More than 1,500 teens in the United States will learn key safe driving skills at free summer camps.
Through July and August summer camps featuring free advanced hands-on driver training will be held in North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Teens will learn important safe driving tips that are not always taught in driver’s education, such as how to handle a vehicle on slippery pavement or react to a deer or other animal in their path. They will also learn the dangers of impaired driving through the use of a special suit and goggles that mimic how being under the influence of alcohol or drugs slows movements, reduces coordination and blurs vision.
This first-ever Ford Driving Skills For Life summer tour for teens – as well as their parents – began July 7 in Fargo, North Dakota.
“Our program is focused on providing young and inexperienced drivers with the training and tools they need to stay safe behind the wheel,” said Jim Graham, manager, Ford Driving Skills for Life. “We are excited to bring this program to these states for the first time as we look to provide an extra step in the learning process for new drivers.”
In partnership with the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the summer camps are being held at a time of year when teens run a higher risk of driving accidents as they travel for jobs and other activities.
“Summer is an especially risky time for teen drivers,” said Jonathan Adkins, GHSA executive director. “More teen driving-related deaths tend to occur in June, July and August than any other month. So it’s particularly timely that Ford Driving Skills for Life is taking its show on the road, hitting six states during the heart of this dangerous driving season.”
