Steering Teens Clear Of Disaster
Forget for a moment that a car wreck is the most common way for a teen to die. Ignore the fact that young fatalities have become all too common. And try to see a tragic auto accident through the eyes of Krystal Ebel's mother, Donna Ebel.
"This was a child who didn't make bad mistakes," Donna tells The Early Show correspondent Tracy Smith.
Krystal Nicole Ebel was a straight "A" student on track to graduate two years early, the youngest of seven children.
"Our life just revolved around her," Donna says. "Being the youngest child, we got to know Krystal. I was a parent to all my other children: I'm the mom, not their friend. It was different with Krystal."
And if love alone could keep a child safe, this story would have a different ending.
Last December, Krystal was riding in a car with four friends when they were cut off by another young driver. Krystal died at the scene. The driver of her car died a few hours later.
The Ebels believe their daughter might be alive today if all teen drivers had better training.
And they're not alone.
"Every day, there are over 1,300 teens injured or killed in auto accidents. It's the No. 1 killer of our young people in America," says former racecar driver Jeff Payne.
And on an average day, ten teenagers die in auto accidents, in vehicles driven by teens.
Payne was sick of seeing teens die behind the wheel, so he founded Driver's Edge, a program designed to teach inexperienced teen drivers how to avoid trouble on the road.
Basically, it's a bunch of racecar drivers who travel the country giving driving lessons. But more specifically, the group teaches teens how to, literally, steer clear of disaster.
"In this country, no one is taught how to drive," Payne laments. "They're just taught how to pass a test, and learning that isn't going to prepare young drivers for the hazards they face in everyday life."So, at Driver's Edge clinics across the country, teens learn the fine points of control: things like panic-stopping, and steering out of a skid: "Keep the wheels pointed down the road where you want to go. That will take care of steering into the skid and exactly how much to do it," one instructor tells a class.
Kids drive a fleet of new BMWs, and a water truck keeps the road nice and slippery.
The school is run by racecar drivers, but kids learn to be neither fast nor furious -- just safe.
On the day Smith visited, 1998 Indianapolis 500 champion Eddie Cheever was a guest instructor.
IN one instance, Cheever said, "(The students) found a way to address (a) problem in a cool, kid way and not in an adult way. And I think that's very interesting."
It's hard to know how many lives have been, or will be saved by this experience, but teens such as Samantha Levin say the experience is priceless: "I really did learn something, but it was really scary. At least, now I know what to do in a situation like that."
"They know what they're doing, and it's better than our parents yelling at us from the passenger seat," says another teen, named Danielle.
"This is a wakeup call to what can happen," Payne says, "so the cocky 18-year-old guy realizes, 'Wow, maybe I'm not as good as I thought,' and the timid, nervous girl realize, 'Hey, the car didn't roll over and catch on fire. I can do this.' "
Lesson One is what to do when the car goes into a spin. On a street or highway, that could be fatal. Smith was shown how to steer into the spin, and was able to stay in control.
"And," Smith says, "if it worked for me, it'll probably work for teens."
Donna Ebel brought her entire family to the Driver's Edge clinic in Phoenix, Ariz.
"Driver's Edge is a perfect example of a program that is dedicated to saving people's lives," Ebel observes.
"Do you think," Smith asked her, "if those kids took this program, it could have saved their lives?"
"I know it could have saved their lives," Ebel responded.
"It all comes down to training, which we're not getting in this country," Payne says, "and I'm sick and tired of seeing our roads covered with white crosses everywhere. And I think we can make a difference. I think we are making a difference."
And the price is right: The Driver's Edge training is free.