Defensive driving course tackles number one cause of teen death

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Car accidents are the number one reason teens die. A national nonprofit visiting mid-Missouri is trying to change that.

Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe, or B.R.A.K.E.S., is a free defensive driving course for teens. The nonprofit charity teaches young drivers how to react in potentially deadly situations, like when there's something unexpected in the road or the road is slick from water. On Saturday and Sunday, B.R.A.K.E.S. courses are offered in Jefferson City.

B.R.A.K.E.S was founded in 2008 after drag race driver Doug Herbert lost his two sons to a car accident. Event lead Brendon Short joined B.R.A.K.E.S for a similar reason.

" I made a mistake when I was 19, I fell asleep at the wheel and I hit a parked car with my brother in the seat next to me," Short said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of seven teens die every day from a car accident. Male drivers are twice as likely to get in an accident, and risk increases exponentially for every friend teens have in the car.

The program claims participants are 64% less likely to get in a car accident than those who do not take the course.

"We really try to teach teens valuable life-saving skills like ABS panic braking and get them out of their comfort zones so they can experience things they may not experience when they're driving with their parents," Short said.

There are three different courses students drive on in addition to a classroom portion. There's a skid track, brakes track and a drunk driving simulation. Short said the goal is the build confidence and muscle memory for the young drivers.

"This could be the difference between saving your life or not making it home," Short said.