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◉ The Biggest Driving Distractions

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Everywhere we go, various things and people compete for our attention. As a driver, your focus should always be on the road ahead, as well as your rearview and side mirrors. Both new and experienced drivers can easily be distracted by their surroundings. While many driving distractions are beyond our control and challenging to avoid, being aware of them and making a deliberate effort to dodge them can significantly improve road safety for everyone.

External Driving Distractions

Billboards and Advertisements

Advertisements play a vital role in driving our economy. However, they can also be a trigger for unsafe driving. Billboards on buildings, real estate ads on park benches, and flyers posted on traffic poles all demand our attention. If you enjoy observing ads, opt for a magazine or wait until you’re stopped at a light to check them out. There’s no need to risk driver safety just to read a catchy headline or glance at an intriguing image. Remember, taking your eyes off the road, even for a moment, can lead to minor accidents or more severe consequences. Make a conscious effort to ignore billboards when you’re behind the wheel.

People and Pets

It’s natural for our eyes to be drawn to interesting or visually appealing things, including people. You might be captivated by a lady wearing a funny hat, an attractive gentleman in a well-tailored suit, or a woman jogging. As any driver education program will emphasize, pedestrian safety is just as important as driver safety.

While it’s crucial to be mindful of pedestrians and your surroundings, try not to stare or become too distracted. Pedestrians with pets can be particularly attention-grabbing. Be conscious of them, but maintain your focus on driving safely.

Glare

Reduced visibility, such as glare, can be very distracting and challenging to avoid. Driving towards a sunrise or sunset can make it harder for you to see and remain safe on the road. Although this distraction is inevitable, a pair of sunglasses can alleviate the issue. Consider keeping sunglasses in your car at all times. Additionally, keeping your windshield clean can help. Take a few minutes to clean the windshield while you’re at the gas station.

Internal Driving Distractions

Various items inside your vehicle can also be highly distracting. Being aware of these distractions and planning accordingly can help you avoid them.

Cell Phone

Cell phones can be lifesavers, offering drivers a way to contact help during emergencies. However, using a cell phone while driving can significantly jeopardize the safety of the cell phone user and other drivers on the road.

Any activity involving a cell phone is distracting. Making or answering calls, sending or reading text messages, and sending emails should all be avoided. Even when using a hands-free device, the conversation itself can still be a distraction.

GPS / Navigation

While having a navigation system in your vehicle can be incredibly helpful, it can also be very distracting. Make sure to input your destination into the GPS unit before starting your trip. If necessary, ask a passenger to enter the address for you.

If your car doesn’t have a built-in navigation system, be aware that traditional maps and printed directions can be equally distracting. If you need to consult your directions, ensure you pull over to a safe spot on the side of the road, turn on your hazard lights, and then check your map or written directions. It might take a few extra minutes, but it will help you stay safe on the road. Alternatively, you can ask a passenger to act as a navigator and refer to the map for you.

Preventable Distractions

Numerous drivers engage in unsafe driving habits daily, endangering the lives of fellow drivers and pedestrians. They distract themselves from the road by engaging in non-driving-related activities, often unaware of the potential dangers on the road.

While the following items might not be the biggest driving distractions, they still pose a risk and should be avoided:

Eating

From sandwiches to bowls of cereal and plates of spaghetti, we’ve seen it all. Eating while driving can be highly distracting, especially if you spill something hot or make a mess. In such situations, your concentration will likely shift from driving to dealing with the food-related issue.

Applying Makeup

Checking your mirrors before putting your car into the drive is essential to ensure your blind spot is clear, as emphasized in driver’s education. However, using your car mirrors for makeup application is not their intended purpose. While it’s fine to apply makeup when your car is parked, avoid doing so while driving, as it’s unsafe.

Reading

Surprisingly, some people attempt to read books while driving. Regardless of whether the book is about driver’s education, it doesn’t belong behind the wheel. If you’re engrossed in a book, please finish it before getting in your car.

Changing Your Attire

It should go without saying, but changing your clothes while driving is not safe. Not only is it distracting, but if you need to quickly brake while putting on pants, you might be unable to do so due to your foot being caught in the pant leg.

Hopefully, this list of driving distractions seems absurd and ridiculous, because they are. Whether it’s one of the biggest driving distractions or a seemingly trivial one, it’s still unsafe and should be avoided for the sake of safe driving.

Whether the distraction is outside or inside the vehicle, it’s crucial to be aware of them and avoid them whenever possible. Remember, convenience should never take priority over safety.

