We'd like to use this inaugural post to welcome all of you to the Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., Affiliate Weblog/Newsletter. We’ll be posting periodically to keep you up-to-date on new products and developments at TSC headquarters, to offer helpful suggestions on managing and marketing your traffic school, and to inform you of industry related information that could affect you and your operations.
Because this blog is ultimately intended as a means to disseminate useful information to you, our affiliates, we’re open to your input. Feel free to add comments to any article you see here (comments are moderated). If there are topics that you would like to see covered here, or if you would like to contribute a post to a future edition of the TSC Affiliate News blog, please feel free to email Rick Ehlers with your ideas and suggestions.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Products in the Pipeline
Traffic Safety Consultants is proud to announce a trio of new, highly anticipated products. These exciting, TSC‑branded courses will help to round out our curriculum catalog and provide the latest, most informative traffic safety programs to Floridians.
Traffic School Book, TSC’s first-of-its-kind booklet course, has been translated into a Spanish-language version. The booklet has been submitted to the Florida DHSMV, and has passed the first round of approvals without any changes requested. We hope to start shipping the Spanish booklet to affiliates in the first quarter of 2008.
Also in the works are new First Time Driver (TLSAE) and 8-Hour Intermediate courses. The First Time Driver course is nearing the end of its development cycle and is being prepared for submission to the DHSMV. Work on the Intermediate course is scheduled to begin shortly.
ASAP Manual Revised
The Affiliate System Administration Program (ASAP), TSC’s proprietary, state-of-the-art enterprise management software, has undergone almost constant revision and enhancement since its roll-out over seven months ago. All of these improvements are great news for you, our affiliates. John and Donna have done an excellent job training new affiliates to use the system, and an updated manual with revised text and new screenshots is in the works. It should be in the hands of users early next year.
Membership Has Its Benefits
A fringe benefit of affiliation with Traffic Safety Consultants is the work we do on your behalf via the Florida Providers for Traffic Safety, Inc. FPTS is a two-year-old industry organization that works to promote highway safety and to champion traffic safety programs throughout the state. Membership is limited to driving and traffic schools, curriculum providers, and safety councils.
Two recent FPTS actions have dealt with the privatization of DHSMV operations that would have unfairly hindered competition in the industry. Recently, FTPS helped to block bidding on a contract to print the state’s traffic citation paperwork that would have granted the winner exclusive advertising rights on every citation issued by the state of Florida. An investigation by the state legislature caused the bid request to be withdrawn.
A second, ongoing FPTS effort involves a similar contract. For the past two years, a traffic school provider had been awarded the contract to print the state’s Driver Handbook without reimbursement from the DHSMV — in exchange for the exclusive rights to advertise in it. A 2008 budget appropriation sponsored by Sen. Mike Fasano (R‑New Port Richey) provided the DHSMV with $600,000 to print ad-free handbooks. Governor Charlie Crist line-item vetoed Fasano’s proposal, but left the money it allocated to the DHSMV in the budget. FPTS filed suit to overturn the veto, arguing that Crist could not block the appropriation’s intent without also eliminating the allocated funds from the budget. On Oct. 19, 2007, Circuit Judge John C. Cooper agreed and struck down Gov. Crist’s veto. The final outcome of the issue is pending, but a handbook free of advertising (or with a simple list of providers) is FPTS’s ultimate goal.
Two recent FPTS actions have dealt with the privatization of DHSMV operations that would have unfairly hindered competition in the industry. Recently, FTPS helped to block bidding on a contract to print the state’s traffic citation paperwork that would have granted the winner exclusive advertising rights on every citation issued by the state of Florida. An investigation by the state legislature caused the bid request to be withdrawn.
