New DHSMV Curriculum Requirements for 2011

We at Traffic Safety Consultants (TSC) have encouraged you many times over the years to talk with your students about the severe hazards of distracted driving—especially texting while driving. Now the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), anticipating that legislation calling for this instruction will soon be forthcoming, is requiring discussion about these topics to be included in all traffic safety education programs provided throughout the state. This new material should be incorporated into lesson delivery immediately.

Live-classroom instructors should take care to include in their lecture the material already in TSC's curricula regarding distracted driving and the use of mobile phones. In particular, make sure that students are made aware that it is extremely dangerous to talk or text on a cell phone (or other handheld electronic or mobile communications device) or to tune the radio, program the GPS, etc., while driving.

The following information should also be incorporated into the classroom presentation on cell phone use/distracted driving:

A study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that, unsurprisingly, it was texting that caused the real problems. The study found that truckers who send text messages while driving are 23 times more likely to crash or to get into a near-wreck than undistracted drivers. The reasons are obvious: Good luck paying attention to the road when you're staring at the display of your mobile device while mentally composing a message and manipulating a tiny keyboard! Of course, it goes without saying that gaming, emailing, and other tasks should be avoided as well. To stay safe behind the wheel, refrain from using any handheld electronic devices while you're driving.

If your traffic school employs multiple teachers, make sure that they are all aware of this new curriculum requirement.

Insert sheets are also available for the booklet and video/DVD versions of TSC's 4-hour course. Please include a copy of the appropriate insert sheet with each product that you ship. The insert sheets are cumulative; if you've previously been shipping insert sheets, you may replace your old stock with this new version.

Please click on the links below to access the files you need. You may read/print them online or download them to your local computer for easier access whenever you need them.

• 4-Hour Booklet insert - English
• 4-Hour Booklet insert - Spanish
• 4-Hour Video/DVD insert

Make sure that you familiarize yourself with this update and ship the latest home study inserts, as you will be responsible for teaching this new material to students.

Internet-based curricula have been revised to reflect these modifications, and no action is required on your part to address the updates for this format.

If you have any questions about the updates, please feel free to email Donna, or call her at 800 . 252 . 9951.

ADA Compliance

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) does its best to ensure that all Floridians who want a driver license are afforded the privilege of operating a motor vehicle. Persons will be denied a license if they are incapable of safely operating a vehicle, of course. But the public's perceptions of the capabilities of those with disabilities has shifted considerably over the years, and mechanical and technological improvements make it possible for persons with a wide range of disabilities to compensate for those disabilities and drive safely.

Since persons with disabilities are out on the roadways, they—like any other driver—may receive a citation; and if persons with disabilities are cited, they may elect to attend traffic school. The DHSMV recently issued a letter (click here to view) affirming their commitment to ensuring that Florida traffic schools are in compliance federal law and operating in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Traffic schools should have in place a process to provide auxiliary aids and services, without charge to students, to those attendees who require assistance due to a disability. As well, schools should takes steps to ensure that students are aware of the procedures by which accommodations may be requested. The DHSMV's letter provides some guidance, and directs readers to the U.S. Dept. of Justice's ADA Home Page for more information.

Safety Tech Could Make Drivers...Less Safe?

Could the incredible, high-tech safety systems that manufacturers are now building into their vehicles actually make drivers less safe? An article from Wired's Autopia website questions how the rapid adoption of semiautonomous vehicle safety systems could affect overall motor vehicle safety--and suggests that it may fundamentally affect the kinds of crashes we see and whether active safety systems gain widespread acceptance.

Essentially, the thesis is that the human brain requires a certain level of arousal in order to keep functioning at an optimal level. (We already see this phenomenon with highway hypnosis.) Because semiautonomous safety systems can lull drivers into thinking that they can "zone out" behind the wheel, these systems could actually make drivers less safe in situations in which they encounter hazards the safety systems weren't designed to handle.

