s illegal to lie down and fall asleep with your shoes on.

Ohio – It’s illegal to run out of gas in Youngstown.

Oklahoma –Cars must be tethered outside of public buildings. No guidance on to what.

Oregon – It is illegal to place a container filled with human fecal matter on the side of any highway. No containers!

Pennsylvania –Any motorist who sights a team of horses coming toward him must pull well off the road, cover his car with a blanket or canvas that blends with the countryside, and let the horses pass.

Rhode Island – One must make a loud noise before passing a car on the left. Preferably with your vehicle’s horn.

South Carolina – When approaching a four way or blind intersection in a non-horse driven vehicle you must stop 100 ft. from the intersection and discharge a firearm into the air to warn horse traffic.

South Dakota – No horses are allowed into Fountain Inn unless they are wearing pants.

Tennessee – It’s illegal to shoot game from a moving vehicle. But hitting it with your car is legal, and can be delicious.

Texas – You must have windshield wipers to register a car.

Utah – By law, birds have the right of way on all highways. Luckily, they don’t usually exercise it.

Vermont – It’s illegal for cars to backfire in Rutland.

Virginia – Radar detectors are illegal.

Washington – A motorist with criminal intentions must stop at the city limits and telephone the chief of police as he is entering the town.

West Virginia – It’s legal to eat road kill. No info on whether you can shoot it from your car.

Wisconsin – One may not camp in a wagon on any public highway.

Wyoming – If you open a gate over a road, river, stream or ditch, you’d must close it behind you.

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So far no spot test is available for police to use to identify drivers under the influence of drugs–like the portable breathalyzer used to identify drivers under the influence of alcohol, but that doesn’t mean the police have no way of knowing if you’ve just smoked marijuana or taken prescription medication before sliding behind the wheel.

In fact, the new Drug Recognition Enforcement program in use in Georgia police departments has repeatedly demonstrated that subtle body language provides all the evidence an officer needs to know whether or not a driver might be under the influence of drugs. This is enough for them to make an arrest and request the driver provide a blood sample which will provide conclusive proof as to whether or not the driver is under the influence of drugs.

Police don’t need to know for certain you are under the influence of drugs or even alcohol to make an arrest. All they need is a reason to b suspicious–and you will be arrested on “suspicion of driving under the influence.” Once they make an arrest you can be obligated, by court order if necessary, to provide a blood sample which will give the court all the definitive evidence it needs to make any charges against you stick. once charged with driving under the influence you face points on your license, fines, fees and the possible suspension or even revocation of your driving privileges.

More to the point, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol slows you reflexes and impairs your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. This means you are much more likely to be involved in a serious or even fatal vehicle collision. Compared to being arrested, being killed in a car crash seems much, much worse. But why bother with either of those choices when you could just choose to driver clean and sober?

Makes sense to us.

Although several vehicles sustained severe damage, injuries to everyone involved in the multi-car crash were reportedly minor and no one was hospitalized.

Police arrested Newsome on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The chain reaction crash caused the closure of Highway 441 for almost two hours as damages were assessed, injured persons were treated at the scene; police and fire departments arrived and secured and/or removed damaged vehicles.

The fact that no one was seriously injured in the crash seems a fluke of luck. Police have not released details of how fast Newsome was driving, but the fact his vehicle was traveling fast enough to collide with five other vehicles seems a good indication he must have been moving at a decent clip. Also, given that he was under the influence of alcohol that just compounds the risk of a deadly crash (according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and proves everyone involved in that collision was having a “lucky” day.

The Immigration Policy Center estimated that California has the largest population of potential deferred action beneficiaries followed by Texas (226,700), Florida (85,750), New York (70,170), Illinois (67,460) and Arizona (53,880).

The non-partisan organization also calculated that up to 1.4 million undocumented young immigrants could eventually benefit from the program and that currently 936,930 already qualify to apply for it. It also said that roughly 68 percent of them are from Mexico while 13 percent are from other countries in North and Central America. About 8 percent are from Asia, 7 percent from South America, 2 percent from Europe, and 2 percent from other parts of the world.

Not all states are embracing the influx of new ‘citizens’ however and some are actively passing legislation to prevent the president’s plan from taking effect. This week Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed legislation preventing youth there from obtaining state driver’s licenses at all. But other states have already said they will welcome these new drivers, no matter the cost.

Recently Oregon and Georgia became the latest states to approve allowing these young people access to state services including state issued driver’s licenses. The Immigration Policy Center estimates there are 16,600 potential young people who qualify for deferred action in Oregon, and some 38,500 more in Georgia. All of these people will now qualify for state programs under the president’s plan and without the state actively preventing them, will likely integrate well into the existing system.

But there is much required of drivers who are under the age of 18 and looking to get their driving license in the state of Georgia. You are required, among other things, to attended a state certified driver education course, the Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program and have a fully insured and inspected vehicle to take your test in.

