Free teen defensive driving class comes to Park City June 13-14

Parents looking for more than the basics of driver’s ed will have a free, hands-on option in Park City when B.R.A.K.E.S. brings its teen defensive driving course to Heartland Credit Union Arena on June 13-14. The weekend program is built around the skills that can stop a crash before it starts, including crash avoidance, panic braking, distracted driving awareness, car control and skid recovery, plus drop-wheel and off-road recovery, just as summer driving picks up.

The course is open to teens ages 15 to 19 who already have a learner’s permit or driver’s license and at least 30 hours of driving experience. B.R.A.K.E.S. requires a $99 credit card deposit to hold a spot, and the deposit is refundable after class completion. The nonprofit says one weekend of instruction can train about 180 students.

B.R.A.K.E.S. stands for Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe. The organization was founded in 2008 by Doug Herbert after his sons, Jon and James Herbert, were killed in a highway crash. Since then, B.R.A.K.E.S. says it has trained more than 165,000 people nationwide, and it says graduates are 64% less likely to crash.

Kansas Department of Transportation materials list the Park City course for June 13-14 and support the program as part of statewide driver education and safety efforts. Transportation officials say teens should already have basic driving skills before they attend, making the weekend a next-step course for young drivers who are already behind the wheel and need more than the classroom basics.

Heartland Credit Union Arena’s events calendar lists the B.R.A.K.E.S. weekend as a family and community event, adding a local venue for a program aimed at one of the biggest risks on Kansas roads. With teen-driver crashes still a serious concern, the free training gives families a rare chance to put advanced avoidance skills into practice before the busiest summer driving season really takes hold.