Free national teen defensive driving program coming to Jefferson City
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
B.R.A.K.E.S, a national teen defensive driving program, is coming to Jefferson City this weekend.
B.R.A.K.E.S stands for Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe.
The nonprofit was created by NHRA driver Dough Hebert who wanted to turn heartbreak into a missing to save lives. In 2008, Herbert, a drag racing star, lost his two sons to a crash, according to group's website.
Since then, B.R.A.K.E.S has been on the road training and educating teenage drivers and their parents the important of safe and responsible driving.
During the course, Don Hughes -- Central Region Manager with B.R.A.K.E.S -- says the excises will focus on, "car control, looking at drop wheels the number one reason for fatality accidents across the U.S., we do crash avoidance course to prepare them in case something should happen and braking is not an option.
The course also focuses on exercises including distracted driving awareness,, car control/skid recovery and proper use of seatbelts.
Those who participate will be taught by B.R.A.K.E.S instructors with various backgrounds including law enforcement and professional drivers.
"They are going to Simon the right hand side and give your teens instructions on how to handle certain situations, whether its distracted driving, impaired driving whether its crash avoidance or how to use a-b-s correctly," Hughes said.
B.R.A.K.E.S says its graduates are 64% less likely to have a car crash in their first five years of driving. The most-recent data reported by the Center for Disease Control says 2,800 teens were killed in crashes in 2020.
The organization says more than 50,000 teenagers and their parents has attended the B.R.A.K.E.S program across the country.
Hughes says those who attend will get behind the wheel a smarter driver.
"Provides them with that opportunity to avoid crashes, to scan ahead, they are picking things out they normally wouldn't pick out." Hughes said.
A portion of the program is federally funded by a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation as well as the David C. Clare and Margaret C. Clare Foundation.
The course is being held Saturday and Sunday at the Missouri Emergency Vehicle Operation Course in Jefferson City. It is also being held July 15-16 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.
The program is free, but requires a $99 refundable deposit. Classes are full but teenagers can sign up to be added to a waitlist.