If you’re like most Americans, your commute is a major part of your life. 86 percent of us make our trip to work by car, van, or truck, and 76 percent of us drive alone. On average, we travel about 25 minutes each way.

But the effects of our commute can extend far beyond the time we spend traveling.

Long Commutes Hurt Your Health

Studies in the United States and abroad have found that long commutes – regardless of how you’re traveling – are associated with health problems such as:

Those of us who commute from suburbs are also affected by the way sprawling suburbs are planned – car-centric, with residential areas placed far from businesses, and few pedestrian-friendly routes. All this means we have even fewer opportunities for physical activity and for interacting with our neighbors.

For most of us, getting rid of the commute entirely just isn’t an option. Here are some ways you can start improving yours – and feeling better, too!

What You Want Matters

A survey in Montreal, Canada found that people were the most satisfied with their commute when they were using the type of transportation they preferred to use. Satisfaction was less when commuters stated they’d rather use a different mode.

It sounds simple, and it is. Maybe you like the independence and privacy that driving your car provides, but maybe you’d rather read on the train or get your workout in on a bike. Is there a different way you could travel that you’d actually enjoy? Try it!

Get the Biggest Benefit with an Active Commute

You could get even more of a mood boost if you’re switching from driving or taking transit to walking or biking. A study in England found that commuters who started incorporating as little as ten minutes of walking time experienced a boost in well-being.

But getting started can be challenging. Here are three major obstacles – and how you can get past them.

There’s no way I can bike or walk on these streets! It’s totally unsafe!

Unfortunately, you’re not alone on this one – the lack of safe routes for biking and walking is a national problem.

Many areas lack sidewalks and crosswalks or have wide, fast-moving streets that are difficult to get across. The situation is worse in low-income areas, where people walk and bike the most. A study surveying 154 communities across the United States found that 89 percent of streets in high-income areas had sidewalks, while only 49 percent did in low-income areas.

Assess your possible routes, and see what options you have. Look for bike paths or sidewalks that could get you part of the way there, and look for transit routes that might link up with them. You can even use the Street View feature on Google Maps to see what roads really look like before trying out your route.

I don’t want to show up at work all sweaty and out of breath.

There’s a ton of information out there on how to handle this part of an active commute, from riding at a slower pace to how to tidy up quickly once you arrive.

  • TheRunCommuter.com’s five-part Become a Run Commuter guide addresses this and other topics relevant to walking or bike commuters, complete with photos of organization and supplies.
  • LifeHacker.com compiled some great tips from a forum discussion at the “Bicycles” StackExchange site.
  • The Active Transportation Alliance, an advocacy group for biking, walking, and transit based in Chicago, provides a comprehensive, illustrated guide to dressing and packing for a ride to work.

I have to take my kids to school, and there’s just no time to walk with them every day.

Try a walking school bus! It’s a group of children walking or biking to school with one or more adults on hand to supervise. You can start with a simple “carpool” style arrangement, with two families taking turns walking kids to school. If it goes well and other families are interested, it can grow into a structured route with meeting points, a timetable, and scheduled volunteers.

For help getting started, check out WalkingSchoolBus.org.

Talk to Your Employer

Consider talking to your employer about ways to reduce or improve your commute. Maybe you can work from home sometimes, or adjust your hours so that you miss the major morning traffic and don’t have to spend so long behind the wheel.

Adjusting your schedule could also help you walk or ride in cooler parts of the day, or eliminate long waits to catch a bus or train.

Looking for More Information?

A small group of about 600,000 Americans are “mega” commuters, traveling at least 90 minutes and 50 miles each way. The New Yorker has a couple of great pieces on these brutal commutes. There and Back Again interviews several long-distance commuters of different circumstances, and Me and My Megacommute delve into the writer’s feelings about her commute and her car.

Want to get involved with pedestrian and bike advocacy? Check out this impressive list of groups at WhereTheSidewalkStarts.com.

Everyone has heard the phrase backseat driver. Most of the time it seems to be in a derogatory tone. A backseat driver is someone who gives driving advice and directions to drivers from either the backseat or the passenger’s seat.

Nobody likes to be caught being a backseat driver. But if you’re in a driver’s education course and on your way to getting your license, being a backseat driver can pay off — as long as you approach it maturely and professionally.

