WASHINGTON 鈥� This weekend, race car drivers like Shannon McIntosh were literally taking a few student drivers for a spin at a parking lot at Dulles International Airport. She was聽giving demonstrations and talking student drivers through how to get out of a spin, and not to panic and hit the brakes.
鈥淚 just thought it would give my daughter confidence in learning to drive,鈥� says Leesburg, Virginia resident Heidi Davis, who brought her 10th grade daughter to a free clinic provided by Ford Motor Co.
鈥淚 like the idea that she鈥檒l learn how to recognize and avoid driving hazards,鈥� Davis says.
About 100 teens attended each of the two daily sessions held Saturday and Sunday as part of the Ford Driving for Life event. 聽鈥淭his is a hands-on exercise that we鈥檙e doing here at Dulles,鈥� says Jim Graham, with Ford Motor Company. 鈥淲e鈥檒l put them through 10 different exercises inside the vehicle.鈥�
Public parking lot at Dulles Airport is transformed into a Ford driving Clinic. Free event on Sat & Sun.
鈥� Kathy Stewart (@KStewart草莓传媒)
Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the U.S. Graham says the program started 13 years ago as a way to provide advanced training for new drivers. The program teaches teens to make good decisions to keep them out of crashes, especially since new drivers tend to panic a lot.
Graham says the program is more advanced than what鈥檚 offered at the high schools. In addition to driving maneuvers, the teens got the chance to suit up in a drunken driving suit and a drugged driving suit, which is new this year.
Ford plans to do about 15 hands-on driving events nationwide like the one held at Dulles International Airport; it鈥檚 not clear when the clinic will be offered in the region again. 聽Ford also hosts these driving clinics around the world.
