Smith, Timothy C.

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Smith, Timothy C.

PERSONAL:

Married; children: three. Education: Graduate of the Skip Barber School of Racing and the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving Course.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Chicago, IL.

CAREER:

Healthcare entrepreneur, writer. Certified driving instructor and licensed race car driver.

MEMBER:

Sports Car Club of America.

WRITINGS:

Crashproof Your Kids: Make Your Teen a Safer, Smarter Driver, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Timothy C. Smith wrote Crashproof Your Kids: Make Your Teen a Safer, Smarter Driver after five teens were killed in three separate crashes near his home. His eldest child was approaching driving age, and Smith felt the need to ascertain why so many accidents involving teens were occurring. What he discovered was that a majority of new teen drivers had been involved in at least a minor accident within one year of obtaining a license. Smith became a licensed race car driver and certified driving instructor in preparation for writing his book. He also interviewed parents, teens, racers, instructors, and healthcare professionals before drawing his conclusions and writing his advice.

Smith feels that traditional driver's education is not sufficient. He suggests that teens must learn to drive under a variety of conditions, including in rain and fog, and in urban and residential areas as well as on high-speed highways. He includes guidelines for helping the teen driver develop defensive driving skills and advises on such areas as braking, driving on ice and snow, and basic car maintenance. He also suggests how teens can resist peer pressure to drink or use drugs and includes a contract for the teen and parent to sign, with the latter agreeing to supervise fifty hours of driving over at least six months.

Library Journal reviewer Linda Beck wrote that Crashproof Your Kids is "far more comprehensive than state drivers' manuals." A reviewer for the Tips of All Sorts Web site wrote that it "is an essential resource for any parents wanting to help their teenagers successfully navigate the single most dangerous activity they'll ever undertake."