The article posits that, while semiautonomous safety systems will reduce certain types of collisions, we may see a rise in other types of collisions as drivers fail to adapt their driving to the needs of the new safety systems. The article also suggests that we may have to abandon the American tradition of driver education only for new drivers and, instead, institute ongoing, lifetime driver training to ensure that motorists are up-to-date with the latest safety technologies.

Check out this interesting read!

New New York Laws for 2011

New York's Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently signed a new law that strengthens the penalties for drivers who are cited for using handheld electronic devices while the vehicle is in motion. Accident Prevention Courses are required to present information about this new situation, and updated classroom materials will be distributed to instructors shortly.

Under the new law, the use of handheld electronic devices joins handheld cell phone use as a primary enforcement violation, meaning that a law enforcement officer may stop a driver and issue a citation for that violation alone. The monetary penalty for a violation of this law continues to be a fine of up to $150. And, as before, exemptions cover emergency services personnel who are engaged in their duties, as well as drivers who are engaged in communication about an emergency situation. This change is effective immediately.

Governor Cuomo also announced that he will increase the penalty for using a cellular phone without a hands-free device while driving, or for using a handheld electronic device while driving, from two to three points through changes in state regulations. Note that the new point assessment will go into effect "this Fall," according to representatives from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles; a subsequent blog post will inform you of the exact date when it has been determined. For now, you might simply point out to students that this change is "coming soon to a law enforcement stop near them."

Gadgets Tied to 25 Percent of Collisions

MSNBC recounts that 25 percent of motor vehicle crashes are tied to distracted driving caused by in-vehicle gadget use. Reporting on a comprehensive review of distracted driving research by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the MSNBC story notes that drivers may be distracted up to half of the time! The GHSA study (link here) considers past research, recommends areas for further investigation, and offers recommendations about how state lawmakers might best proceed based upon the latest scientific data.

In the end, we all know that distracted driving is problem on our roadways. Mobile phone use—and especially texting—while driving can take a motorist's attention completely away from the road. Remind your students to "keep their heads in the game" while driving. Distracted driving is extremely dangerous—and it's probably the most easily preventable cause of collisions!

Orders for Certificate Seals

Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., is committed to helping our affiliates to succeed in all sorts of business climates, and we realize that times have been tough all across the country lately. We naturally understand businesses' desire to minimize the outlay of cash. However, in order to streamline the seal ordering process for all parties, and to ensure the accurate accounting of seals and credits, we are requesting that our affiliates place orders for seals in lots of at least 5 seals at a time. The seal ordering and assignation process is a complicated, multi-step procedure that TSC gladly undertakes on behalf of its affiliates. But in order to keep administrative tasks—and, therefore, costs—to a minimum, we ask that you help us with this request.

Teens Need All the Help They Can Get!

Let's face it, sometimes teens need all the help they can get. And Traffic Safety Consultants (TSC) is here to help you provide it to them!

In a previous blog post, we promised that TSC was working on an online Practice Permit Test program for Florida teen prospective drivers. This product is intended to help teens to prepare for their permit test by simulating testing conditions and providing other useful information.

The cost to students for this helpful program is just $14.95, and TSC will pay affiliated partners $9.00 for each referral sent from their websites.

TSC's Web Development team is making preparations to roll out this program, and will be gradually adding links to affiliates' websites over the next month. To participate in this great money-making opportunity, you don't have to do anything. Just sit back and collect your referral fees!

New Links Get Customers in NJ!

At Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., (TSC) we see ourselves as partners of our affiliates, and we want YOU to succeed. Toward that end, we come to you with great news!

We have spent the last year analyzing the Defensive Driving School market in New Jersey and how prospective customers there respond to marketing efforts. We've taken what we've learned and developed effective call-to-action link buttons that you can add to your websites to really drive sales of your defensive driving course.

TSC's lead Web designer, Justin Miller, will be contacting you via email very soon with information about updating your websites. We hope that you're interested in taking advantage of this opportunity, and we look forward to working with you to increase your profitability.

