Q: My nephew took a one-day driving course last summer that his mother says was sponsored by the local sports car club. My son has now reached the age that I think it would be worthwhile for him to have the same kind of defensive and reactive driving training (which, of course, driver ed programs don’t provide). Unfortunately we live eight states away, and I don’t know how to find a similar program here. Can you help?
A: I’m pretty sure, based on your description, that the program your nephew participated in was a
Tire Rack Street Survival class. They’re held across the country and the instructors are volunteers from regional chapters of the BMW Car Club of America, the Sports Car Club of America, Porsche Club of America and other car clubs. The all-day class involves several hours of classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel instruction during which teens — with instructors — learn how to deal with real-life driving challenges in the cars they usually drive.
The idea, of course, is to give teens information and provide them with driving situations that will help them become smarter, safer drivers.
About a dozen such classes (they call them “schools”) have already been held this year; organizers aim to do 110 classes in 2014, according to a spokeswoman. The list of confirmed sessions is at streetsurvival.org.
New locations are added to the list as they’re finalized, so check the website regularly. Moreover, you can request a school come to your area on the website, too.
This program has been operating for a dozen years, so the organizers have pretty much have learned exactly what works and what doesn’t with the students they’re attempting to reach.
It’s unfortunate that many parents believe that because cars are getting safer and smarter, they don’t have to worry too much about their teens behind the wheel. Unfortunately, the mistakes teens regularly make, because of inexperience and because they don’t always think through ramifications, can’t be overridden by a smarter car. More than 5,000 teens are involved in fatal car crashes and more than 180,000 are injured in car wrecks each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. So when parents choose any advanced instruction for their kids, it’s a good (and probably necessary) thing.
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What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email [email protected].