Observe What They Are Doing Wrong

The next time you find yourself in the car with an experienced driver, pay attention. You’ll be surprised to find that they might not be following the rules of the road as learned in your driver’s education course to the fullest. The average driver makes 400 illegal traffic maneuvers before being caught so it’s no surprise that you can typically observe some not-so-legal driving maneuvers from anyone you happen to be in the car with, including your parents.

Why? The fact is that as time goes by and drivers move beyond their driver’s ed days, they get into a routine. They drive the same route, stop at the same stop sign, turn down the same road, and pass the same buildings on the way to the same job. They become comfortable enough with their surroundings that they feel they know what’s around the corner. And, over time, they develop driving habits that aren’t consistent with the rules of the road taught in a driver’s education course.

Do They Come To a Complete Stop?

Many drivers fail to obey the stop sign. You may remember from your driver’s education course that when you come to a stop sign, you must come to a complete stop. You must look left, then right, then left again. Only once it’s safe to proceed may you move forward.

Unfortunately, many drivers today fail to obey the stop sign and the rules instilled in them in their driver’s education program. They feel that slowing down for a stop sign is sufficient enough. It’s called the rolling stop (or California stop) and the fact of the matter is it’s unsafe. Pedestrians could be crossing, the roads could be slippery and the results could end up being disastrous.

Next time you see this, take a mental note. Remember that what they did is illegal. They are breaking one of the most basic rules of the road and violating driver, passenger, and pedestrian safety.

Are They Speeding?

Speed limits are posted for a reason. Certain factors are taken into consideration such as whether or not you’re driving through a residential neighborhood or a school zone. Next time you’re in a vehicle with someone — even the most experienced driver — pay attention as to whether they’re adhering to the posted speed limit. If they’re traveling too fast, they may pay the price in the form of a ticket.

Do They Use Turn Signals?

Even if no one is around you still need to use turn signals. It’s the car you don’t see that could be the most harmful. This is a common driving behavior for experienced drivers to become lazy about doing.

Paying Attention Can Pay Off

There are countless additional items to look out for. Anything you learned about in driver’s ed you should pay attention to so you can see how experienced drivers apply the behavior in real life.

Being a backseat driver can help you prepare for life on the road. Paying attention to what other drivers are doing wrong and mentally correcting the problem can help you ace the driving test. Of course, you don’t want to annoy the driver but you may want to include them in some of the illegal driving behaviors you are noticing.

If you were correct in your observation it can be helpful to the driver. Many times drivers just forget over time, don’t think of certain laws as being as important, and need a little reminder. If it’s your parents, they might be happy to know you’re learning so much.

If the experienced driver believes you are wrong in your observation it would be good to find out why. Remember, you are still learning so there may have been a reason why the driver did what they did. Take a note and go back and review that area of the driver’s education course so you can get a more complete understanding of that particular driving behavior and if the driver was indeed driving safely.

So you’re ready to hit the road, but your parents might be a bit nervous about the idea. Don’t worry, we’ve got some tips to help you show them that you’re responsible and prepared to get behind the wheel. Check out these four ways to convince your parents that you should drive, and maybe even save this article to refer back to as you prepare for your driver’s ed course!

1. Show Them You Understand the Responsibility

Make sure your parents know that you get how big of a deal driving is. It’s not just about having fun and cruising around. Tell them you want to take a driver’s ed course to learn everything the state thinks you need to know to stay safe on the road. This way, they’ll feel better knowing you’ve got the skills and knowledge to drive defensively.

2. Respect Their Rules and Their Car

Let your parents know that you understand the family car is still theirs, and you’ll be grateful for any time you get to use it. Always ask before taking the car and stick to the rules you’ve learned in driver’s ed. If you’re lucky enough to have your own car, keep your parents in the loop about where you’re going.

3. Remind Them of Their Freedom

Having a licensed driver in the house means your parents won’t have to chauffeur you around anymore. Point out how convenient it’ll be when you can drive yourself to school, work, and all the other events you need to attend. This newfound freedom might make them more excited about you getting your license!

4. Offer to Run Errands

Show your parents you’re willing to help out by running errands for them. Need some groceries? No problem! You’ll be happy to use your driver’s ed skills and pick up the items. Last-minute takeout? You got it. Your parents will appreciate the extra help and see you’re ready to handle the responsibility of driving.

Get Creative with More Ways to Ease Their Minds

There are countless more ideas to help your parents feel better about you driving. Be creative and think of ways to show them you’re responsible and prepared. Just remember, the most important thing is to complete a driver’s ed program, which will make you a safe driver. Combine that with responsibility, and you’ve got a recipe for safe driving now and in the future. If that doesn’t convince them that you’re ready to drive, we don’t know what will!