Marketing Seminar a No-Go

Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., (TSC) regrets to inform you that the Internet and Social Media Marketing Seminar that we had planned to conduct for Florida affiliates on Saturday, February 26, has been cancelled because not enough people could participate.

We strongly believe, however, that the information that we were planning to present to you is critical to the future success of your traffic school. More and more commerce is being conducted online, and customers are increasingly attracted to the ease and convenience of Internet-based traffic safety education programs. Without the skills necessary to successfully market your business on the Interet, you could be left behind.

Therefore, TSC plans to mail to you in the near future a packet highlighting the materials that we intended to discuss at the marketing seminar. These will be followed up with a call from our marketing specialists to make sure that all of your questions are answered. We want you to experience great success with your traffic school operation, and we are committed to helping you to achieve your goals!

New Product: Practice Permit Test

As you are aware, January 1, 2011, marked the end of the pilot program which allowed prospective drivers in the state of Florida to complete the "written" testing for their driver's permits via the Internet rather than having to test in-person at a Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) field office. Traffic Safety Consultants (TSC) and its affiliates allowed young drivers to take advantage of this convenient option via the Driver's Permit Test Online program. Unfortunately, the DHSMV recently announced that it has decided to permanently discontinue the online testing option.

This in an unhappy turn of events not only because the Driver's Permit Test Online was a highly profitable offering for traffic safety educators, but because young Floridians will now be forced to expend considerably more time and effort to complete the testing process at a DHSMV office. If they could have the knowledge and confidence to pass the test on their first attempt, however, their inconvenience could be significantly limited. An opportunity exists, therefore, to assist prospective young drivers in studying for the permit exam.

TSC is currently working to design its own Practice Permit Test program that we will soon make available to affiliates. This "test prep course" will provide students with simulated testing conditions and sample test questions, as well as other helpful information that will allow them to show up at a DHSMV office fully prepared to obtain their permit. The program is currently in development, and will be rolled in a few weeks.

Gloria and Donna will be contacting you shortly with the details about how you can participate in this exciting new opportunity.

FREE Internet & Social Media Marketing Seminar

As we enter the new year, we at Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., (TSC) hope that you have big plans for your traffic school enterprise—and we want to help you to realize your goals.

Internet-based traffic safety education courses offer a compelling multi-media experience to your customers, and they allow students to complete the programs at their own pace and in a location that is convenient for them. Online courses are an emerging market that presents dramatic growth potential for providers who would capitalize. Best of all, online programs require minimal effort to administer on a daily basis.

As with any product, however, only consumers who are aware of your online traffic school course can become paying customers. Internet marketing isn't tremendously difficult or time-consuming, and it's not necessarily expensive. But sometimes you need a helping hand to get you started. Therefore, TSC would like to invite you and an associate to an informative seminar on effective, practical Internet and social media marketing techniques that will help you to confidently tap into this lucrative opportunity. We'll provide easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions on how to drive relevant online traffic to your site, as well as a chance to ask questions of our panel of marketing experts.

What:
FREE Internet and Social Media Marketing Seminar, offered exclusively to TSC affiliates. This will be a three-hour tour of minimal- and no-cost Internet marketing techniques that can instantly boost your online visibility and attract more students. We'll explore:

• search engine optimization
• website metadata
• blogging and using keywords in site content
• sources of articles and information
• sample text modifications
• reference sources
• Facebook and Twitter
• paid search engine campaigns

Lunch will be provided following the seminar, and there's absolutely nothing to buy. At TSC, we view our relationship with you as a partnership, and we're dedicated to help YOU to succeed!

When:
Saturday, February 26, 2011, beginning at 10:00am

Where:
TSC's Regional Headquarters
3092 Aloma Avenue
Suite 205
Winter Park, Florida 32792

Please respond to Donna (via email or by calling 800 . 252 . 9951) by Friday, January 14, 2011, if you are interested in joining us for this invaluable presentation of cutting-edge marketing tactics. We look forward to seeing you there!