A second, ongoing FPTS effort involves a similar contract. For the past two years, a traffic school provider had been awarded the contract to print the state’s Driver Handbook without reimbursement from the DHSMV — in exchange for the exclusive rights to advertise in it. A 2008 budget appropriation sponsored by Sen. Mike Fasano (R‑New Port Richey) provided the DHSMV with $600,000 to print ad-free handbooks. Governor Charlie Crist line-item vetoed Fasano’s proposal, but left the money it allocated to the DHSMV in the budget. FPTS filed suit to overturn the veto, arguing that Crist could not block the appropriation’s intent without also eliminating the allocated funds from the budget. On Oct. 19, 2007, Circuit Judge John C. Cooper agreed and struck down Gov. Crist’s veto. The final outcome of the issue is pending, but a handbook free of advertising (or with a simple list of providers) is FPTS’s ultimate goal.
No-Fault Returns to Florida
Florida will return to a no-fault auto insurance system on January 1, 2008. Until then, drivers without coverage who are involved in an accident face the possibility of a lawsuit to determine who is at fault and who will pay damages.The law restores a requirement, in place for almost three decades, that Florida drivers hold a minimum of $10,000 worth of personal injury protection coverage. It also resumes a no-fault system that protects motorists from being sued in most cases after an accident.
Insurance companies had argued for the demise of a system riddled with fraud and a lack of controls on disbursements to those making claims as the result of a collision. Meanwhile, hospitals and other medical care providers had expressed concern that, without the requirement, they would be forced to bear the burden of millions of dollars in uncompensated care costs for crash victims who don’t have health insurance. In an attempt to combat both problems, lawmakers have restored the system with a bevy of new anti-fraud controls.
Road Rage Rampant
For the second consecutive year, Miami drivers have earned the label "worst road rage" in a survey released earlier this year. Miami motorists said they saw other drivers slam on their brakes, run red lights, and talk on cell phones.
To combat road rage, drivers should be encouraged to relax, drive the speed limit, and concentrate on the task at hand: driving.
When confronted with another driver who is behaving aggressively, the best course of action is to avoid eye contact and rude gestures, and get out of the way as quickly as safely possible.
To combat road rage, drivers should be encouraged to relax, drive the speed limit, and concentrate on the task at hand: driving.
When confronted with another driver who is behaving aggressively, the best course of action is to avoid eye contact and rude gestures, and get out of the way as quickly as safely possible.
2006 Florida Stats: Citations Up, DUIs Down
The Florida DHSMV’s annual Uniform Traffic Citation Report reveals good news and bad news for Florida drivers. Last year, the number of motorists cited for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in the Sunshine State dropped a significant 5.72 percent from 2005 levels. Meanwhile, convictions for unbelted passengers over the age of 18 decreased 4.38 percent.
While this is great news, there’s still much work to be done to educate Florida’s drivers about safety on the roadway. Total citations written increased nearly 7 percent to almost 5.1 million. More disturbingly, convictions for failure to use a child safety restraint skyrocketed more than 17 percent! This could be due to a number of factors, including increased vigilance by law enforcement. But, the fact remains that Floridians are not properly restraining young children in their vehicles.
Please stress to your students the extreme danger posed by driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, as well as the importance of reporting to law enforcement other drivers whom they suspect of driving under the influence. And, do everything you can to encourage your students to drive with children safely secured. If they do not know how to properly install a child safety system into their vehicle, help is available. Most law enforcement agencies are happy to assist with installation. Alternatively, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website provides a fitting station locator.
While this is great news, there’s still much work to be done to educate Florida’s drivers about safety on the roadway. Total citations written increased nearly 7 percent to almost 5.1 million. More disturbingly, convictions for failure to use a child safety restraint skyrocketed more than 17 percent! This could be due to a number of factors, including increased vigilance by law enforcement. But, the fact remains that Floridians are not properly restraining young children in their vehicles.
Please stress to your students the extreme danger posed by driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, as well as the importance of reporting to law enforcement other drivers whom they suspect of driving under the influence. And, do everything you can to encourage your students to drive with children safely secured. If they do not know how to properly install a child safety system into their vehicle, help is available. Most law enforcement agencies are happy to assist with installation. Alternatively, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website provides a fitting station locator.
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