The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows that July 4 is the deadliest day for teens on the road, and that more traffic fatalities happen in July than any other month. In order to combat the increased dangers teen drivers face on the holiday and all year long, Kumho Tires, along with KeyBank and the Mid-Ohio School of Driving offered five behind-the-wheel drivers training courses on June 28 and 29 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The free classes incorporated classroom and behind-the-wheel sessions in which students learned how to make quick lane changes, practiced breaking on wet surfaces, drove in a real skid car, learned about the dangers of distracted driving and more from professional driving instructors. The hope is that the teenage drivers take away useful tips and knowledge that may one day save their lives or their friends’ lives. Their parents or guardians were also encouraged to attend the course with their teens.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that car crashes are the leading cause of death in the United States among people ages 15 to 20 with nearly 5,000 teenage fatalities each year. The National Safety Council estimates that 1.6 million automobile crashes occur due to texting and cell phone use each year in the United States.
