Driving and orienteering mistakes

I was struck by the parallel between driving mistakes and orienteering mistakes in a news story I read today. Here's a bit of the story.

Teenagers are notoriously bad drivers, accounting for 10 times as many crashes as middle-aged ones. But short of keeping them off the road entirely, is there a way to make their driving safer — for them and for the rest of us?

New research suggests that there is. A nationally representative sample of more than 800 crashes involving teenage drivers shows that almost two-thirds were due not to reckless behavior like speeding or joyriding but to three novice driving mistakes: failing to scan the road, misjudging driving conditions, and becoming distracted.

One of the solutions to improving driving habits:

One way to address all of these issues is “narrative driving,” in which the adult drives while giving a teenage passenger a play-by-play. Point out examples of unsafe driving, explain why you are changing lanes or slowing down, announce when you are checking the mirrors, and explain how you are reacting to information. Show the prospective driver how you deal with distractions like a disruptive child in the back seat without taking your eyes off the road.

“It’s helpful to talk out loud about what you’re seeing and doing,” Dr. Durbin said. “It sensitizes your teen to the fact that there is a lot more going on up here in the front seat than he thought there was.”

That'd be a great way to learn orienteering, too.

The quotes are from New Lessons to Pave a Road to Safety.

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