Before you get ready to put that driver’s license in your wallet — before you begin an in-class or online driver ed course — consider how much money it’s going to cost. You may be fortunate enough to have parents willing to help with the expense but regardless it’s important to get a feel for what the total expenses are.

We’re not talking about how much the actual online driver’s ed course costs. Nor are we referring to the fee that the DMV demands of you to take your road test.

We’re talking about the piles of money that will be spent every year for you to get behind the wheel of a car, even if it is an existing family car and not your own car.

While in previous articles we focused on the safety concerns parents have as you begin to learn how to drive and eventually obtain their driver’s license, in this article we’re focusing on the financial concerns that plague new drivers and their parents across the country when looking to expand the drivers in a household.

Insurance

Auto insurance isn’t cheap. However, it is a necessity. While an online driver’s ed program will teach you how to avoid accidents and keep your insurance rates down, accidents do happen out on the road. That’s why insurance policies exist. As you’ll learn in online driver ed, they’re designed to keep things financially bearable in the event of a mishap with your vehicle.

In order to get behind the wheel of their car, it’s going to cost additional funds in auto insurance. While it might not seem expensive if you’re a secondary driver on their vehicle, it does add up month after month. Some insurance companies have programs that allow a teenager to watch a video to have a safe driver discount. Ask your insurance company if there are any programs that you may qualify for to get a safe driver discount or if they offer a student discount.

Gas

With an additional driver in the house, the family car is going to see a lot less driveway time. It doesn’t take an online driver’s ed program to teach you that gas is expensive. If you’ve ever looked out the car window while your parents filled up the tank — or if you frequently pass by a gas station – you’ve probably marveled at how much the gas prices fluctuate.

There are tips and tricks you can take advantage of to try and spend less money on gas. Some of the most common tips include not topping off your tank, not paying for premium gas, keeping your tires properly inflated, and driving the speed limit.

Maintenance

Additional time on the road means more frequent car maintenance. An online driver’s ed program will show you how important oil changes are for the life of your car. With the prospect of more miles being put on the odometer, the family car is going to require more maintenance.

Make sure you keep an eye on some of the basic car maintenance items. Some of the simple things to check include oil and other fluid levels, verify tires have the proper tire pressure, make sure there are no warning lights on the dashboard, verify all lights on the vehicle are in working order (headlights, turn signals, and brake lights), and also make sure the windshield wipers still work and don’t need to be replaced.

Plan to Help with Expenses

If you’re driving your parent’s car, help alleviate some of the financial headaches. Consider paying for your online driver’s ed course out of your pocket. Get a part-time job to pay for the gas you use. Do whatever it takes to keep your parents’ costs down and driving will be a more pleasant experience for everyone.

3 Easy Ways to Verify Your Child is in the Safest Car Seat

According to the Centers for Disease Control, car crash deaths among children under age 13 have decreased by 43% in the past decade. But there’s still a long way to go – in 2011, 655 children under 13 were killed in crashes, and of those killed, 33% were not buckled up.

That’s why the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration puts on Child Passenger Safety Week, a public awareness campaign to make sure parents and guardians have their children in the right car seat, installed correctly, and used on every trip. This year’s campaign begins on September 14 and ends with Seat Check Saturday on September 20.

Here are three ways you can make sure your child is seated safely in your car!

1. Choose the right seat based on your child’s height and weight.

Does your child need a rear-facing seat, a forward-facing seat, or a booster seat? The answer is based on your child’s height and weight, and how the seat fits their body.

The NHTSA provides helpful guidelines in a printable infographic available here. You’ll also need to have your car seat user manual handy to know the manufacturer’s height and weight limits.

2. Take advantage of the Seat Check on Saturday, September 20th.

Certified technicians are available at events across the country to inspect your car seat, and show you how to correctly install and use it. Use the NHTSA’s Inspection Station Locator to find an inspection station near you.

No Seat Check Saturday events in your area? Try searching for an individual technician and booking an appointment. Seat checks are often free of charge, but you may need to make an appointment several weeks in advance.

Before your appointment, install the seat in your vehicle according to the manufacturer’s instructions and your vehicle owner’s manual. Bring these documents with you to your appointment.

If your child is already born, bring them with you, and know their current weight and height. The National Child Passenger Safety Certification program also recommends bringing another adult who can help watch the child while you focus on learning. If you’re getting ready for a baby who’s still on the way, you can schedule an appointment a month or two before your due date.

