Teen drivers learn life-saving skills at advanced driving school designed to prevent crashes

 Teen drivers are getting a chance to practice something most people hope they never face behind the wheel: losing control of a car.

At an advanced driving school hosted by the Brakes organization, students ages 15 to 19 are learning how to respond to dangerous road situations such as skidding, panic braking, and sudden obstacles in the road.

Instructor Brian Schiele said the program goes beyond traditional driver's education by putting students through real-world scenarios designed to build reflexes and confidence.

"What we've got going on out here today is an advanced driver's school," Schiele said. "The students are learning techniques from driver's education, but we're applying them to emergency-type, reflex-type driving situations." 

The training includes several specialized courses. One focuses on crash avoidance, where drivers must quickly swerve around an obstacle at high speed. Another teaches panic braking techniques, allowing students to activate a vehicle's anti-lock braking system, or ABS, to stop safely.

Students also practice drop-wheel recovery, which simulates what happens when a vehicle's tires drift off the side of the road. Drivers learn how to safely guide the vehicle back onto the pavement.

But the most popular exercise may be the skid recovery course, where drivers learn how to regain control when a car slides.

Schiele said the key is a simple technique known as CPR: correct, pause and recover.

"The students are taught that through the seat they'll feel the car pause when traction returns," he explained. "Then they recover by centering the steering wheel again and looking where they want the car to go." 

Instructors emphasize that drivers should avoid braking during a skid, which can shift the car's weight and make the situation worse.

Instead, the program encourages students to focus on steering and maintaining balance.

"We have a slogan here at Brakes," Shciele said. "When in doubt, two feet out—feet off the pedals." 

The goal of the course is repetition. By practicing these scenarios repeatedly, instructors say drivers build muscle memory that could help them react faster during an emergency.

A typical class includes about 36 students, with two drivers assigned per car.

Schiele says by the end of the training, students leave with a significant advantage over most drivers on the road.

"These students are going to have 95% more driver training than anybody else out there," he said. "They're encouraged to take these skills and keep them in their toolbox if they ever need them." 

Safety advocates say programs like this can play an important role in reducing teen crashes, which remain one of the leading causes of death among young drivers in the United States.