LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Driver’s Edge, a program dedicated to teaching teens how to expect the unexpected behind the wheel held their final lessons of the year this weekend.
Combine racecar drivers, rental cars, wide-open pavement and teens who are new to the road and you get Driver’s Edge. It’s fun and it’s aimed at saving lives.
“We’re trying to give teens and their parents the wakeup call to just how serious driving really is, because in the blink of an eye, anything can happen,” CEO Jeff Payne said.
Teens learn everything they need to know about bumper to bumper safety from before they get into the car to the unexpected when they get behind the wheel.
From the ins and outs of an engine, to how to handle a lane change, control braking and handle a skid for those random rainy days.
All the activities were performed by the 160 teens at Saturday’s lesson. One of those teens, Karoline Watters has been driving for just over six months now.
“Oh, my gosh. It was so much fun. It was very like, interesting to see what can happen because you never know what can happen on the road. So, it was like very informative and helped me out a lot.” Watters said.
Payne and the team at Driver’s Edge have been running the program for 22 years. It all started in Las Vegas, but they’ve toured across the country in that time. Throughout the decades the goal has always been the same.
“We’re just trying to save lives and make a difference out there on the roads. I mean, a lot of people don’t realize that car crashes are by far the number one killer of not just Nevada’s youth, but America’s youth as well,” Payne said
Driver’s Edge returns in February of next year. Payne says registration fills up quick, with over 1,000 families on the waiting list. You can sign up here.
