Arizona’s Valley schools might have been closed for the day, but teems were still learning driving skills.
Teens and Car Accidents
The leading cause of death among teems is car accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 3,000 teens, ages 15-19, are killed on U.S. roads per year.
Ford’s Driving Skills for Life
The clinic, named Ford’s Driving Skills for Life program, hosted by For Motor Company provided teens with hands-on driver training. The program was created in 2003 in conjunction with the Governors Highway Safety Association. The curriculum focused on dangerous trends such as taking driving selfies, as well as texting and driving. “We have a texting exercise,” says manager of the program, Jim Graham. “We let the kids drive through a series of cones without being distracted, and then we let them text. They just can’t do two things at once.”
Simulated Impairment Driving Suit
Teens participating in the program also have the chance to try on the Simulated Impairment Driving Suit, which mimics the effects of consuming alcohol. The suit limited a person’s mobility as well as balance, hearing, and vision. Teens are also able to drive a vehicle that has been outfitted with skid plates, allowing them to build their vehicle handling skills. “One of the most important things young people need to learn is how to control a vehicle that might get loose in the back,” says Graham. “This is a vehicle that’s specially equipped so the back end will slide. We teach them how to control the slide so they don’t just panic and slam on their brakes or spin around.”
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