Happy Fourth of July! Whether you will be staying near your home or heading out of town for the holiday, we at I Drive Smart hope you have a relaxing break from work and a healthy amount of fun with family and friends. We also hope everyone is safe and recovering well from the terential storms we had a few nights ago. Hopefully, as power gets restored around the area, life can start to get back to normal. I'd like to take a little time to salute one of our own at IDS. Krista Kennedy, a Montgomery County police officer and one of our "superstar" instructors, was recently featured in an article about Title IX in The Gazette.

[Read more →]

→ 1 CommentTags: Driver Education · Driving Tips

A wise man once wrote that "no one can complete an education, for of necessity education is a continuing process". We see this proverb in action every day of our lives. Our best teachers are those that never seem to stop learning, and our doctors are required to attend continuing education classes throughout their careers. Likewise, we at I Drive Smart believe that driver education is not a one-time event. Instead, we hope that our students will work throughout their lives to become safer and more responsible drivers, and our instructors strive to instill that attitude in our students. One of the most important pieces to successfully continuing your driver education is to keep up-to-date on often-changing traffic laws.

[Read more →]

→ 2 CommentsTags: Driver Education · Driver Licensing Test · Driving Tips

Graduation season is an exciting time for all those receiving their diplomas and their families. However, given teenagers’ excitement about graduation and the newfound freedom of summer after high school, it is also one of the riskiest times for teen drivers. In this post, we offer some helpful strategies to ensure that your child can have both a safe and fun trip to Beach Week or Senior Week.

[Read more →]

→ No CommentsTags: Driving Safety · Driving Tips

In our previous blog entry, we talked about how driving for teens offers freedom, but that responsibility comes with it too.

Teens in New York State, and in several other states across the country, are now faced with the requirement of completing 50 hours of supervised driving, up from the previous 18 required (with 15 of those hours mandated to occur after sunset).

[Read more →]

→ No CommentsTags: Driver Education · Driver Licensing Test · Driving Safety · Driving Tips · Maryland Driver Licensing

During the carefree summer months, it’s not surprising to find many teens hanging by the pool, shopping at the mall or catching the latest blockbuster. However, these carefree summer months aren’t without its dangers, as they have actually been nicknamed "the 100 deadliest days for drivers."

[Read more →]

→ 1 CommentTags: Driving Safety · Driving Tips

In the last two decades, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has provided insights never before available into brain functioning.  Scientists now know that the decision-making portion of a teenager’s brain is not mature and that the impulse control portion of the brain does not physically mature until about the age of 25.

[Read more →]

→ 1 CommentTags: Driving Tips

When taking your teenager out for a practice drive, you will want to coach your child to assess and manage driving risks.  The following are some tips you can use as a guideline

[Read more →]

→ 2 CommentsTags: Driving Tips

Follow the Virginia Department of Education’s required 45-hour Teen/Parent Driving Guide and enjoy your time together and have fun.   This can be a great bonding opportunity for you and your teen, just be sure to focus on the driving task and leave your family issues at home.  Make sure you clear your own schedule and mark your calendar for consistent practice driving times to set aside with your teen.  Try to designate and pre-determine a place to practice to establish a comfortable routine.  While driving, let your teenager know you care about his or her safety while practicing and stay calm, rational, upbeat and engaged during the practice drive.

[Read more →]

→ No CommentsTags: Driving Tips

As the parent of a teenager learning to drive, you are likely to be concerned about the welfare and safety of your child.   The following are two major steps to take in teaching your child to drive. 

[Read more →]

→ 2 CommentsTags: Driving Tips

With freedom, comes responsibility.  How do you teach a 16 year old to be safe and courteous behind the wheel of an automobile?  Unfortunately, there is no magic formula to teach your teenager the responsibilities of driving.  Driver education at its best is a team effort involving schools, communities, students and families.

[Read more →]

→ No CommentsTags: Driving Safety · Driving Tips