Few teenagers look forward to going to classes on Saturday, but spending a day at driving school could save a life — their own.

“Our goal is to keep young drivers from becoming a fatality,” said Jennifer Dobler, one of the instructors with the Tire Rack Street Survival driver education program.

On Saturday, Mrs. Dobler and her husband, Scott, members of the Sports Car Club of America, will give hands-on lessons to teenagers during the all-day track and classroom session at Dade County High School.

“The Chattanooga Region SCCA got involved with the program because we recognized a growing number of teen fatalities in accidents in Chattanooga and surrounding areas,” Mrs. Dobler said.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety evaluations of U.S. high school driver education programs indicate they have little or no effect in reducing crashes. So Tire Rack Street Survival was developed to blend classroom instruction with hands-on experiences in real-world driving situations, officials say.

“Few people realize driving is one of the most dangerous things they do on a daily basis,” said Bill Wade, national manager for the safe driving program. “A car traveling at just four mph has more energy than a bullet.”

While instructors have experience as competitive drivers, Tire Rack is an advanced defensive driving school, not a racing school, and students will use the cars they normally drive on the street, Mrs. Dobler said.

“We have a passion to keep teen drivers safe,” she said. “They are our future, why not protect them any way we can by better preparing them for the real world?”

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