B.R.A.K.E.S. Free National Teen Defensive Driving School Coming

A free national teen defensive driving program B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe) will be in Jefferson City on July 9 and 10, with training sessions at the Missouri EVOC Training Center, 2302 Militia Drive, 8 a.m., to 6 p.m., on Saturday, the 10th, and 8 a.m., to 3 p.m., on Sunday, the 9th.

Car crashes are the number-one cause of death among teens, ending more lives every day than murder, suicide or disease. The result: B.R.A.K.E.S. graduates are 64 percent less likely to get in a crash within their first three years of driving.

Utilizing vehicles provided by Kia Motors, B.R.A.K.E.S. offers teens extensive behind-the-wheel instruction from professional trainers including current and former law enforcement officers and professional racing drivers, teaching the teens and their parents how to be safer on the road. Exercises include Distracted Driving Awareness, Panic Braking, Crash Avoidance, Drop-wheel/Off-road Recovery and Car Control/Skid Recovery.

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The 501(c)(3) charity was founded by multi-time Top Fuel drag racing champion Doug Herbert in honor of his two sons, Jon and James, who lost their lives in a tragic car crash in 2008. Herbert turned that personal tragedy into a lifesaving mission that has trained more than 50,000 teens to date.

Interested parents should visit www.putonthebrakes.org.