Advantageous Driving 4 Seniors: Survival Skills, Strategies & Knowledge

By Dale McCormack

Senior drivers (of all ages) will benefit from this edutainment approach to driving. Written for experienced drivers, this interesting eBook puts fun and increased control skills back into your travels. Youll gain surprising insight from an experts experience and earned wisdom that teach how to become a more thoughtful and somewhat quicker-yet-efficient driver.

Main chapters focus on: The Driver, The Vehicle and the Roadway; with subchapters describing a wide variety of interesting presentations about skills and technologies. An integrated approach to safer driving identifies & encourages the American Drivers Team for mutual support, and personal responsibility on our roadways. Another section introduces autonomous technologies used in todays vehicles.

Topics include:

1) Passing your License Renewal Test. p.85

2) When to hang-up the keys. p.86

3) (Almost) Never stop at a traffic light! P.14

4) Avoid becoming a prisoner of the vehicle ahead. P.43

5) What color makes a turn signal safer? P. 67

6) Stop sign extinction. p.35

7) Becoming the New Primary Driver. p.7

8) Should it stay, or should it go? P.48

9) Develop X-Ray Vision. p.41

10) State-of-the-art safety technologies. p.68

11) Get rid of Your jerk (when stopping)! p.27

And many, many more!

Casual and serious drivers alike will find useful and enjoyable topics in Advantageous Driving 4 Seniors: Survival Skills, Strategies and Knowledge.

Happy motoring,

Dale McCormack

Educator, Managing Director & Founder

The Institute 4 Traffic Safety

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 28, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512746181

Dale McCormack

I have an extensive background in teaching that includes university and high school experience; vehicles and driving are my passion! For something completely different, this summer I helped build a Habitat for Humanity home for a needy Rockford family; it is nearly complete. A long time ago at Illinois State University I wrote my Master’s Degree thesis on the topic of teaching an advanced driver education course to high school seniors. Since then I have taught motorcycle rider training classes, operated several businesses and taught both automotive mechanics and driver education classes in high schools.

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 Dale McCormack.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is written in compliance with Illinois traffic laws. Every state municipality and county has their own laws which may differ. Be sure to check your legal compliance with anything suggested or discussed herein.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-4618-1 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 07/20/2016

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Dedication

This is written with affection and love for my family. Initially my parents Gordon and Ruth provided for me in a loving parental relationship. They gave me wonderful experiences and did the best they knew how to do.

Later in adulthood, JeanMarie, Anna and Liam have shared, observed and endured many, many miles on roads with me. Whether local expressway or dense urban situations, commuting or vacation, they were typically filling passenger seats. I appreciate and will forever love them for their tolerance and understanding.

As this writing project was being organized, I relied on my friends for their input. George Weinand, longtime friend, educator and vehicle enthusiast has helped edit this book and authored the Foreward.

Dave Stoltz, fellow driver educator and dear friend has always been a voice of support, resources and common sense.

While building a Habitat 4 Humanity home the 9 decade young General Contractor, Rolf Eckstrom and assistant, Glen Johnson, provided strong support of my intellectual activities in this endeavor.

Lastly, a new person God has placed in my life, Nancy Keedy; her book-related talents have been greatly appreciated; this book is much better as a result of her talents.

And many others during the publishing process have offered support and ideas as the project evolved. Without such love and guidance, my efforts would have been less helpful to you, the reader.

Epigraph

Faith is the assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. Hebrews 11:1

Contents

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgement

Author’s Prayer

Introduction

Driver Beginnings - A Brief Autobiography

Ten Beliefs

Driving Philosophy

Vehicle Enthusiasm

I.   The Driver

Assumptions

Welcome to the American Drivers Team

Is Good Driving Difficult?

Awareness Brings Responsibilities

Incremental Skill Improvements

Help Others When Turning?

Why Are Some Team Members Mediocre Drivers?

