Drivers Education
Welcome to the POB Driver’s Education Program! 🚗🛑
Dear Students & Parents,
We’re excited to welcome you to the Plainview-Old Bethpage Driver’s Education Program! Our program is designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to become safe and responsible drivers.
Our goal is to ensure that every student receives quality driver education in a safe and supportive environment.
Please remember, other than a link to the registration form, this site is meant only as a means to access information pertaining to the Lecture portion of the course.
- POB DRIVER'S ED REGISTRATION
- Schedule and Outline
- Lecture: Tools for Students
- In-Vehicle Instruction
- New York State DMV
- Ready for your Road Test
POB DRIVER'S ED REGISTRATION
Click here to access the Summer 2026 Registration Form - Form will open on April 13, 2026
Schedule and Outline
Lecture: Tools for Students
- Terms to Know
- Be PROACTIVE
- Guided Worksheets
- Study Guides and Worksheet Answers
- Reference Points
- Basic Maneuvers
- Review-Quiz Study Sheet
Terms to Know
DRIVER’S ED - TERMS TO KNOW
View/Download 'Terms to Know' PDF
Anti-lock braking system (ABS): Prevents any of the wheels from locking during hard braking
Blood alcohol content (BAC): The concentration of alcohol in the bloodstream as measured by a breathalyzer or another test
Blind spot: An area over your left or right shoulder that is not visible in any mirror
Braking distance: The distance it takes your particular car to stop once the brakes have been applied
Center of gravity: The point around which the vehicle’s weight is evenly distributed
Central vision: A five-degree cone of vision that provides detail of objects and conditions; used in targeting
Closed zone: Space not open to you because of a restriction in your line-of-sight or intended path-of-travel
Compromising: When faced with more than one hazard at the same time that cannot be separated, give as much space as possible to the one with the greatest risk.
Contact patch: The area of a tire that is actually in contact with the road
Controlled braking: Smooth, consistent application of pressure to the brake pedal
Creeping speed: The speed a car with an automatic transmission travels when in gear using idle acceleration with no pressure applied to the brake or accelerator
Danger Zone: The space 4 – 6 seconds ahead of your vehicle; this is the last opportunity to control your path of travel
Following Distance: The time or space between two vehicles traveling the same direction in the same lane
Fringe vision: The area surrounding one’s central vision; used to judge depth and position; gives information about objects close to the path of travel and reference points
Gap: A space between vehicles on a roadway
Ground viewing: Searching the visual scene near the ground to detect important information to support safe driving
Guide sign: Provides information about routes, exits and distances; also indicate points of interest, recreational and medical facilities, and roadside services, gasoline stations, lodging & restaurants; often rectangular and green, blue, or brown
Hand-over-hand steering: Pulling the steering wheel down with one hand while the other hand crosses over to pull the wheel down further
Hole: A space between two traffic clusters
Idle acceleration: In a car with an automatic transmission, using the idling of the engine to propel the car forward without pressure applied to the accelerator pedal
Implied consent: Anyone who receives a driver license automatically consents to be tested for blood-alcohol content and other drugs if stopped for suspicion of drug or alcohol use while driving
Inching speed: Very slow movement of the vehicle using idle acceleration and controlling speed with the brake pedal – literally moving inch by inch
Inertia: Newton’s 1st law of motion; The tendency of an object to resist changes in motion. An object in motion stays in motion at the same speed in the same direction until acted upon by another force. An object at rest stays at rest until acted upon by another force
Intersection: Any place where two or more roadways meet or cross
Inattention blindness: A type of cognitive distraction in which a driver’s brain does not process the information the eyes take in
Legal stop: Stop made at the stop line, crosswalk, implied crosswalk, or curb line as required by law
Light acceleration: To maintain slow forward motion or allow speed to increase with minimum weight shift
Line-of-sight: The imaginary line that extends from your eyes to the point of focus
Momentum: A measure of inertia; the amount of momentum an object is equal to its mass multiplies by its velocity
Open zone: Space where you can drive without a restriction to your line-of-sight or path-of travel
Path-of-travel: Space that your vehicle will occupy as you travel on the roadway toward the target area
Perception distance: The distance your car travels before you realize the need to brake
Peripheral vision: The area beyond one’s fringe vision; used to notices changes in light and shape; gives information about objects that could threats along one’s path-of-travel; strongly affected by drugs, fatigue, and high speed
Point of no return: Point beyond which a driver can no longer stop safely without entering an intersection
Progressive acceleration: Firm accelerator pressure used to increase speed
Protected left turn: Left turn made on a left-turn light, green arrow, or delayed green light while oncoming traffic is stopped
Push-pull steering: A method of steering while turning where your hands pass the wheel from hand to hand and do not cross in front of the airbag
Reaction distance: The distance your car travels before your foot engages the brake pedal
Reference point: A point on the vehicle, viewed from the driver’s seat, that relates to some part of the roadway
Regulatory sign: Tells drivers what they may or may not do at a given time and/or place; often rectangular-though not always; white and black and/or red
Risk: Chance of injury, damage, or loss; risk is always present
Safety stop: Stop made after making a legal stop as needed to overcome a line-of-sight blockage
Separating: For situations involving multiple risks, effective timing allows you to meet each risk separately, and provides a chance to meet a moving object at a place with better space margins or visibility
Staggered stop: Stop made 15 feet before the stop line
Synergistic effect: Chemical interaction between two or more drugs, which may have an effect greater and/or different than either drug alone
Target: An object that appears in the center of the intended path-of-travel as far ahead as one can see
Target area: The area around the target
Target path: The area leading to the target
Threshold braking: Maximum braking pressure without locking the wheels or engaging the ABS
Thrust acceleration: Full engagement of the accelerator for increased acceleration, shifting more weight to the back wheels for traction, or rapid speed gain; may also initiate an automatic downshift
Total stopping distance: Made up of Perception Distance, Reaction Distance, and Braking Distance
Traction: Friction between the tire and the road
Trail braking: Slight decrease in of braking pressure, which does not change speed but allows driver to maintain control and balance when stopping or turning
Transition point: A place on the car seen in relation to the target area that is used to determine the precise moment to make a change in steering, acceleration, or braking action when exiting a turn or curve.