Fortunately the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicles has a complete list of the requirements for anyone seeking a driver’s license in their state posted at their web site.

Here is a partial list of the requirements:

Documentation showing your identity, residential address, full social security number, and U.S. citizenship or proof of lawful presence in the United States. Click here for more information.

Non-US citizens must present original, non-expired immigration documents. Click here if you are a non-US citizen.

A valid learner’s license must be held for one year and one day from its issuance. It must be surrendered at the time of testing.

You must be at least 16 years old.

Effective January 1, 2007, sixteen year olds must be in compliance with Joshua’s Law, which requires GA approved Driver’s Education before license issuance. At age 17, Driver’s Education is not required.

For classes completed before July 1, 2007, a completion certificate for the driver’s education course must be presented at the time of the road test.

After July 1, 2007, approved driver’s education schools submit student certificates electronically to DDS, where it is matched to the driver’s license record. A few certificates are unable to be matched to the proper record, so it is suggested that you bring the paper certificate with you to the road test. If the reservations agent has already confirmed the electronic certificate on the driver record, the paper certificate need not be presented.

Appointments for on-the-road tests are highly recommended and may be scheduled up to 90 days in advance. Walk in road tests cannot be guaranteed and may involve lengthy wait time. Have the driver’s permit number available when calling.

Anyone who fails to provide the proper paperwork required as part of the new Secure ID process will not be able to renew their driving license. Once you have submitted the proper paperwork your driving license will be embossed with a gold star in one corner and you will not be required to re-submit the paperwork each time you renew in the future.

So, what exactly is the paperwork the state of Georgia is requiring? It’s a lengthy list and without it, you’ll be unable to renew your license either online or in person. Check it out:

* At least one document to prove your Primary Identity (examples: passport, birth certificate, citizenship certificate)
* At least one document to prove your Social Security Number (examples: Social Security card, W-2)
* At least two documents to prove your Residential Address (examples: utility bill, bank statement, mortgage statement)

These documents will need to be brought to your local Georgia state licensing branch in person in order for you to receive your new Secure ID and embossed gold stamp on your driving license. After that you’ll be driving legal.

Regardless of why they are ignoring the shoulder lanes, these drivers now risk a traffic citation for ignoring the posted signs. Georgian police have initiated a new program to find and cite those drivers who think they can ignore the posted signs and risk the life of everyone sharing the road with them.

Lane sharing is a becoming a more common practice as roads become more and more congested. Cities and traffic planners will sometimes use roads for travel in one direction in the morning, and the other direction at night. They will also widen roads, making use of the shoulder, during certain specific times of the day.

This spring the Georgia Department of Transportation opened the southbound right shoulder of Ga. 400 from Holcomb Bridge Road to the North Springs MARTA station exit in the Roswell and Sandy Springs areas to morning rush-hour drivers. The idea was to increase the usable road when there were more cars using it. When rush hour traffic is over, however, these shoulders return to their normal use. However, not every driver chooses to follow instructions and some continue to use these shoulder lanes as a way to circumvent traffic. This is not only illegal it is also dangerous as there might well be a disabled vehicle parked on the should during these times.

Georgia police are hoping increased vigilance will help them send a message to these drivers, keep everyone safe and help keep traffic congestion to a bare minimum when possible.

The ‘Nighthawks’ are a new special operations unit of the Georgia State Patrol which will be focused almost exclusively on identifying those drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol and getting them off the road before the hurt themselves or someone else.

Harris Blackwood, the director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, told reporters this week that the Nighthawks program has been a successful program in Atlanta and Athens since October 2004. The newest group will be comprised of six members of the Georgia State Patrol and will hit the streets in Muscogee County immediately.

In counties where special DUI enforcement teams have hit the streets statistics show that the incidence of DUI arrests have declined by nearly 50 percent. This has emboldened police and caused them to focus efforts on specialized units tasked with just addressing the issue of driving under the influence.

According to the Georgia State Patrol, nearly 30 percent of all crashes which occur in the state have alcohol or drugs as their root cause. This makes addressing the issue of driving under the influence a critical one for police and authorities tasked with making the streets a safer place for everyone.

According to a recent report from the National Transportation Safety Board, distracted driving is now responsible for more traffic fatalities than driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but that does not mean that DUI is any less dangerous than it has always been. In Georgia they are throwing down the gauntlet and focusing efforts on keeping these drunk and drugged drivers off the streets. This will no doubt result in more citations, more fines, more suspended licenses and more trips to traffic school (or jail) for some, but a whole lot safe place to drive for a lot of others.

According to the Georgia Department of Driver services “Georgia’s ‘Super Speeder Law’ defines a Super Speeder as a driver convicted of speeding at 75 mph or more on a two-lane road or at 85 mph and above on any road or highway in the State of Georgia.” That means cruising along with the top down, the radio blaring and the speedometer just under 76-mph is enough to get you busted big time.

