National Defensive Driving Program for Teens Making Lincoln Stop in Mid-August

Photo courtesy of B.R.A.K.E.S. Defensive Driving Program, provided by Jeff Perlman.

LINCOLN–(KFOR July 26)–A free national teen defensive driving training session will be coming to Nebraska for the first time in the program’s 15-year history.

B.R.A.K.E.S., which stands for Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe, was established in 2008 after former drag racing champion Doug Herbert tragically lost his two sons in a car crash near Charlotte, North Carolina. The two-day training for teens and parents from B.R.A.K.E.S. will be held at the Lincoln Airport August 12 and 13, which is also being presented by the Nebraska Safety Council and Nebraska Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Office.

B.R.A.K.E.S. public relations director Jeff Perlman told KFOR News Herbert turned that personal tragedy into a life-saving mission.

“We teach proactive driving skills to teens and their parents,” Perlman said. “These are things that teens will learn well beyond after their learner’s permit or license.”

Perlman also added, “These are life-saving techniques behind the wheel that are designed to have teens prepared in the event of an emergency they encounter while they are on the road.”

More than 110,000 teens and parents across the country have been trained and about 64% of those teens are less likely to get into a crash up to three years after they went through the training, according to an independent study done by the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

Nebraska will be the 46th state the B.R.A.K.E.S. program has traveled to since 2008. Perlman says if teens and parents are interested in the free training, go to www.putonthebrakes.org to get registered. It’s free, but a $99 deposit is required and refundable to hold a spot for training. Perlman adds there are 180 total spots open for both days here in Lincoln.

Vehicles are being provided by Kia for the training to be held at the Lincoln Airport.