Activities & Attitudes

Mental Checklist & Skill Suggestions

Becoming the New Primary Driver

Impairments & Distractions

Predicting the Future

The Safest Speed?

Senior Collision Research & Advantages

The Tortoise and The Hare

Driver Differences & Generalizations

Senses & Skills Used by Team Members

Don’t Fight your Pupils

Avoid Confusing Others

How-To’s

Shifting A Manual Transmission

Manual Transmission Fundamentals

Starting & Up-Shifting

Down-shifting, Turning and Stopping

Stop & Go Traffic Adjustments

Backing Into Small Spaces

Commentary Driving

Courteous Communication

Signal Every Lateral Move

Yes, when backing too.

Don’t Wait For a Legal Requirement. Always Be Helpful!

Turning Theory into Reality

Approaching Traffic Lights

Stale Green

Developing Your Countdown Clock

Using Traffic Light Experience

Move Right for Emergency Vehicles

Fitting Into or Through Small Spaces

Get Rid of Your Jerk!

Good Lane Discipline

Changing Lanes

Merging Goals and Behavior

Emergency Shoulder Use

Parallel Park With Confidence

Navigating Traffic Circles

Stop Sign Extinction?

Turning Factors

Efficient Low Speed Steering

Time and Space to be Safe?

Choosing the Best Communication Tool

Vehicle Position Makes a Difference

Visual Habits

Space is Your Friend

Following Distance: Measuring & Maintaining A Space Cushion

Disability Issues

II.   The Vehicle

Maintenance & Ownership

Should it Stay, or Should it Go?

Types of Ownership

Simultaneous Fiscal and Mobility Freedom

Motor, Drive and Fuel Choices

Which Wheels Are Powered; Why Does it Matter?

Suspensions for Better Handling

Vehicle Modifications

Personalizing your Vehicle

Why Vehicles Keep Growing

Vehicle Safety

Collision Types & Severity

Vehicle Color Safety Research

Active & Passive Safety Technologies

III.   The Roadways

Origin of the Interstate Highway System

Smarter Roads

Future Roadways

Challenging Situations

Passing Your License Renewal Test

The Key Hangup

Epilogue

Driver Resources

Useful Links

Credentials

About the Author

Foreword

By: George Weinand, Life-long Friend

My friend Dale McCormack has had another good idea; this is a good thing for a lot of people.

I have been around for several of Dale’s good ideas and have been the better for it.

We met as a result of one of his good ideas back in the early 1970’s. It was a motorcycle rider education program that actually put the rider, behind the handlebars of a lightweight bike. It combined classroom education with practice riding experience. He was the teacher and I was a student with a lot of questions.

We bonded as a result of that class and have been friends ever since. Dale soon moved on to a more sophisticated course that was offered throughout the Chicago Metro area by Northeastern Illinois University. I was one of the willing instructors he enlisted to make those programs successful.

An experienced rider course followed as well as educational programs. All organized by Dale and offered at BMW Motorcycle Owners of America national rallies.

Dale went on to launch a company called Conspicuity. It focused on the fact that motorcyclists needed to be clearly seen and stand out so they would be protected from other motorists. Conspicuity products utilized state-of-the-art passive reflective materials and bold colors to make riders stand out day or night. I always felt safer wearing them as did his many customers.

Now we have Dale’s new book intended to assist the aging, but mobile, senior population cope with the evolving hazards of modern driving. It’s timely and worthwhile – just like his many other good ideas.

While we may think that we know how to drive well, and are good team members, Dale’s book will help everyone keep their skills sharp. Team members, their passengers and other motorists will be safer. No mean feat on today’s roads – thank you Dale!

George Weinand is a former local government official, an adjunct faculty at Loyola University of Chicago, Director of Training and Principal Consultant for two Big Four accounting firms. Currently, he heads his own training, development and communication firm.

