Taking edge off danger: Driving class shows teens how to handle emergency situations

Stephen Curran

Friday, June 21, 2002 | 9:20 a.m.

For more information on the Driver's Edge program, call 896-6482 or visit driversedge.org

But the 17-year-old had a friend who died in a car accident. That's why she attended Thursday's Driver's Edge program, which gives teenage drivers the opportunity to push cars to their limits.

The pilot program, part of a nonprofit organization founded by professional performance driving instructor Jeff Payne, aims to provide teens with "behind the wheel" experience. More than 150 young drivers, parents in tow, packed the parking lot at Sunset Station for a free opportunity to drive donated cars in ways they hope they never have to on real roads.

"It was exhilarating," Dever said. "(The instructor) told me a lot of things I didn't know."

Putting teenagers behind the wheel in such situations helps break them of the "video game mentality" that many young drivers have when they learn to drive, said Payne, a former race car driver. It gives young drivers a better understanding of how a car will react in an emergency situation.

Although the program was already in the works, last month's accident on Sahara Avenue that killed two high school students reinforced the need for such a program, Payne said.

"We received a lot of company support before the accident," Payne said. "But the accident helped reinforce our position."

While driving, the students are taught how to handle high-speed emergency lane changes, braking and combating unexpected situations. In the cars, students are told to accelerate as quickly as possible and turn while braking. Another road course, sprayed with a fire hose, gives the teenagers an opportunity to learn to control the car in a 360-degree spin.

Often, young drivers are reluctant to brake while turning, fearing the car may flip. Nevada is one of many states that has done away with behind-the-wheel driving instruction in its public schools, limiting driving instruction to classroom learning. This places the burden on parents to provide the 50 hours of driving time necessary for their child to apply for a driver's license.

"In this country, no one is taught how to drive," Payne said. "I don't think simply learning to turn on your direction indicator will help you in an emergency situation."

For parents, the benefit of such programs can also be financial. While it is common practice for insurance companies to offer "good student" discounts, some companies -- such as Prudential -- offer a discount for students who have completed a behind-the-wheel driver's education course.

This experience translates into a reduced likelihood of an accident, Prudential spokeswoman Laurita Warner said.

However, this is not a philosophy shared by all insurers. Allstate Insurance, which offers a "good student" discount for young drivers with a B-plus grade-point average, does not offer a discount for driver's ed.

"Just because you go to a driver's ed course doesn't mean you're going to be a good driver," Allstate spokesman Joe Gacioch said.

But Ashley Biersach, who lost her right leg in the accident on Sahara, feels otherwise. If all teenage drivers completed a similar program, she said, accidents like hers would be greatly reduced.

Biersach, 16, spent 23 days in the hospital after the accident, including five days on life support.

"I was in an accident where if (the driver) had learned this, there would have been no accident,' Biersach said. "I lost two of my best friends. I don't want anyone else to go through that.'

Cindy Aaron, Biersach's mother, agrees that such a program is beneficial to new drivers.

"It's the most helpful thing there is," she said. "I think every teen should go through this, so they won't have to go through what we went through."