SAN MARCOS, Calif. (KGTV) — The sound of screeching tires is not typically a good thing, but at the B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driver Training, it is encouraged.
The nonprofit was created after a drag racer, Doug Herbert, lost his two young sons in a car accident in North Carolina in 2008.
The goals of B.R.A.K.E.S is to "prevent injuries and save lives by training and educating teenage drivers," according to the website.
“The last one I did, I was skidding out. That was a lot of fun," said one 18-year-old driver, referring to one of the emergency driving exercises she did.
The nonprofit travels around the country and made a pit stop at California State University - San Marcos on Saturday.
"Let’s face it, driving, especially for a teen, is one of the deadliest things that they can do," said Jim Bettencourt, a California Highway Patrol Officer who also sent his two children through the training course.
Instructors, who are professional drivers, take the students through courses like distracted driving, emergency braking and how to handle drifting.
"You learn the push back from the vehicle," said one student.
The ages of students range from roughly 16 to 19, but the age range had been extended on occasion due to the impact COVID-19 had on new drivers.
“Obviously, in COVID we didn’t have a lot of traffic, so people were learning to drive without a lot of distractions out there on the roadways," said Officer Bettencourt.
According to B.R.A.K.E.S, teenagers who have taken the course are 64% less likely to get into an accident.
Parents and drivers can register for courses online. Students must have a driver's license or a driver's permit to be eligible for signing up.
