Change in CA Classroom Instruction Procedures

At the request of regulatory authorities, Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., (TSC) is issuing the following update to its California classroom traffic violator school (TVS) curriculum in the English language:

Schools that have licensed TSC's English classroom TVS curriculum prior to this point were issued a DVD that included a Warm-Up Video at the start, which was to be shown prior to the start of class (while students were entering the classroom and getting comfortable). Effective immediately, the Warm-Up Video is no longer an official part of the approved curriculum and is not to be shown prior to TVS classes delivered by your school. You will not be issued a new DVD at this time, as all other material on the disc that you have remains unchanged. Simply skip the Warm-Up Video presentation prior to class and then conduct class as you normally would.

Please inform all of the instructors working for your school of this change to the curriculum. Instructors and schools are responsible for this curriculum change effective immediately.

If you have any questions about this curriculum change, please feel free to contact your TSC representatives.

TVS Audits/Inspections

We recently blogged about some helpful tips for passing a TVS audit/inspection, and we hope that you've found that advice helpful.

This is a reminder that regulatory agencies are conducting unannounced inspections of traffic violator school (TVS) office locations. Inspectors are looking for violations of Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) regulations regarding school operations; in particular, they are looking to ensure that a school's office is open during the required/posted hours of operation and that the office is staffed by a knowledgeable representative. Inspectors have the authority to look for any breaches of protocol, however, and are taking aggressive enforcement actions.

Penalties for failure to adhere to all DMV policies and regulations have already led to the initiation of the suspension/revocation process for the occupational licenses of multiple TVSs! Make sure you're in compliance!

If you have any questions regarding the operation of your school, please refer to our previous post about this topic, your TVS operator training course (at DMVOperatorCourse.com), or the appropriate sections of the California Vehicle Code and California Code of Regulations. And, of course, you may always contact your TSC representatives for assistance during an audit/inspection.

Content Marketing Ideas for Fall 2015

Content marketing is the process of creating and publishing material in order to attract, engage, and retain customers. Often its aim is to be useful to customers, honestly helping them learn, do, or experience something. It's the perfect marketing strategy for a traffic/driving school—whose existence is naturally dedicated to helping motorists to become better drivers and saving lives!

If you're having trouble getting started with your content marketing efforts, check out the following ideas for this fall season:

• Community Events: Try to engage with a local event and blog or post about that experience online. It would be reasonable for the owner of an online business to attend, take lots of pictures, and share the experience. Local events are taking place all the time, of course, but this is an especially good season for this sort of marketing effort, as school heads back into session. And what better way to get to know prospective driving school students than to participate in an event at a local high school?
• Publish a "Lookbook": A lookbook (spelled as one word or two) is a promotional tool of the fashion industry; it's a series of photographs meant to highlight a model, photographer, style, or line of clothing. The term has more recently been expanded a bit to include almost any sort of picture-driven promotional piece. If you have anything that looks good in photos—like a sporty (or otherwise interesting) vehicle or some driving-related accessories—this is a natural way to draw in prospects.
• Safety Campaigns: The NHTSA is in the midst of a child car safety seat campaign on social media, but their website is full of great driving safety information that could be promoted as appropriate (e.g., bus safety for back-to-school). The California DMV even celebrated National Cheeseburger Day with a distracted-driving safety message.
• Holiday Shopping Guides/Promotions: It's hard to believe, with the dog days of summer so soon behind us, that the holiday season is just around the corner. But now is the time to think about helping your customers/prospects with their holiday plans. You might run a holiday promotion for your services. Or, compile a list of gift suggestions related to your industry to keep your name in the public's mind. PBS provides an excellent example of a list of (cooking themed) gift guides for a variety of recipients. You might even consider creating a series of short holiday gift idea videos. These could be distributed on YouTube or social media, both as content and commercials.

Creating content marketing pieces can be easy and fun—and the information is memorable and useful for your readers. Get started today and reap the rewards of spreading your name around!