3. Register your car seat or booster seat.

Whenever the NHTSA finds that a motor vehicle or any motor vehicle safety equipment doesn’t comply with federal safety standards, a product recall may occur in order to fix the problem. Manufacturers are required to notify you of a recall.

Car seat manufacturers are required to notify you whenever there is a recall. It’s essential to register your car seat to make sure they can reach you with this information.

You can register through your manufacturer’s website, or by filling out and mailing in the postcard that came with the seat.

If you hear about a recall, first find out if your model and manufacture date is involved. Then contact the manufacturer for more information, and follow their instructions to get the problem fixed right away.

Looking for More Information on Vehicle Safety for Children?

There’s a lot to be aware of when driving with or around kids. Check out NHTSA’s In and Around the Car page for more information.

Taking a driver’s education course can be lots of fun, especially if you opt for an online driver’s education class that lets you learn the rules of the road from the comfort and convenience of your own home.

But once you complete the in-class educational component of driver’s education and learn everything you ever wanted to know about road safety, the next step to being comfortable with road safety and applying your driver’s education knowledge is obvious: Get behind the wheel to practice everything that was preached.

But where do you start? Is it safe to just get behind the wheel and drive?

That’s where parents come in. Once you have your learner’s permit, you’ll be eligible to get behind the wheel as long as someone with a driver’s license and years of experience is in the front seat with you. Here are some tips on some great places to start learning how to drive.

Start in an Empty Parking Lot

Empty parking lots can help simulate a real-world road environment while minimizing the dangers that come with actually being out on the road. One of the best places to start learning how to drive is in a school parking lot after hours. Wait until it is the weekend, later in the evening, or over a holiday, and the school parking lot will likely be empty. You can also typically find an empty parking lot by going to a closed shopping center.

The first time a driver’s education student gets behind the wheel could very well be with his or her parent. Having never been behind the wheel of a car before, the last thing you want is to be out in the middle of a busy intersection without being comfortable operating a motor vehicle.

A wide-open parking lot can help you get comfortable with steering, stepping on the gas, braking, and turning. Sure, you’ve heard how to properly make that left turn in a driver’s education class. But talking about it and actually doing it are two completely different things. You’ll be able to get a feel for how a vehicle actually responds to human control in a safer environment.

What’s more, with all those empty parking spaces, you’ve got the perfect opportunity to practice parking. Make a right turn into a spot. Make a left turn into a spot. Back into a spot. Do a three-point turn to turn around. The possibilities for applying your driver’s education knowledge are endless.

You can even turn that parking lot into a simulated main street. Set up pylons and simulate parked vehicles, pedestrians, curbs, stop signs, traffic lights, and other things that you’d experience out on the road. This will help you prepare for your in-car driver’s education class before you get out on the road in a real-world environment.

Move up to More Crowded Parking Lots

Once you are feeling comfortable with the basics of driving (steering, braking, turning, reversing, parking) move up to a larger, more crowded parking lot. You can go to a mall or a shopping center during business hours.

Take the skills you are learning and start using them around other drivers. Now, instead of parking in an empty lot, try parking next to an already parked car. Then reverse out with another row of cars behind you.

You can circle around the parking lot and pretend they are actual streets. There are several areas in parking lots that act as small intersections. The important piece is to start feeling comfortable with other vehicles on the road.

Practice on Various Types of Road

Make sure that you practice driving on different types of roads such as asphalt, dirt, and gravel. The car will handle differently on different types of roads so it’s important to get a good feeling for each. You may notice the steering and accelerating will vary depending on the road.

Find back roads that aren’t as commonly traveled to practice your driving skills on these different road types.

Find Roads with Different Speed Limits

Drive on roads with varied speed limits so you can start to get used to how it feels to travel at 25 mph versus 35 mph, versus 40 mph. Once you have enough practice you’ll be able to get a good sense of your speed without even looking at the speedometer.

For now, just practice at one speed until you get comfortable with it, and then move to a faster speed until you get comfortable with it. Remember to move back to the slower speed afterward so you can get a good sense of how it feels at each speed.

Drive on Roads with Different Weather and Visibility Conditions

Practice driving in different weather and visibility conditions. Try driving in the rain and snow. The road is much different when there is rain or snow, especially if it is the first rain of the season. You should also make sure you can put on the proper snow equipment such as cables or chains.

