A new program at Miller Motorsports Park is teaching teen drivers how to deal with dangerous situations, according to a Deseret News Article “Programs steer Utah teens toward safer driving.” The program, called the Teen Driving Academy, provides teen drivers with professional training on how to handle a skidding vehicle, avoid accidents at high speeds and properly use a car’s anti-lock braking system.
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, in the year 2006, car accidents were the leading cause of death for American teenagers, accounting for 36 percent of all death in this age group. The CDC also suggests that the most strict and comprehensive drivers licensing programs (like the one at Millers Sports Park) have shown a 40 percent reduction in fatal and injury crashes among 16 year-olds.
This program is unique and very valuable in that it provides drivers with such experiences in a simulated environment. Directors of the program hope that by experiencing such situations in a safe environment drivers will be better prepared to handle them.