MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – Automobile crashes are the number one cause of death for teenagers according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
The CDC says every day, about eight teens die every day due to motor vehicle crashes, and hundreds more are injured. There is a free course you can sign up for to help your young driver learn vehicle awareness under the guidance of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).
In partnership with the Florida Sheriff’s Association, MCSO is offering young drivers a Teen Driver Challenge safety course.
“With driving being the leading cause of death among teenagers, we are committed to doing everything possible to reduce their chances of being involved in a traffic accident,” said MCSO in a Facebook post.
This is a defensive driving class for young drivers between the ages of 15 to 19 with a learner’s permit or driver’s license with at least six months of driving experience.
MCSO says the program is a no-cost, hands-on defensive driving class designed to educate young drivers and will cover various topics such as:
- Teen crash facts
- Knowing your vehicle
- Using your senses
- Vehicle dynamics
- Drug and alcohol use
- Aggressive driving and road rage
- Figure 8
- Threshold/Emergency Braking
- Backing
- Cornering
- Forward and reverse serpentine
- Evasive maneuvers
It is a one-day event consisting of classroom lectures and vehicle operations. They say participants will learn invaluable information that will not only make them a safer driver but could also save their life.
These classes are on a first-come, first serve basis. They say they are in high demand and fill up fast. Scheduled classes for January and February are already full. They say to keep checking the website because dates are added frequently.