Ford Offers Free Driving Skills for Life Courses

Knowing they can’t be everywhere, Ford created web-based training to reach teens and parents nationally.  Millions of visitors have utilized Ford’s site and more than 400,000 have used its online training.  Online training is free by registering for The Academy.

My Experience with the Driving Skills for Life

Ford invited me to their Car of Tomorrow event in Orlando, FL in October to see first-hand how their Driving Skills for Life works.  They took over the top floor of a parking garage to show us how they teach and interact with the teenagers in the Driving Skills for Life program.  I was greeted by my instructor, who used to be a professional race car driver. Apparently, there are a number of professional race car drivers who teach this program.  They have been in dangerous situations before and can confidently help teenagers prepare.

I was instructed to follow a path of cones involving some tight turns, very few straight paths, a stop sign, and one fork in the road with a sign that told me to keep to the right.

After going through the path a few times my instructor informed me that when I make turns I keep my hand on the wheel in one spot so that at a tight curve my hand is at the bottom of the steering wheel.   This causes two main problems.  First, in a case where I’ve lost control of the car, this position gives me less flexibility.  Second, if the air bag blows, I will severely injure my arm.   It’s always best to keep your hands at the 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock position.  Oh yeah, I remember that now!

Texting and Driving

Next I was asked to take out my cellphone and drive the course.  Are you crazy?  The instructor said that kids LOVE this exercise because they can do something they all know they’re not supposed to do.  I slowed down considerably to text, to which the instructor told me, keep driving!  Needless to say, I knocked over a lot of cones, stopped way too long at the stop sign, and missed the fact that someone turned the arrow sign the other way at the fork in the road and I went the wrong way.  And with today’s auto-correct, my text message was a garble of words!  I didn’t do either task very well.

Lesson:  it is impossible to drive and text and do either one very well at the same time.

Losing Control of Your Vehicle

In the next driving lesson, they set up a small racetrack.  We were to drive using the gas pedal on the straight-aways and let go as we made the corners.  The car would spin and lose traction at the corners.  We were taught to not look at where we were headed but instead to look where you want to end up.  Great training.  So few teens ever get the opportunity to learn how to get out of a spin while they’re in one.  We repeated this exercise a number of times.

Lesson:  when in a spin-out, look towards the spot you’d like to end up in, not the spot your vehicle is careening towards.

The regular course involves more exercises but it was clear to me that this hands-on training is invaluable for today’s teens.  When I think back to my high school driving simulation days, Ford’s Driving Skills for Life far exceeds the skills I was taught as a teenager.

Want to be notified when Ford’s Driving Skills for Life will be in your area?  Just fill out their notification form. I highly recommend it.