FORD OFFERS ADVANCED DRIVING COURSE FOR TEENS — AND IT’S FREE!

I was going to review my latest ride, a diesel-powered Land Rover Range Rover Sport, in this blog today, but Ford is sponsoring an event that is of importance to parents of teen drivers or teens who are about to become drivers that I want to let you know of.

Also, I missed the notice when it came in originally so need to get to it right away.

The event is the Ford Driving Skills for Life and it is coming up Saturday and Sunday Feb. 4/5 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. (If you don’t recognize the place, it’s where the Dolphins and Hurricanes play football. The name changes every couple of years as different companies buy out naming rights. I think they are up to No. 276 now.)

The event promotes advance driving skills for teen drivers and is open to any teen with a valid driver’s license or learning permit.

It’s a stop on the 14th annual national tour and, according to the release, will focus on four key areas: hazard recognition, vehicle handling, space management, and speed management.

The program will also discuss the dangers of distracted driving and offer participants the use of two special suits: the Drunk Driving Suit introduced in 2013 and the Drugged Driving Suit that debuted in 2016. Both suits are designed to stress the dangers of driving while impaired.

I’ve never been to any of the previous 13 events, but I’m sure that if you have a son or daughter about to embark (or already has) on our streets, he or she will get a lot more out of it than your average high school driving course offers. (Not to belittle high school teachers’ efforts, but they usually don’t have the kind of setup that will be available here.)

Though probably of benefit to one of any age, the course is especially of value to teens. Quoting from the release, “Across the United States, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers. Despite a 56 percent decline in teen death from 2005-2014, teen drivers are still 1.6 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than adults 35-40 years of age. In addition, older teen drivers (18-20) are involved in more fatal crashes than younger drivers.”

I can remember when I went out solo in my grandfather’s old Chevy on the first night I got my license. I’m fortunate I didn’t wipe out the town. (Hey! It was a small town!)

Parents are also encouraged to attend.

Two sessions are offered each day with the first running from 7:30 a.m. to noon and the second from 1-5:30 p.m. Parents are encouraged to attend with their teens as well.

You can register and get more info, including dates for events in Arcadia, California, and Houston, Texas, at https://www.drivingskillsforlife.com.

You should take advantage of it if you have a teen about to go out and drive. All those neat apps that can let you monitor where your teen is with your car via your smart phone are great, but they are of no help in preventing accidents. This course could be.