Toyota Teen Drive 365

We’ve touched on the dangers of distracted driving in prior blog posts and by now, most people are aware of the dangers. Despite that recognition, many fatal and serious injury crashes are a result of distracted driving. This is especially true of new and inexperienced drivers. Younger drivers are especially susceptible to these dangers for two reasons; they do not have enough real time behind the wheel to fully appreciate how quickly things happen and they do not realize how distracting other things in their environment can be. For instance, most teen drivers, once licensed, relish being able to get in their car and pick up their friends. It is the sole reason, in many cases, why teenagers want their license; it represents freedom. It is precisely for this reason that many states limit a teen driver’s passengers to adults aged 21 or over, as well as limiting the times they can drive. These restrictions limit distractions to the teen driver. Another and probably more dangerous distraction is cell phones and other hand held devices. These devices are everywhere and almost every teen driver for the last decade has had one. They are a rite of passage and most teens have had them for an average of four or more years by the time they reach driving age. Using and responding to these devices is automatic and creates a massive distraction to the teen driver. It is behavior that is not easily unlearned. Cell phone use while driving is so dangerous that most states have made it illegal to even have one in your hand if you’re driving on a public road.

Despite these known causes and solutions, we’ve seen no decline in accidents caused by distracted driving. It is for this reason that Toyota Motor Company has partnered with parents, educators and teen drivers in an effort to push these numbers down. The main focus is education, both for the driver and parent, as well as a commitment from both to be more safety-focused by working together. The site can be found at http://www.teendrive365inschool.com/ and focuses on what parents can do to better teach their teens, how teens can be better students to their drive teachers and how educators can create more dynamic and relevant lesson plans for teaching new drivers. Toyota is even offering a $15,000 award for the creation and submission of a self-produced PSA that covers the topic of distracted driving. There is a lot of good content on the site and all of you creative personalities have a chance to win a nice prize, all while creating something worthwhile. Nv Drivers Ed does not endorse Toyota products, nor do we receive any compensation from Toyota. We just think this is good enough stuff to pass along to you.

The Run Down on Nevada Moped Laws

Gas powered scooters, also known as mopeds, are a fun and efficient way to get around town for those looking for an economical means of transportation. Unfortunately, many people are confused about the laws that govern these vehicles. In this post, we will provide a run down of the laws that govern mopeds in order to clear things up.

First, let’s take a look at what Nevada law says a moped is.

The definition of a moped, according to Nevada law:

Moped Definition

“Moped” means a vehicle which looks and handles essentially like a bicycle and is propelled by a small engine which produces not more than 2 gross brake horsepower and which has a displacement of not more than 50 cubic centimeters, and:

1. Is designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground but is not a tractor; and

2. Is capable of a maximum speed of not more than 30 miles per hour on a flat surface with not more than 1 percent grade in any direction when the motor is engaged.

Many moped owners have found that they can inexpensively increase the speed and power of their vehicle through aftermarket modifications or by simply removing the scooter’s governor. While this extra speed may be welcomed, it is also illegal when your scooter is able to travel more than 30 mph. If you do modify your scooter/moped, you have turned it into a motorcycle which requires all the endorsements, insurance and safety equipment. If you are pulled over by the police, you will be cited for motorcycle violations if your scooter is modified.

Moped Registration is Now Required

One of the joys of owning one of these inexpensive vehicles has always been the fact that a moped is not required to be registered. That all changes on January 1st 2017. Starting January 1st 2017, moped owners will be required to register their vehicle. Nevada DMV began accepting moped registrations on November 1st 2016.

Unlike motor vehicles and motorcycles that have to be registered every year, a moped only has to be registered one time. The fee for the one time moped registration is $33. This $33 comes with a special license plate to prove your moped is registered. When you sell your moped, you must surrender your plate to the Nevada DMV as these plates do not transfer to new owners nor to new mopeds, if you choose to buy another one.

Insurance Not Required

Although laws have changed with regards to registration, you are not required to purchase insurance. Although it is not required, keep in mind that if you are injured, you cause injury or if you cause damage to someone while operating your scooter, you will be on the hook for the damage or injury you cause.

Helmets Not Required

While helmets are always a good idea, they are not required by law for drivers or passengers of mopeds.

Drivers License Required

This one may come as a surprise to many but the fact is, a Class C drivers license or higher is required when operating a scooter / moped on Nevada roadways. You do not need a motorcycle license but you do need a minimum of a Class C. This means teens with no license and those with an a instruction permit cannot legally ride a moped on the roadways. Scooter salespersons have been known to tell customers that they do not need a license, so be aware.

Passengers Allowed

You are allowed to carry a passenger on your moped as long as your moped is built to carry that passenger. This means your passenger must have a seat and footrests. Also, they must ride behind the driver or astride if your moped happens to be equipped with a sidecar.

