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April 03-04
Driver’s Edge gives teens the edge on safe driving
By Charles Trujillo, Green Valley HS
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One of the best times I have ever had was when I went to Driver’s Edge, the defensive driving program for teens, which was held on March 13 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
At first I was skeptical about what we would do, expecting it to be just some boring driving situations. Surprisingly, it was one of the best times I have had when driving.
When I first arrived at Driver’s Edge, we had to sign in and take a pretest to find out what we know about driving and basic knowledge of vehicles.
After everyone had finished the test, Jeff Payne, the founder of Driver’s Edge, gave a speech about why he created the program. Payne is a professional racecar driver and driving instructor. He has been racing since age 17, and by the time he was 21, he was a competitive driver in Japan and Europe. He has instructed many famous people at his driving school such as Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen.
Payne created all the driving exercises in Driver’s Edge. He told us about how teens are guilty by association of being bad drivers. He said he wants to change that and teach kids how to become better and more confident drivers, how to avoid bad driving situations and how to get out of them if we’re ever in bad situations while driving.
After Payne’s speech, the class participants headed outside where we were split into two groups. The two groups had different exercises. The first group had to speed up and then slam on the brakes in two different cars, one that had an anti-lock braking system and one that did not, to see the difference. Both of these cars were brand new 2004 Mazdas. The other exercise on that course was to change lanes very quickly and not hit any cones. I was not too lucky in not hitting the cones. It was very fun, and I didn’t have to worry about doing any damage to the car.
Thomas Racioppo, a Green Valley High School student who also participated, says, “It was a good experience for me and other young drivers. It helped me with my driving techniques for the future.”
Not only were the cars cool, but also the instructors that helped out with the exercises were very helpful on teaching what drivers need to be know, and had a sense of humor while doing it. The six instructors besides Payne included both males and females who were professional drivers, kart-racing champions, helicopter pilots, NASCAR drivers and mountain bikers.
Next was the second exercise, but before starting, I had to put on these weird glasses that make you see as if you are under the influence of alcohol with a blood-alcohol level of 0.1 percent. I found it very hard to walk in a straight line while wearing these glasses.
On the next course we had to learn how to gain control back when the car starts to slide in water. It was the best and most fun of all the exercises. We took off from the starting line, then turned the wheel about a quarter of the way and pulled the emergency brake, sending the car into a skid. It was very fun and a good experience to learn how to get out of that type of driving situation.
I have nothing but good things to say about Driver’s Edge and would strongly recommend that every teen go to Driversedge.org and find out when the next class is held. It’s fun and free, so who wouldn’t want to go out and drive a car that’s not yours and that you don’t have to worry about wrecking. The worst thing that could happen is you hit a cone.
Driver’s Edge helped me gain more confidence in my driving, and I had a great time doing it. Jeff Payne has really put together a terrific program and it works. I think that Driver’s Edge should be a required class just like driver’s ed to obtain a license.
To register for upcoming Driver’s Edge classes, go to www.driversedge.org. The following weekend dates are still available, with new dates added when possible, so check back frequently: May 1 and 2; June 12 and 13; Sept. 18 and 19; Oct. 16 and 17; and Dec. 4 and 5.
-Return to April 03/04-
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