Dear Episcopal AcademyFamilies,
StreetSafe Driving Academy is delighted to provide classroom driver training for your teen on the Episcopal campus. Many of you have already used our services and are familiar with our program and coaches. We look forward to working with familiar faces as well as introducing our program to new families.
Our primary goal as a driver training organization is to train our students as comprehensively and effectively as possible in order to reduce their likelihood of accident. To accomplish this goal, we use active duty police officers as coaches. Our coaches have a vested interest in creating safe teen drivers. They are also experts in the field of safe driving and understand the specific challenges of driving on the Main Line.
Classroom Program
Our comprehensive classroom program consists of 8 different classes covering specific topics, beginning with the basics and moving through more complex issues. The 8 classes include a variety of field trips, games, activities, PowerPoint presentations and guest speakers. In addition, we run a driving simulator workshop on Saturdays from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m., which students may attend at their convenience. For an overview of our classroom program, please see the attached outline.
To maximize our program’s effectiveness and ensure teens are well prepared for their behind the wheel learning process, we recommend that students begin the classroom portion of our program prior to getting their learners permit.
The StreetSafe driver-training program will be offered on the Episcopal campus this winter on Wednesdays: February 2- March 23, 2011 from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Attendance Policy
Our attendance policy is very flexible. Although it is recommended that students attend classes in order, we understand that most students will need to miss a class or two. Therefore we allow students to make up any missed classes at their convenience. Students can attend a missed class the next time it is offered on Episcopal’s campus or they may join us at our Bryn Mawr classroom location or on the Shipley campus. Our classroom schedule is available on our website showing attendance options at each of our classroom locations.
Behind the Wheel Coaching Sessions
We recommend that students work with us behind the wheel as soon after they receive their learner’s permit as possible. The early stages of behind the wheel training are often stressful for teens and parents alike. Letting our coaches work with teens early in the learning process not only reduces stress for the entire family, but it helps ensure that teens establish the safest, most up to date driving skills and habits. Please see our website for more information about behind the wheel coaching sessions.
Enrollment
To learn more or to register for classroom or behind the wheel coaching sessions, please visit our website at call us at 610-209-8269.
Sincerely,
Meg Kramer
Founder
Classroom Topic/Activity Schedule
Winter 2011
Episcopal Academy
*Parents invited to attend
*Session 1 -The Basics
45-minute parent orientation with Meg Kramer to discuss the keys to ensuring your teen becomes a safe driver and how to maximize the StreetSafe program.
American car culture, what to know before you drive, the basics of car operation, how attitude affects your driving, driving strategy, basic laws, signs and signals, lane position, intersections and turning. Activities: Getting Ready to Drive exercise, steering wheel exercise and “signs” guessing game.
Session 2 - Car Mechanics
What is under the hood, how cars work, tires, general maintenance, fuel, long-term car care. Field trip to Rafferty Subaru where students work with a master mechanic to understand how cars work and get hands on experience with general maintenance procedures such as changing a tire, changing oil, adding washer fluid, etc. The car buying process and considerations for buying a car are also discussed. Students will then walk over to the collision repair centerto see damaged cars and hear about the accidents that caused the damages, the costs, inconvenience and increased insurance premiums that result from car accidents.
EA Shuttle will be provided
Session 3 - On the Road
Visual fields, rural driving, urban driving, strategies for sharing the road, special circumstances, emotions and driving, road rage, driver distraction inside and outside the car, vehicle dynamics, parking and insurance. Activities: Cell phone exercise where students attempt to follow instructions from the coach while listening to a friend talk on a cell phone and evaluation of good and bad driving habits from cars on Rt. 252 (if possible).
Session 4 – Trucks and Repairs
Truck demographics, misconceptions about trucks, truck limitations and strategy for driving with trucks. Field trip to AllState Truckingwhere students work with trucking professionals, sit in the driver’s seat then ride in an 18 wheeler to gain a better understanding and appreciation of safety issues when driving around trucks.
EA Shuttle will be provided
*Session 5 - Highways and Night Time Driving
Highways, turnpikes, bridges, tunnels, congestion, construction, night time driving statistics and strategies, drowsy driving – mental and physical, driving while impaired – statistics, costs and myths.Brad Richman, Assistant District Attorney for Montgomery County will speak to the students about teen accident statistics and the legal ramifications of negligence. Activities: Fatal Vision goggles exercise.
Session 6 – Choices, Chances and Consequences
The real statistics, odds and probability, choices behind the wheel and the cost of those choices. Field trip to the Lower Merion police department to see what happens as a result of a drug or alcohol related traffic violation. Activities: “What are the odds?” game.
EA Shuttle will be provided
Session 7 – Inclement Weather and Emergencies
Poor weather conditions- how to plan for, adapt to and survive them, being prepared for an emergency and what to do in the event of an emergency. Activities: matching exercise, categories game and Jeopardy using driving related questions and answers.
*Session 8 –Road Trips and Accidents
Speaker presentation. Each of our speakers has either a serious permanent injury or specifically a brain or spinal cord injury as a result of a car accident. Speakers describe how all aspects of their lives have drastically changed as a result of the choices they made behind the wheel. Each speaker has a very moving and memorable story to tell. Other topics covered: planning and executing a road trip, reading road maps, navigational systems, types of accidents – what causes them and how to avoid them. Activities: Planning a trip using maps and student feedback questionnaires.
Note: Due to special circumstances, field trip destinations and guest speakers may occasionally be modified.
Driving Simulator Workshops – Saturdays 12:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Simulator workshops are held at the StreetSafe classroom – 32 Summit Grove Ave, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010. Students may come at their convenience to work on either the Virtual Driver simulators or on Drive Square. Because use of Drive Square is weather dependent, you will be notified when Drive Square will be included in the simulator workshop.
Use of simulators is part of the StreetSafe classroom program but is handled on an individual basis.