Book excerpt: Traffic is getting heavier. Tempers are getting shorter. Most importantly, the roads are getting more dangerous everyday. Learning how to avoid preventable wrecks and developing “best safety practices” behind the wheel is not just a good idea, but literally a matter of life and death. Whether you are a concerned parent of a young driver just starting out, or a high mileage professional driver, the information in Driving Under the Influence of Ric could help prevent an unnecessary tragedy. Driving Under the Influence of Ric has a way of turning a “dry” subject into an interesting and helpful guide to help good drivers become safe drivers, and teach new drivers how to protect themselves. This book will provide several smiles, a few laugh out loud moments, and by the time the reader finishes it, they will know how to avoid potentially life threatening situations. Driving Under the Influence of Ric is not merely a driving safety manual. It was written for the express purpose of giving every driver the tools they need to get from point A to point B safely. The Author, Ric Newell is not only an author but a professional speaker. He is a professional member of the National Speakers Association, and has spent over a decade and a half working with “at risk” drivers. Over that time he has done over a thousand workshops and worked with over 20,000 drivers in 22 states. Ric has done state mandated defensive driving classes for the worst drivers in the state of Texas. And for the last decade he has done workshops for dozens of transportation companies and thousands of professional drivers. This is a perfect book for parents who are concerned about the welfare of their children who have just started driving. By the same token, the information it contains is also directly applicable to experienced drivers who just want their commute to be a little less like waterboarding. If you are a professional driver it is imperative, in the current marketplace, to avoid preventable, property damage, incidents. No matter what kind of driver you are job one is to avoid banging into other vehicles. The information in this book will show you how to avoid crashes, while giving you techniques to enjoy the driving experience more than you ever imagined.