Teen drivers being offered free classes this weekend to learn how to handle emergencies

Teen drivers are being given the opportunity this weekend in Moraine to learn “practical, challenging exercises” to help them predict and respond to emergencies when they are at the wheel.

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These free driving sessions will be conducted at Professional Driving Systems, 5335 Far Hills Ave., Suite 125, in Dayton, July 6 and 7. There will be two sessions each day.

“We want to give drivers the skills and knowledge to survive,” said Jeff Caldwell, owner of Professional Driving Systems (PDS), a police-based advanced driver training school located in Dayton.

“We are losing teen drivers to preventable traffic crashes. We teach police based, advanced, and proactive driving skills so young drivers come home to their families,” Caldwell said.

Andy Wilson, Ohio Department of Safety director, reached out to driver training providers who provide service above and beyond what the average driving school offers. The Advanced Skills schools have been charged with providing teen drivers practical, challenging exercises to help them predict and respond to driving emergencies.

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A quick look at some statistics:

* The crash rate for 16-year-olds is much higher even than that for 17-year-olds and is almost nine times greater than that of the general population of drivers, according to the Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (Ohio Department of Public Safety).

* One teen dies in a traffic crash about once every hour on weekends, nearly once every two hours during the week, according to AAP.

* Drivers between the ages of 16 and 17 are more likely to be involved in car accidents than drivers from any other group, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

* In 2021, 42 percent of teenage motor vehicle crash deaths occurred between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., according to Teen Driver Source - Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

* Most teen driver crashes are because of three critical errors: lack of scanning, speeding, and distractions, according to the Philadelphia children’s hospital.

For this weekend’s classes, drivers between the ages of 15 1/2 to 18 will attend 2 hours of classroom, then using their own cars will drive challenging exercises for 4 hours. These exercises will include crash avoidance/evasive driving, ABS braking drills, progressive braking, straight line braking, and an off-set serpentine exercise and skid prevention and recovery.

The driving is conducted at the PDS driving range, 3600 Vance Road, Moraine.

If you are interested in attending this Ohio Department of Public Safety-funded program, go to professionaldrivingsystems.com and clickion the Advanced Training tab to register.