After losing his two sons in a crash, former NHRA driver Doug Herbert started a nonprofit organization called B.R.A.K.E.S., which is a free proactive driving school for teens.
“B.R.A.K.E.S. is an acronym for Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe,” Herbert said.
During his racing career, Herbert would drive cars that exceeded sometimes 300 mph. Now, he is emphasizing the importance of slowing down and safe driving for teens.
“It’s maybe the first time in a teenager’s life that they have to be 100 percent every time because their life depends on it,” he said. “Unfortunately, when they crash, they usually don’t crash by themselves. Other innocent people are going to be involved as well.”
Herbert said throughout the years, the nonprofit has taught thousands of teens skills such as crash avoidance, panic braking and car control.
“The University of North Carolina at Charlotte does data analyzation for us and have actually found that these teenagers through the program were 64 percent less likely to be involved in a car crash,” Herbert said.
On Monday, members of the Rocky River High School community mourned the death of 18-year-old soccer player Jovany Escamilla-Salinas. The teen was involved in a fatal accident near the high school. Two other students in the car were seriously injured and taken to the hospital. Investigators said speed was a factor.
Situations like that hit home for Herbert. He admits not all training is done at the driving school, but expressed how parents should start teaching responsible driving at home.
He is asking teenagers to put phones down when in cars, be conscious of their surroundings, and for parents to talk with their kids about responsibilities behind the wheel.
“We want to make sure that no parent gets the call I got, that teenagers don’t find out that they lost their best friend in a car crash,” Herbert said. “We want to avoid that happening.”
Source : WBTV