You should also practice driving at night. Driving at night adds new challenges because of the decreased visibility and the need to be extra cautious of other drivers and pedestrians.

Once you are feeling comfortable with driving in the rain and driving at night you should combine the two. Though it is more difficult to drive at night in the rain it is an important skill to have and a situation you will likely come across often.

Practice Using Freeway On and Off Ramps

Once you have mastered the basics of driving on varying road types with varying speed limits and in different weather and visibility conditions you should move on to the freeway. Start by getting used to entering and exiting the freeway. Enter the freeway and then take the next exit, you can loop back around and do the reverse. Make sure you feel very comfortable with getting on and off the freeway and getting up to freeway speed.

In Closing…

Remember, when it comes to applying everything you’ve learned in driver’s education, safety always comes first. Even when practicing in an empty parking lot, always exercise caution and be sure that you are obeying the rules of the road and the laws in your area.

Drive safe, no matter where your car may take you.

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In our recent post on how to avoid running red lights, we left out one major factor affecting intersections in 24 states and Washington, DC – the red light camera.

Getting a ticket from an automated camera is frustrating. You see that telltale flash go off when you squeak through the intersection at the end of the light cycle, and then you have to spend at least a few days dreading having a ticket actually show up in your mailbox.

Once it does, you may think you’re stuck with it. But before you pay up, read through this post – you may have more options than you think!

Make Sure it’s a Real Ticket

Take a good look at the document you received in the mail, and carefully read what it’s asking you to do.

“Snitch” Tickets

Anti-photo enforcement website HighwayRobbery.net has reported that fake tickets, also known as “snitch” tickets, are used by many California cities, as well as some locations in Arizona and possibly in other states. If you’ve got a fake ticket, it may instruct you not to contact the court, or be missing court contact information entirely. In California, snitch tickets are now required to say “Courtesy Notice: This Is Not A Ticket” at the top of the page.

According to HighwayRobbery.net, these fake tickets are sent out when the red light camera photos aren’t clear enough to issue a real ticket. You aren’t actually required to respond to them, but the red light camera company and the police department are hoping you will. Once you admit you were the driver, or name the person who was, a real ticket would be issued.

Real Tickets

Failing to respond to a real ticket on time has serious consequences, which may include additional fines and license suspension. Real tickets should list the name of the court, and include a date by which you’re required to respond. In California, the court system keeps a consistent look for its tickets. You can also confirm it’s real by locating it in your court’s case lookup system, but keep in mind that if you can’t find it, it may still be a real ticket that just hasn’t been filed with the court yet.

Once you’ve made sure it’s a real ticket, follow the instructions for how to respond, and make sure to do it by the due date or appearance date indicated on the ticket.

Typically, you’ll see options to pay the fine, fight the ticket, or name the actual driver if it wasn’t you behind the wheel, but exactly how each of these options works is different in each state, so keep reading!

“Owner Responsibility” States

Many states treat red light camera tickets as sort of like parking violations. Responsibility is automatically pinned on the registered owner of the vehicle, and you have to pay a fine, but no points will appear on your license.

Be aware that the possible penalties may change if you fail to respond or if you contest the ticket, so make sure you clearly understand all of your options before proceeding.

If you weren’t the one driving your car, you may also be able to submit an affidavit describing the circumstances and naming the actual driver.

Arizona and California – “Driver Responsibility” States

Notable exceptions are Arizona and California, where tickets issued by red light cameras have the same penalties as tickets issued by an officer – fines and points on your driving record.

What if someone else was driving my car?

Since the driver is responsible for the violation, the photos have to clearly identify not just the vehicle, but the driver as well. If it’s not you in the pictures, the easiest thing to do is fill out the form included with your citation providing the name and contact information of the actual driver. This will cause the ticket to be re-issued in the driver’s name, mailed to them directly, and you’ll be done with it.

If that doesn’t sound so good to you, HighwayRobbery.net has reported that some California vehicle owners have been able to get their tickets dismissed at the police station or in court without identifying the real driver. This will likely require more effort and preparation on your part, and it may be beneficial to consult a lawyer for advice or representation before proceeding.

Can I take traffic school or defensive driving school?

Yes, if you received a red light camera ticket in Arizona or California, you may have the option to take traffic school. The procedure and eligibility requirements are different for each state, so make sure to check out our Arizona and California FAQ pages before you enroll.

