Live-blogging from mandated parent-teen 2-hour course on Connecticut rules for a graduated license. The setting is All-Star Driver, Watertown, Connecticut. There are more than 90 locations throughout the state.
All-Star Driver instructor Scott Wilson leads the group into actual traffic. Rule number-1 is that the human body goes where the human body looks. Therefore, he trots out the 400-ft guide. Teens should scan the road for about 400 ft. Eyes should always been focused on straight ahead. Stare at the curve, Scott tells the teens, and they will be on the curve.
Blind Zone (45 to 60 ft)
Scott covers the blind spots for all drivers, not only new ones. This blogger wonders if teens believe that they can't see everything as it is. They might have to work on this reality in their head when they are with an adult in the car. As the adults inform them of the blind spots, there is bound to be plenty of tension in the car.
Stopping
As most of us remember from our own youthful lessons, stopping was problematic. We did it too suddenly or not fast enough. Because it's already 11:49 A.M. and the group is weary and the lesson is important, Scott illustrates stopping before turning left through performance art. He pretends he's driving a car by cruising up the aisle in the classroom.
Scott begins to wrap up with a discussion of what the right lane is for. Yes, it's the travel lane and teens should only leave it for passing and turning left. After that, Scott emphasizes that teens have to signal before returning to the right lane. He notes that teens have failed the license test because they remained in the left lane to travel instead of giving the signal and going back to the right lane. Good news: Sometimes the tester will hint that maybe, just maybe the teen should think about what lane he or she is traveling in.
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