By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.

Do you have a son or daughter 21 years of age or younger who has their driver’s permit or license? Heck, maybe you are 21 or younger.

If so, you are in luck because there is an amazing free defensive driving school program called Driver’s Edge. This program was created in 2002 in response to the outrageous statistic that car crashes are the number one cause of youth deaths in America.

Driver’s Edge is a free educational program that teaches young drivers to know what to do during an emergency driving situation such as hyper-planing or super-quick swerving.  Last year, my teenage son was lucky enough to grab a  spot and participate in one of the four-and-a-half hour classes. The instructors were all professional race car drivers and performance driving instructors. The classroom portion was fast paced and MTV style.  Then, the participants got behind the wheel of a car and practiced what they just learned, including skid control and evasive lane change maneuvers. My son said it was very cool.

You must be between the ages of 15 and 21 to attend this program. However, parents of participants are encouraged to attend. Driver’s Edge is headquartered in Las Vegas, but they tour around the country. You pre-register online and then the organization emails you when the registration for your area will take place.  There is very limited space and they fill up quickly. When I last checked there were upcoming free classes in Los Angeles, Oakland, and Seattle. Even if the classes are filled for this year’s tour, sign up so that you can attend a class during the next tour.

The program is funded by donations, grants and sponsorships. Bridgestone North America Tire is a major sponsor of this program.  It’s a good thing, because they go through a ton of tires due to the skidding and severe braking done during the driving portion of this class.

Several months after my son took the free class he was driving on a rainy night.  I was not worried because he had taken this program. Peace of mind is a wonderful thing.

Tagged: car, defensive driving, family, Free, free driving program, free educational program on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 · 2 Comments »