Due to the high amount of teens involved in crashes over the last year, The Minnesota Highway Safety Research Center will be putting on a free Teen Driver Crash Avoidance Program on Aug. 11 and 12 for the first 200 students who register.
Each day will be divided into two sessions from 8 a.m. to noon and 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The event will take place at the research center east of St. Cloud. The 160-acre facility includes three miles of paved track and two miles of gravel track.
Drivers ages 15-19 are encouraged to attend, and they must have a driver’s license or provisional license. Teens will drive alongside professional instructors and encounter challenging driving conditions.
Car crashes are the leading cause of teen deaths in Minnesota due to lack of experience, non-usage of seat belts, risk taking, and distractions. Last year teens were involved in 12,139 car crashes, resulting in 39 deaths and 3,921 injuries.
Participants are to be trained on how to deal with factors that are commonly associated with crashes. They will be trained on speed selection, obstacle avoidance, skid control, off-road recovery and in-car distractions.
A parent must accompany each teen driver, and parents are able to attend the classroom portion of the class as well.
The program is currently full, but those interested in being on the waiting list can send an email to mhsc@stcloudstate.edu with their name and daytime phone number.
