“Let’s get this show on the road” is not an old cliché but rather describes a teen driving clinic sponsored by the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection and Baron MINI of Kansas City. The event for area teens and their parents will be held on October 26th from 10 am - 2 pm at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.
Young drivers can discover first-hand the dangers of distracted and impaired driving while being taught by internationally accomplished Indy 500 race car drivers. In one exercise the drivers will be required to read road signs while performing cognitive distractions like counting backwards while following a winding, slow-placed course.
In addition to the distracted driving course, a skid control course will also be offered using cars equipped with special rear-end equipment that causes actual skidding. The teens will then be instructed on how to handle such a situation. There will also be participation by the Leawood Fire Department which will include a demonstration of an extraction from a wrecked vehicle.
Resurrection member Britton Hill is helping coordinate the event. He views this as a fun opportunity along with his employer to offer needed safety information and skills for developing drivers. The need for additional teen driver training is supported by the fact that auto accidents are the #1 killer of teenagers in the United States and claim over 3,000 lives each year. The chance of a teenager being in an automobile crash during their first three years of driving is 89.2% according to Miles Ahead data.
- Jane Angle