Fenders Required

Your moped must be equipped with fenders to keep from throwing rocks, dirt, water, etc from the rear.

We hope this post has been helpful to you and has eliminated some of the confusion (and perpetuating false rumors) about riding a moped in Nevada. Keep in mind that law enforcement does enforce these moped laws. In some cases, there are targeted enforcement campaigns directed solely at mopeds. Keep this in mind and follow the rules!

The Most Dangerous Time to Drive

It’s easy to figure out your own most dangerous time to drive–it’s when you make the decision to consume alcohol and get behind the wheel. Needless to say, consuming alcohol and driving puts you at a very high risk of becoming involved in a serious accident or at minimum, behind bars.

Common sense tells us that you are more likely to become involved in an automobile accident when there are more cars on the road or when driving in less than optimal driving conditions such as darkness and inclement weather. Things get much worse when the amount of impaired drivers hit the roads, which is common during the holiday season.

According to the National Highway Safety Administration, in 2013, there were an average of approximately 27 alcohol-related fatalities per day. But at certain times of the year, those numbers increase significantly. These times include summer and holidays. At Christmas time, those fatality numbers jump to an average of 45 per day and 54 per day over during the New Year’s holiday.

To put it simply, it’s not just one’s own intoxication that is dangerous. You can be the most sober person on the road and still fall victim to the actions of others. The video below has graphic language but it shows you just how easily you can become a victim. As you will see, the roads don’t have to be jam packed with traffic. There could be just a few cars on the road which can end in devastation.


What to do When Stopped by Police

Whether you have taken online driver’s ed or not, If you’re like most people, you get a little nervous when you see a police car. Almost everyone does.  It’s natural. No one likes tickets. This is especially true for new teen drivers. Now imagine that police car is behind you, red and blue lights flashing, demanding that you pull over. Your slightly nervous feeling can turn into pure panic. Your thoughts begin to race with dire predictions of the officer yelling at you, taking you out of the car and taking you to jail. “Did I bring my license? Is my insurance current? Was I speeding?” These are all common thoughts and fears. Almost everyone has the same fears as you do. I am here to give you a game plan on how to think and act when stopped by the police.

I know many police officers so I asked them about this. I asked what I, a citizen, should do and think when I get pulled over. What they told me put me completely at ease. I was told that 99.9% of the time, the police are pulling over a car for a minor traffic violation or administrative issue, like expired plates. They do not know who you are. They are not out looking for you. These are usually very short stops and sometimes end in a ticket. I was surprised to find out that, in many cases, police officers will simply give warnings on minor violations. If you have a good driving record, most officers find that simply being stopped is enough of a deterrent. Most of the time, your fears about going to jail and the like are completely in your head. The officer saw a violation and simply needs to talk to you about it. Whether or not you get a ticket depends on a number of factors.

There is a rule among officers that is pretty much universal: You are going to be treated as well as you treat the officer. Officers tell me that even though they say they had made the decision to write a ticket when they stopped you, this isn’t always true. How you behave on a traffic stop can get you a ticket or get you out of one. Here are some don’ts, as told to me by police officers:

1. Don’t lie
2. Don’t argue. Save arguing for court
3. Don’t get out of the car
4. Don’t threaten the officer
5. Don’t make suspicious movements as the officer stops and approaches you in the vehicle

Here are some do’s

1. Do be courteous when stopped. In fact, be charming. Smile. Greet them. They don’t expect that and it makes their day.
2. Do keep your hands visible and listen to what the officer says. Do exactly what he/she says.
3. Do pull over to the right when you see the lights come on behind you. Driving around after the lights come on makes police officers suspicious.

These seem like simple and obvious things, but you would be surprised how many people do not do these things on traffic stops. These people are guaranteed to get a ticket. Police officers have very dangerous jobs. Most police officers get killed or injured on traffic stops. Safety on traffic stops is drilled into them in training. Being confrontational and argumentative does not make them feel safe. It heightens their sense of danger and, lets face it, makes them not like you. You’ll get a ticket. I’m not saying it’s fair, but life isn’t fair. The fair is in August.

This post wouldn’t be complete without addressing the fact that there may be nothing you can do to avoid a ticket. Some officers are going to give you a ticket no matter how you act. Some police officers only write tickets and do nothing else. Some never write tickets and loathe doing it. Oftentimes, departments will push citations as a result of citizen complaints about local driving habits. In many cases, there is more going on than meets the eye.

Most of your aggravation and fear can be alleviated if you think about traffic stops as outlined above. It’s not personal. They don’t know you. It’s probably a very minor thing and if you treat the officer well, you may just get off with a warning. Even if you don’t, it’s just a piece of paper and you can go to court and fight it if you wish. There is no mystery, but it bears repeating: expect to be treated as you are treating the officer. They are just people and like being treated well, too. In most cases, all things considered, it may get you out of a ticket and alleviate those butterflies you associate with being stopped.