Each year, more than 4,000 teenage drivers lose their lives in needless traffic accidents. In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the No. 1 cause of death among teens in this country. The fatality rate for drivers 16-19 is four times that of driver’s age 25 to 69 years old. The crash fatality rate (crash fatalities/100,000 population) is highest for 16-17 year olds within the first six months of getting their license-and remains high through age 24. The top three predictors for fatality are non-use of seat belts, teen drivers and roads with speed limits of 45 MPH or higher. Finally, approximately two-thirds of teen passenger deaths (ages 13 to 19) occur when other teenagers are driving.
Nine years ago, in response to these chilling statistics, Tire Rack formed the Tire Rack Street Survival School in conjunction with BMW CCA, SCCA, PCA and more recently MBCA. The primary emphasis of the Tire Rack Street Survival is a “hands-on” driving experience in real-world situations! Students use their own car to learn about its handling limits and how to control them.
The students will become more observant of the traffic situation they find themselves in. They will learn to look far enough ahead to anticipate unwise actions of other drivers. As the students master the application of physics to drive their cars, they will make fewer unwise driving actions themselves. They will understand why they should always wear their own seatbelts, and why they should insist that their passengers wear seatbelts, too.
It’s about more than driving – it’s about LIVING!
The Tire Rack Street Survival School is a safe teen program designed to go beyond today’s required driver’s education and give teens across the U.S. the driving tools and hands-on experience to become safer, smarter drivers. The one-day school includes trained and qualified in-car driving instructors as well as classroom experience for each student. The cost per student is $75.
It has been up to each section to initiate contact with their counterparts at BMWCCA and participate through means of financial support and volunteer opportunities. We are fortunate to have a very strong Tire Rack Street Survival School organization in the greater Atlanta area. At the time of this writing, three schools have been held during 2011 with a possible fourth one scheduled for October.
At the July board meeting, the Peachtree board of directors approved a $750 grant/sponsorship for the local 2012 Street Survival School series. Also approved is a scholarship in the amount of $25 per student upon course completion for the first ten MBCA students attending each school during 2012.
Additional information about the 2012 class schedule will be provided as it becomes available. We anticipate at least three schools to be held at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds during the coming year. More information regarding the Tire Rack Street Survival School can be found at their website: www.streetsurvival.org.