Uncontrolled intersection: Intersection with no signs or signals to regulate traffic, including railroad crossings that do not have flashing red lights or crossing gates
Visual control zone: The space 12 – 15 seconds ahead of your vehicle; identify risks and escape paths
Visual lead: The distance you look ahead; you should search 20-30 seconds ahead of your current position
Warning sign: Alerts drivers of specific road, environmental and traffic conditions a short distance ahead; normally diamond shaped and yellow or orange in color
Zero-tolerance: It is illegal for any driver under 21 to drive with any measurable BAC
Be PROACTIVE
Guided Worksheets
- Lesson 1: Introduction/ Managing Risk
- Lesson 2: Knowing Your Vehicle
- Lesson 3: Starting, Steering, and Stopping
- Lesson 4: Natural Laws
- Lesson 5: Signs, Signals, and Markings
- Lesson 6: Traffic Laws
- Lesson 7: No Lesson 7 Blank Template - See 'Reference Points' and 'Basic Maneuvers' Tabs
- Lesson 8: Vision and Perception (A)
- Lesson 8: Managing Time and Space (B)
- Lesson 9: Adverse Conditions
- Lesson 10: Sharing the Road
- Lesson 11: Impaired Driving
- Lesson 12: Mental, Physical & Emotional Impairment
- Lesson 13: Distraction and the Dangers of Cell Phones
- Lesson 14: Review
Study Guides and Worksheet Answers
- Lesson 1: Introduction/ Managing Risk
- Lesson 2: Knowing Your Vehicle
- Lesson 3(a): Starting, Steering, and Stopping
- Lesson 3(b): Dashboard Symbols
- Lesson 4: Natural Laws
- Lesson 5: Traffic Control Devices
- Lesson 6: Traffic Laws
- See 'Reference Points' and 'Basic Maneuvers' Tabs
- Lesson 8(a): Vision and Perception
- Lesson 8(b): Managing Time and Space
- Lesson 9: Adverse Conditions
- Lesson 10: Sharing the Road
- Lesson 11: Impaired Driving
- Lesson 12: Mental, Physical & Emotional Impairment
- Lesson 13: Distraction and the Dangers of Cell Phones
Reference Points
Basic Maneuvers
Review-Quiz Study Sheet
In-Vehicle Instruction
In-Vehicle Instruction: Tools for Students and Parent/Guardians
This section of the website is designed to provide you [the parent/guardian] with specific and detailed information regarding in-vehicle instruction.
Though this process may feel daunting, the more you engage in this process, the more you and your child will get out of this experience.
Do not hesitate to reach out if you need help or advice. The links below will allow you to access documents and links that will be helpful to both you and your child.
- Driving Hours Log Sheet
- Suggestions for Parents/Guardians
- Resources and Materials
- In-Vehicle Instruction Checklist
- In-Car Activities
- In-Car Curriculum
- This In-Car Curriculum is written in a format designed to be used as the in-car portion of the Driver's Ed course but can easily be adapted for use by parents and their children. Outlined within are crucial skills necessary to the new driver, skills that must be practiced learned, and perfected. You can refer to the "Reference Points", "Basic Maneuvers", and "Terms to Know" tabs for help with some of the concepts dealt with and many of the terms used. This is not an easy process, but it is so important that you commit the time and effort to help your child acquire these skills. Please do not hesitate to contact me, Mr. Jason Goodstone at email, if I can be of help as you work in this way.
- PS: Remember, in an emergency - YOU the supervising driver, have access to the handbrake and the wheel!
- The Parent's Guide to Teen Driving
- Roadworthy In-Vehicle Instruction Videos