Preface

First of all, congratulations to the seniors, and others in this audience who have survived their challenges to successfully manipulate vehicles in a dynamic, occasionally dangerous and hazard-filled environment! In other words, you’ve driven on American roads, perhaps daily, and lived to join me here today! It has also been focused to benefit today’s 34 million licensed American senior drivers.

As the title says: Advantageous Driving 4 Seniors: Survival Skills, Strategies & Knowledge (AD4S). Well, I definitely qualify as a traffic safety education generalist. There are many others who inform and entertain in periodicals and on media airwaves. However, until now, I haven’t found any driving-oriented self-help books, for older team members with similar information. My personal mentors have included Bob Bondurant, Mark Donohue (racecar drivers), Richard A. Whitworth (GM Proving Grounds Engineer) and Dr. Ronald Budig, plus hundreds of car and driving authors.

I’ve written this from experience gained over forty plus years of driving cars and several hundred-thousand miles riding motorcycles. My insight comes from formal traffic safety courses, skillfully-trained racers, and driving professionals, including police driver training specialists. Professionally, I’ve taught many adults and high school students.

AD4S is the result of focusing on and organizing my thoughts about driving topics useful for a generation of mobile techno-savvy seniors, typical team members and driving enthusiasts. I’ll be sharing with you actions that I would perform in various situations. So, understand that if I’m talking to me, I’m also talking to you.

So, what is Advantageous Driving? Let me begin by saying it is NOT competitive driving. Rather, it is a philosophy of continual attention to situations that may become opportunities for subtle strategic, advantageous improvement of your driving situation. It could be as simple as choosing the lane with the least traffic, it could be slowing early in preparation for an upcoming green light. These, and many others will be suggested throughout.

While writing I discovered all driving activities cannot be easily or logically pigeonholed. So, pardon me if some information is located, perhaps oddly; it didn’t seem to fit anywhere else.

Throughout life I’ve found found the best and cheapest experience is learned from others. Now I am making that information available for you. If you’re willing to give the suggestions some consideration while driving, I strongly believe I will improve your enjoyment and skills of this dynamic, ever-changing activity we call driving. I am excited to share these observations and suggestions with you!

Also, to increase your esprit de corps and pride in driving, I’ve created and organized the American Drivers Team™. This group will encourage and support the skills and ideas taught herein. You can get your free Founding Member Window Cling by registering at: http://theinstitute4trafficsafety.com/ADT/ On a long term basis you can choose to receive our newsletter and updates on driver safety-related topics; naturally you may remove yourself from the distribution list at any time.

AD4S is divided into three primary areas; The Driver, The Vehicle and The Roadway. These provide logical categorization for presentation and discussion. So, grab a snack and drink, then let’s get going on our literary driving adventure; soon you’ll be putting them to use in towns, cities and roadways.

Acknowledgement

Kim Kommando, the self-proclaimed Digital Goddess of talk radio talk advised a caller one day to write an eBook about their field of expertise. Upon hearing the suggestion and thinking about the conversation, the seed of an idea began to germinate in my mind for this book.

I began to research book publications and read; How to Write & Publish an eBook in as little as 7 days. And then, How to Publish an eBook for Dummies. Both were quite helpful and contributed to the commencement of this project.

Finally, after writing, it was necessary to obtain illustrations that would help convey some ideas I’ve written about. I began researching artists, found Sam Hintz and he helped create excellent visuals used herein.

Author’s Prayer

I want to start by mentioning coincidences throughout my life. In hindsight, God has been playing a proactive role. Nothing has happened by accident. Rather, I believe He has a plan for me, and us all.

While creating this, I was reminded of the Biblical Old Testament story of Joseph, in a sermon. You may recall that Joseph was forced to leave his Jewish home and live a life with the Egyptians. During that time he did not have the good life he envisioned as a child, but he was developing skills and knowledge that would prepare him to save Egypt, himself, and the tribe of Judea, from which our Savior would, one