Missouri Department of Transportation grant enables B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving

School to visit Warrensburg area for the first time

●B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe) program includes four identical half-day sessions for teens and parents throughout weekend

●Each session includes classroom instruction and nearly three hours of hands-on, behind-the-wheel training taught by professionals in new Kia vehicles

●B.R.A.K.E.S. graduates are 64% less likely to be in a crash in first three years of driving

●For additional information and/or to register for a class, visit www.putonthebrakes.org

Missouri roads are about to get a little bit safer. The Missouri Safety Center at the University of Central Missouri (UCM) and Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) are teaming up to bring Doug Herbert’s B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe) Teen Pro-Active Driving School to the Missouri Safety Center at UCM Sept. 15-16.

B.R.A.K.E.S. is a GuideStar Platinum-rated 501(c)(3) charity that offers free, hands-on defensive driver training to teens and their parents nationwide. Multi-time Top Fuel drag racing champion Doug Herbert founded the road safety organization in honor of his two teenage sons, Jon and James, who lost their lives in a car crash in 2008.

“Car crashes are the number-one cause of death among teens across the country, but I never knew that until Jon and James became part of those statistics,” said Herbert. “From that tragedy, we created a mission to prevent injuries and save lives by training teens and their parents to be safer behind the wheel. We’re truly grateful to our friends at UCM and the Missouri DOT for helping us bring our lifesaving training to the area and make Missouri’s roads a little safer for everyone.”

The mid-September event, one of 38 weekend training programs B.R.A.K.E.S. will conduct throughout 2018 – and one of three schools scheduled within an hour’s drive of Kansas City this fall – will take place at the Highway Safety Instructional Park in Warrensburg, Mo..

“The Missouri Safety Center at the University of Central Missouri is very excited to host B.R.A.K.E.S.,” said Dr. Joanne Kurt-Hilditch, Senior Director. “Their teen training program perfectly aligns with our mission to serve the state of Missouri and the nation in transportation safety, law enforcement training, research, and education. Our Highway Safety Instructional

Park, which is regularly used for motorcycle safety training, driver education, and police driving training, will be an ideal venue for the hands-on driving exercises that are included in the B.R.A.K.E.S. curriculum.”

Funding for the Warrensburg B.R.A.K.E.S. event is being made possible by a grant from MODOT, as part of Missouri’s Blueprint – A Partnership Towards Zero Deaths.

According to the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, “Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for youth (15-20) in Missouri, accounting for nearly 11.8 percent of traffic fatalities during the last three years. Many factors including inexperience, alcohol, speeding, cell phones, and other countless distractions all contribute to these crashes, with many resulting in death.” Dr. Kurt-Hilditch indicated, “Bringing B.R.A.K.E.S. to Warrensburg is one of many investments we’re making in an effort to eventually eliminate traffic deaths on Missouri roads.”