Fighting a Ticket

If you don’t think the ticket was justified, you can consider contesting, or “fighting” the ticket. The following questions may help you start thinking about whether this is the right option for you:

  • Is it clearly you in the photo?
  • Was the yellow light long enough to meet your state’s minimum requirements?
  • Were any signs required by your state posted, and were they large enough?
  • Was your ticket delivered to you within the time frame allowed by your state’s laws?
  • Is your ticket missing any information required by your state?

You may want to contact a lawyer to help you decide how to proceed.

Always make sure you understand what the penalties may be if you lose your case. For example, if you contest a ticket you received in California, it’s up to the judge whether to offer you the option of taking traffic school.

Special Case: Los Angeles County, California

The Los Angeles County Superior Court decided several years ago to stop notifying the DMV when drivers fail to respond to red light camera tickets. The court’s reasoning is that since drivers don’t sign camera tickets like they would if they received it from an officer, it can’t be proven that they actually received the ticket and promised to appear.

While the City of Los Angeles deactivated its red light cameras in 2011 and formally stopped collecting fines for unpaid tickets in 2012, red light camera programs in other cities within the county are still issuing tickets.

According to the LA Weekly (2014), this weird legal situation has made it possible to ignore tickets that were issued by a Los Angeles County law enforcement agency for a location within the county, as long as you never contact the court acknowledging that you received the ticket. That includes discussing the ticket with a court clerk, whether over the phone or in person and even includes looking up your ticket online. If you’ve done any of these things, you’re out of luck – you’ve acknowledged your ticket, and the court will report it to the DMV if you fail to respond.

But is ignoring the ticket even worth the trouble? The LA Weekly reports that you’ll definitely receive a lot of “scary mail,” including notices from the court and eventually letters from a collection agency. And it’s not yet clear what the consequences will be down the line – for example, if you end up having to appear in court for any other reason, the judge will be able to see your unpaid ticket.

If you don’t want to worry about deliberately ignoring the ticket, taking traffic school is an easy way to put that ticket behind you without having points appear on your record.

Looking For More Information?

If red light camera systems are sounding a little shady to you, you’re not alone – since we thought so too, we kept looking! Check back for our next post answering even more of your red light camera questions, including where in the country you need to watch out for cameras, and why some cities are getting rid of their camera systems.

Last week, August 3 to 9, was National Stop on Red Week, a campaign sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration. The campaign aimed to drive home the message that running a red light is unacceptable by reminding the public about the potential consequences.

At best, these include heavy fines and increased insurance costs. At worst, you could cause injury or death. In 2012, 683 people were killed and 133,000 were injured as a result of red-light crashes. More than half of those killed were people hit by the red light runner, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and occupants of other vehicles.

According to AAA, 93 percent of Americans already do consider it unacceptable to run a red light, but a third admitted that they had run a red light in the 30 days before the survey. A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that running red lights, stop signs, and other traffic control devices is the leading cause of all urban crashes.

So if we already understand the consequences and know it’s not okay, why is red light running still so common?

The reality is that intersections are complicated and dangerous. When faced with a split-second decision, the safest option might not always be clear, especially if you’re not paying full attention to the road. Here are a few steps you can take to be prepared to stop safely at the next red light.

1. Recognize the “Dilemma Zone”

You’re approaching an intersection and the light changes from green to yellow. You’re already too close to stop comfortably, but can you make it across the intersection before the light turns red?

We’ve all been there, and traffic engineers have a name for this phenomenon – it’s called the dilemma zone. It’s a theoretical area about 2.5 to 5.5 seconds away from the stop line, where drivers have a 10 to 90 percent probability of stopping.

When a yellow light is too short, drivers can neither stop safely nor cross the intersection completely before the light turns red. By implementing a longer yellow signal, the dilemma zone can be eliminated.

But we’re only human, and that moment of indecision can’t be completely eliminated. Instead, the dilemma zone can become an “option zone,” where the yellow light is long enough that within that time and distance, either choice is safe and legal.

2. Know Yellow Light Laws

Approaching that yellow light can be even more nerve-racking if you’re not completely sure what it means. Do you have to stop if it’s safe to do so? What if the light turns red while you’re in the intersection?

The answers to these questions vary from state to state. There are three basic types of laws governing what drivers have to do at a yellow light:

  • In Louisiana, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and West Virginia, drivers may not be in the intersection at all while the signal is red. This means that it’s only legal to enter the intersection on yellow if it can be entirely cleared before the light changes to red.
  • In Connecticut, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Virginia, and Wisconsin, drivers may only enter the intersection on yellow unless it is impossible or unsafe to stop.
  • In the remaining 37 states and Washington, DC, drivers may enter the intersection on a yellow light. Drivers may also legally be in the intersection while the red signal is displayed, as long as they entered while the light was still yellow.

