B.R.A.K.E.S. comes to Laguna Seca for teen defensive driving program

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) -- This weekend, the WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca will host a national teen defensive driving program B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe).

"We kinda go through all the different kinds of scenarios that you're going to come across on the road and hopefully with the training they're going to get from the class, they're going to know how to deal with it before they get into that so that they don't actually have to go through a bad situation," said B.R.A.K.E.S founder and Top Fuel drag racing champion Doug Herbert, who tragically lost his sons in a car accident in 2008.

Hubert said that after he got the call that his sons had been in a fatal car crash, he was inspired to start a safe-driving program so that other parents wouldn't have to go through the same loss that his family suffered.

"The reason we started this program is I lost my two boys in a car crash," said Hubert. "You know, I'm a car guy and I've always been a car guy. I want to make sure that no other parent gets that call that I got, that their teenagers aren't coming home because of something tragic that happened in a car."

Participants can expect to attend one of two sessions on either Saturday at 11:30 a.m. or 3 p.m., or Sunday at 8 a.m. or noon. The sessions are three hours long and both parents and teens are expected to participate. According to Hubert, parents are actually required to come: Instructors split the teens and adults up into two groups and that's how the instruction is delivered to attendees.

"The instructors that we have there are who I would want to teach my teenagers and it's a two-to-one teenagers to instructor ratio," said Hubert. "They're going to get a lot of really good real [experience] behind the wheel."

B.R.A.K.E.S. says that more than 140,00 teens and their parents have completed the program over the past 16 years. They say that In 2008 the program started by training about 50 teenagers, mainly friends of Huberts' sons Jon and James.

"We want to come to Laguna Seca," said Hubert. "It's obviously a legendary race track, so these teenagers are going to get a chance to go to a really incredible facility and see what that's about and also learn a lot about being able to control their car, and having some good experience with driving behind the wheel."

According to B.R.A.K.E.S., training includes utilizing Kia Motors vehicles for extensive behind-the-wheel instruction with current and former law enforcement officers and professional racing drivers. "Exercises include Distracted Driving Awareness, Panic Braking, Crash Avoidance, Drop-wheel/Off-road Recovery and Car Control/Skid Recovery," wrote B.R.A.K.E.S. in a press release.

B.R.A.K.E.S. says that car crashes are among the leading causes of death among teens, and according to an independent study conducted by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, B.R.A.K.E.S. program graduates are 64% less likely to get in a crash within their first three years of driving.

"It's a great opportunity for families and we just hope they come out and participate," said Hubert, who expects the program to fill up at approximately 200 families.

Interested drivers can find more information and how to register by visiting putonthebrakes.org , in addition to further information about the B.R.A.K.E.S. program.

"We've got a safe driving contracts and some driving tips even if somebody can't make it out to the class," said Hubert. "They can go [to the website], check it out and see some of the other locations around the country where we hold classes as well."

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