Surviving 10 Driving Emergencies

"Normal," everyday driving can be challenging enough. But when it comes right down to it, obtaining a license to drive is often all too easy. Motorists are not usually well-trained—and not commonly required by licensing authorities to demonstrate—how to handle road emergencies and other extreme driving situations. The first time that many drivers are asked to employ accident-avoidance skills, lives may be on the line. And without the proper knowledge and practice, the odds of successfully executing an extreme maneuver are not in their favor.

Edmunds.com presents a extremely helpful article that describes how to handle and survive ten common driving emergencies. While these tips are covered in the driving safety courses that you present, here's another look at some situations many motorists are likely to face over the course of their driving careers. Take a look to make sure you're providing your students with the correct information. And share with your customers via social media if you're marketing to them that way (and you should be!!!).

As importantly, encourage your students to get some advanced driving training and/or to practice these maneuvers in a safe environment so they'll know how to respond—and do so reflexively—should the need arise. Their lives and the lives of their passengers may depend on it!

Traffic Fatalities Up in 2015

CNN reports that new data point to an estimated 14% jump in U.S. traffic fatalities this year, putting 2015 on pace to be the deadliest for motorists since 2007. There were more than 18,600 motor vehicle deaths from January through June this year, compared to 16,400 deaths in the same period of 2014.

The estimated cost of the deaths, injuries, and property damage related to those crashes rings in at $152 billion—up 24% from the same period of 2014. Those costs account for wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, administrative expenses, employer costs, and property damage.

The report attributes the uptick primarily to:

• Americans are driving more because of…
• lower fuel prices.
• increased employment levels.
• Drivers are more distracted behind the wheel thanks to their phones, despite the fact that most states ban texting while driving.

Traffic Safety Classes Help Save Lives

Whatever the cause, the loss of life and property are tragic. Sadder still is that many crashes are avoidable with good, defensive driving. Be proud of being a traffic safety education provider, as you're literally saving lives with the work that you do!

And make sure that the public knows you're out there and can help. Most traffic school students complete a course to remove a citation from their driving record or to get a discount on their automobile insurance premiums. Instead, they could avoid citations and premium increases—and substantially increase their odds of staying safe and sound!—by keeping up with traffic laws and safe-driving techniques. Many motorists never receive further instruction in safe motor vehicle operation after they finish driver education/training, but occasional, continued coaching could help them to be far better drivers!

Tips for Passing a TVS Audit/Inspection

Could you pass a regulatory inspection? Even a "surprise" inspection?

As your curriculum provider, Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., (TSC) is always working to help you to better manage your California traffic violator school (TVS). Therefore, we are writing to remind you of the following important information.

If you've been in the business for a while, you're undoubtedly aware that the the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)—or the California Traffic Safety Institute (CTSI), on their behalf—conducts regular, scheduled audits of TVSs. However, these agencies can also show up unannounced at any time during normal business hours to inspect your office. This is addressed in DMV regulations and is legal.

It is extremely important that you pass all such inspections, because the DMV is allowed to shut down a school that fails to pass an audit or inspection, or for having an "abandoned office" that is not open and properly staffed during the hours that the office is required to be accessible to the public. Thus, we wanted to share the tips below to help you to prepare for these inspections:

• The DMV or its representatives may conduct onsite business reviews, as scheduled by the DMV, during normal business hours. The school must make available all business records requested by the DMV, and the school's operator must be present for scheduled business reviews (CCR 345.73(a)).
• The DMV or its representatives may conduct random business reviews and inspections without prior notice (CCR 345.73(b))—a "surprise inspection."
• A school's office(s) must be open to the public during its posted hours (CCR 345.50).
• At a minimum, each office must maintain the same office hours as the day courts in the county (usually 8:30am – 4:30pm), except as necessary for lunch hour, illness, scheduled vacation, or emergency.
• The person in charge of the office during the posted hours must be knowledgeable concerning the operation of the school, be authorized to provide information to the public concerning classes and fees charged by the school, and be able to provide detailed information to any DMV/court representative concerning the school's operation and business records.
• If the office will be closed during business hours, the school must post a notice at the office listing the duration of the closure; or if using an answering service during business hours, require the service to notify callers of the duration of the closure.
• If you have a scheduled—or even a surprise—inspection, you may call TSC for assistance if you have problems accessing your school or student information via your Course Provider account.