First, you’ll get the standard fees and fines for speeding, then you’ll get an additional $200 Super Speeder state fee, under the ‘Super Speeder Law.’ If you decide not to pay the Super Speeder fee, or don’t pay it within 120 days of your official notice you’ll also get your license suspended or your driving privileges revoked. In addition to that you’ll also have to pay a $50 reinstatement fee to get your license or driving privileges back.

That is an awful lot of punishment for the few extra seconds it might get you to your destination sooner. And, as all defensive drivers know, when you speed you reduce the amount of time you have to react or respond to your environment and greatly increase your chance of a serious crash. We know that your vehicle likely has safety belts and air bags but there is no good reason to test things–just take the manufacturers word for it that they work as intended.

When it comes to speeding there really is never a good time to do it. It won’t get you where you are going that much sooner, but it will burn more gas and greatly increase your chances of having a serious crash. And if you get caught doing it in Georgia it’s also going to cost you a whole lot of money.

Image: zole4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

WALB News 10 operations manager Bill Gilbride was riding his motorcycle south on US 19 when the driver of Chevy Tahoe unexpectedly turned in front of him. Georgia State Troopers are still investigating, but they expect charges will be filed against the Tahoe driver for failure to yield the right of the way. In the meantime, Gilbride is undergoing surgery at a local hospital where his condition his listed as critical.

Defensive driving is not just for people who drive cars, you know. Whatever kind of vehicle you use on the road you need to be aware of what is happening all around you. Not everyone is a safe driver and sometimes they are downright unsafe. Drivers cut off over drivers, run red lights, speed, drive erratically and do all sorts of things in their cars, truck and SUV’s that can create a safety hazard for themselves, their passengers and other drivers, especially motorcyclists.

Drivers need to be totally aware of their surroundings; know who they are sharing the road with at any given time and what those other drivers might be doing. You can’t anticipate everything that is going to happen, but you sure can mitigate the risks you run when you get behind the wheel (or the handlebars.)

Georgia is home to thousands of motorcyclists. Because the weather in the state is mild most of the year you can find hundreds of these riders out on the roads just about any day of the year. Motorcyclist must receive special instruction before they are issued a motorcyclists license, and many are known for being safe riders; responsible defensive drivers. Unfortunately, because they have so little protection, not much except a helmet and maybe a pair of leather pants, there is the great likelihood they will sustain serous injury in the event of a crash.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

At least one Georgia attorney is recommending all companies adopt a policy which strictly forbids the use of handheld devices by employees who drive, to avoid liability in the event of a vehicle crash caused by distracted driving.

Studies have shown that distracted driving, which is what you are doing if you try to text, chat or argue with your boss on the phone while you’re cruising down the highway, is even more dangerous than driving under the influence. Your brain simply cannot focus on two things at once, especially when one of those things is safely operating your vehicle.

Georgia defensive driving, like everywhere, is based on paying close attention to what is happening around you, not on the text message you are trying to send to a co-worker.

We don’t profess to be experts in the law. We are defensive driving experts. Our expertise and experience tell us, if you’re employees are using their cell phones while driving it definitely increases their risk for having a distracted driving crash. Plain and simple. Statistics don’t lie and statistics tell us that distracted drivers have more crashes. Period.

Georgia is a nice state. Plenty of sunshine, beaches, parks and lots of nice folks. We can understand why you want to make it your home and do your business there. But as a business owner you have an obligation to keep your employees and anyone they might come in contact with, safe from an unintended crash. Nobody plans to have a vehicle accident, that’s why they are called “accidents.” But you can increase (or decrease) the likelihood of having an accident the moment you think about reaching for your smartphone.

Image: jannoon028 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

While many states consider mobile technology a bane to safe driving, Georgia officials have taken a decidedly different approach. This week Georgia state officials rolled out a new smartphone app called “Drive Safer Georgia” to help drunk drivers find alternate rides home in the event you have had too much to drink.

Defensive driving is all about being responsible. In Georgia, as in most states, the penalties for getting behind the wheel after drinking are severe. You could face thousands of dollars in fines, jail time and a multitude of points added to your license. If you get behind the wheel after drinking anyway, and kill someone, no defensive driving course in the world can fix that.

Georgia officials are hoping that by creating and distributing the free mobile app they will encourage drivers to find a way home other than driving after their New Years celebrations. the new app provides a list of sober and safe alternatives for drunk drivers, right in their area. Of course the effectiveness of the app will be dictated by its use, and it’s hard to know how many drunk people will have the thoughtfulness of checking their app rather than just driving home. Instead it is hoped they will know where they will be drinking in advance and use the app to find a way home before they absolutely need it.

This is a great use of mobile technology to fight a problem that has become all too common, despite best efforts at getting it under control. After the holiday Georgia officials will have a better idea of its effectiveness, and it is possible their success will inspire similar programs in other states.

Photo compliments of Freefoto.com