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Community Corner

B.R.A.K.E.S. Life-saving Driving Skills Training for Teens

Teens and their parents can sign up now through July 25 for a free, safe driving skills course taught by some of the nation’s top drivers on a mission to save lives.  Be Responsible and Put On the Brakes (B.R.A.K.E.S.), started by champion top fuel drag racer Doug Herbert after he lost his sons in a 2008 highway accident, will be at the Atlanta Dragway for four half-day training sessions Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27.  

Registration is open at PutOnTheBRAKES.org.

“We’ve trained 11,000 teenagers already, but it’s not enough,” Herbert says. “Five-thousand other families each year are still receiving the call I did, so the work of B.R.A.K.E.S. will continue in an effort to save lives and bring that number down.

Find out what's happening in Virginia Highland-Druid Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Some of the things the teens will work on during B.R.A.K.E.S. training include panic breaking, distracted driving, what to do when a wheel drops off the road and how to recover from a skid, among others. “The driving book tells you to turn the wheel during a skid, but it doesn’t tell you what to do after that,” Herbert said. “They get that experience, and that teaches them something."

Attendees must be 15 – 19 years old with a permit or driver’s license and 30+ hours of seat time.  A parent is required to attend with their teen.  After registering, a confirmation will be sent requesting a $99 refundable check to hold a spot.  Classes usually fill up fast.  For more information on how to bring B.R.A.K.E.S. to additional communities or to make a tax-deductible donation to B.R.A.K.E.S, which is a 501 (c)(3), please log on to PutOnTheBRAKES.org.

Find out what's happening in Virginia Highland-Druid Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Check out the following NBC Nightly News "Making a

Difference" link for more on the program:
 http://www.nbcnews.com/watch/nightly-news/professional-drag-racer-finds-new-way-to-help-young-drivers-173991491751

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