3. Control Your Speed

Speed has a major impact on how efficiently and safely you can travel through stoplights.

Traffic engineers set the length of yellow and all-red signals based on how fast vehicles on the road are expected to travel, and the safe stopping distance they’ll need at that speed. Often, the posted speed limit is used as the assumed approach speed. If you’re driving faster than that speed limit, you’ll need a longer stopping distance, and the yellow light may not be long enough for you to come to a safe stop before the light turns red.

Driving the speed limit can even help you get to your destination faster and more efficiently. Many cities time green lights for vehicles going at or a little below the posted speed limit. As you may have noticed on streets you drive often, if you maintain just the right speed, you can catch a bunch of green lights in a row.

4. Never Drive Drowsy or Distracted

We’ve posted in the past about the danger of driving while using your cell phone, about other driving distractions like tending to child passengers and getting lost in your own thoughts, and about drowsiness, so we’ll keep this reminder brief.

It only takes a few seconds for the light to change from green to yellow, to red, and when we’re not paying full attention, it can be easy for a red light to escape our notice completely.

Don’t risk it. Only drive when you’re alert and rested, and if you absolutely must use your phone, find a safe place to stop.

Remember…

Intersections are the number one place for crashes to occur, so always be aware of other drivers and road users, even if it’s legally your turn to cross!

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We’ve covered a lot of questions about getting a ticket in California in our first California Traffic School: Q & A post, and on our California FAQ page. Here are a few more great questions we’ve received from California drivers who want to prevent their tickets from affecting their driving record and insurance rates!

More Common California Traffic School Questions

How do I know how much my fine is? Why doesn’t it list an amount on the ticket I received?

Often, an officer will hand you a ticket that doesn’t have an exact fine amount listed. That’s because determining how much your fine will be is pretty complicated – take a look at California’s Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule to get an idea of what’s involved.

Your base fine is determined by what your violation was and where it was committed, but additional penalties and surcharges are tacked on to every fine, and additional fees may apply if you have related prior convictions or you pay your fine late.

Check your ticket for instructions on how to look up what your fine amount is. You can also contact your court online, by phone, or in-person to find out.

 

My violation is marked “non-correctable.” Does that mean I can’t take traffic school?

A correctable violation, commonly known as a “fix-it” ticket, can be issued for things like a broken taillight or an expired license or registration. You may be able to get your fix-it ticket dismissed by showing proof of having corrected the issue to the court and paying a dismissal fee. You can’t take traffic school for these types of tickets, since they’re not moving violations.

If your ticket is marked “non-correctable,” you may be able to take traffic school to have it dismissed. To find out, contact your court to pay your fine and request traffic school. Then, enroll in any traffic school course approved by the California DMV, and complete it before the due date the court gives you.

 

I forgot to change my address on my driver’s license, so the officer wrote down my old address on the ticket. What do I do?

You are responsible for paying your fine amount whether or not you receive a courtesy notice in the mail, so your first step is to contact the court. They can update your address in their records so that any courtesy notices are sent to the correct address.

Then, make sure you change your address with the DMV. You can submit your address change online. Since the DMV doesn’t give you a new license when you change your address, they suggest carrying your new address with your license, written or typed on a small piece of paper with the date and your signature.

 

After I take traffic school, how do I know if the court dismissed my ticket?

If you take your course with us, you’ll receive an automatic email notification once your court has reviewed your certificate of completion. If any problems are preventing the court from accepting your certificate, for example, if you did not pay your fine or request traffic school, these will be indicated in the notification. You’ll need to correct these with the court before they will dismiss your ticket.

To confirm that the court has dismissed the ticket and updated its records, you’ll need to contact the court directly. Your court may have an automated case lookup system that you can access online or by phone, or you can speak to a clerk by phone or at the courthouse.

Keep in mind that while your completion certificate is submitted electronically immediately after you complete the course, it takes time for someone at the court to process the certificate and update the court’s records. If your court is very busy, this can take up to about two weeks. But don’t worry – the court will look at the date you completed the course to verify that you completed it on time.

Don’t see the answer to your question here?

Still have questions? No problem. Give us a call at 800-800-3579 or drop us a line at questions@trafficschoolonline.com and we’ll be happy to help you find the information you need!