Life saving skills behind the wheel at Laguna Seca this weekend

The weekend of Nov. 8-9 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, a program that teaches defensive driving techniques to teenagers and their parents will come behind the wheel.

Hit the brakes (be responsible and keep everyone safe) is a non-profit organization founded by NHRA drag racing star Doug Herbert after he lost his two sons, John and James, in a car accident less than a mile from their home in 2008.

The program, which includes half an hour of classroom instruction and three hours of behind-the-wheel training, aims to save lives by teaching and educating teen drivers and their parents about the importance of safe and responsible driving, organizers said.

“At the time, I didn’t know that car accidents were the leading cause of death among teenagers, and I thought this was something I could do to make sure another parent didn’t get the same phone call I got,” said Herbert.

The risk of road accidents is higher among teenagers aged 16–19 than among any other age group, According to the CDC. Teenage drivers in this age group have a fatal accident rate almost three times higher as drivers age 20 and older per mile.

Off-the-wheel training is outside of standard driver training

On training day, parents and their teens separate and go to different instructors. After initial classroom instruction, teenagers are put behind the wheel of cars provided by Kia Motors.

Training is provided by professional trainers, including current and former law enforcement officers and professional racing drivers.

Exercises include distracted driving, panic braking, crash avoidance, wheel fall/off-road recovery, and vehicle control/skid control.

“We teach crash avoidance and wheel drop drills where you drop a wheel off the curb and have to get it back,” Herbert said. “Obviously, distraction is a huge thing and we look at all the distractions out there and how that affects your ability to drive.”

Instructors also report on the risk of speeding. As a professional drag racer, Herbert loves speed, but he says his message to teenagers is always the same: Get on the racetrack.

“The street is a really bad place to go fast or be aggressive,” he said. “We can understand that not only do they need to be careful about what they’re doing on the road, but they also need to be aware of what’s going on around them.”

The technology is advanced and designed for teenagers who already have at least 30 hours of driving experience.

Both teenagers and parents gain valuable skills

The relationship between teenagers and cars has changed a lot since Herbert was a kid racing to the DMV to get his license at 16. While teenagers may not be in such a rush to get their license because of other ways to communicate with friends, such as social media, cars have also changed.

“When most parents were taking driver’s education we had to pump the brakes and there was a horn button in the center of the wheel, now it’s an airbag that pops out at you at 200mph,” Herbert said. “Things have changed and we want to bring everyone up to speed.”

Herbert said there is always an “aha” moment from the teenagers and their parents during the training.

“We let them experience the dynamics of the car and it’s a real eye-opener for them and the parents because we encourage parents to set a good example for their teenagers,” he said.

When Herbert founded the nonprofit in 2008, they trained 15 teenagers, and that number has now grown to nearly 150,000.

Herbert said the University of North Carolina conducted a five-year study of its program and found that teenagers who received brake experience were 64 percent less likely to be involved in a car accident than those who did not participate.

“It really turned into a big project and it was really rewarding,” Herbert said.

Registration is available at www.putonthebrakes.org.