Audits and inspections—especially a surprise inspection—can be unnerving, but don't worry. These reviews are only done to protect your customers. And if you're running your school correctly and in good faith, you've nothing to fear. Also remember that TSC is always here to help!

Welcome, Driver Education Affiliates!

Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., (TSC) is pleased to announce the launch of our newest California driving schools into the TSC affiliate program. We're recently brought a handful of schools online and expect more in the coming months. We welcome you to the TSC family and wish you all the best!

When you see a "new post" alert on the home page of your Course Provider management account, be sure to click through and check out the TSC Affiliate News blog. 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 driving/traffic school, and to inform you of industry related information that could affect you and your operations.

Order Your Spanish TVS Books Today!

As you know, Traffic Safety Consultants, Inc., (TSC) introduced earlier this year our traffic violator school (TVS) home study booklet in Spanish. This is just a quick reminder that, when requesting book stock, you must select the language for the books you are ordering. Make your selection via the "Book Language" drop down menu on the "Request Book Stock" page, between where you input the number of books you are ordering and indicate the payment method. (See the screen capture to the right.)

Note that the default language is "English," and your books will be shipped in that language unless otherwise specified.

Thank you for your business, and we wish you continued success with your traffic safety school!

Driving Fitness: Posture

An automobile crash isn't the only way motorists can come to harm while driving. Simply being in the vehicle can cause physical problems. Our bodies weren't meant to sit for extended periods of time, and reaching for vehicle controls can put stress and strain on anatomical structures. Suggest the tips below to students who are concerned about staying healthy behind the wheel:

The basic principle for your driving posture is to avoid as much strain as possible on the muscles, ligaments, and joints of the spine, while making yourself as comfortable as possible.

1. Pause once you sit down in the vehicle and adjust yourself so you're sitting evenly in the seat. If the seat is correctly designed and adjusted, it should support your entire back, but in particular the lower lumbar region.
2. Experts recommend that you sit inclined at an angle of 110°.
3. Your feet should reach the pedals easily.
4. You should be able to see in the rearview mirror by glancing with your eyes; your head should stay facing straight ahead and you should avoid stretching or craning your neck to see.
5. You should be able to reach the wheel comfortably, without any strain in your wrists, forearms, or shoulders. If you feel yourself getting tense, be sure to adjust your seat accordingly.

Drivers who are sitting properly will feel better and will be better positioned to detect hazards and to make evasive maneuvers as needed. Stay safe out there!

Driving Sales for Driving and Traffic Schools

In a previous post, we discussed the art of maintaining good office practices—some of which are even required by regulation (depending on your industry). Providing exceptional customer service can help you to win and retain satisfied customers. And happy customers will be refer still more business your way.

So…what's the #1 thing you can do around the office to boost your sales?

Answer Your Phone!

The best and easiest way to capture a sale is to answer your phone and make your sales pitch directly to potential students. By talking up your program, you can explain its merits and the value proposition; and by providing the opportunity for prospects to talk to a "real human being," you can easily demonstrate to them the kind of customer service that they'll get as valued customers. Make sure that you also offer to register them for the program right then and there—it not only provides them with outstanding customer service, but it negates the opportunity for them to shop around and sign up with another provider. Moreover, it's the single most effective thing you can do to make sure you get the sale!

Meeting customer expectations is critically important for success in business. Failing to answer your phone—or waiting long periods of time to respond to a customer's inquiry, whether they contacted you by phone or some other method—could have a lasting negative impact on your bottom line.

Remember to pick up the phone and to provide your customers the same level of customer service you'd like to receive. These simple tips can drive customers your way and ensure your that school thrives!