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CONCORD, N.C. — Car crashes remain the leading cause of unintentional death for U.S. teenagers, according to the National Safety Council.

National Teen Driver Safety Week runs Oct. 19–25, and safety advocates are using it to spotlight hands-on training designed to help young drivers avoid crashes.

What You Need To Know

Reports show car crashes as leading unintentional death for U.S. teens 

 Experts are using National Teen Driver Safety Week to raise awareness about driving deaths and ways to prevent them

 A nonprofit is helping teens prepare for challenging events on the roadways 

One student said the training is helping him feel more confident on the roads 

The nonprofit Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe, also known as  B.R.A.K.E.S., is a free national teen pro-active driving school. 

The charitable organization is preparing young drivers for situations they would realistically face on the roadways, like weather conditions and dangerous objects in the road. 

Training sessions include distracted driving awareness, panic braking, crash avoidance, car control and skid recovery. 

B.R.A.K.E.S. founder and veteran fuel drag racer Doug Herbert said their behind-the-wheels training is helping to save lives. 

“[Prepare teens] so when that bad situation comes, they already know what to do. That’s the feedback we get is, ‘I can hear that B.R.A.K.E.S. instructor yelling in my ear, telling me what to do,’ so that’s a win for us,” Herbert said. 

Herbert said the nonprofit, which travels nationwide, has prepared more than 150,000 teenagers and parents to calmly handle potential roadway dangers. 

“Unfortunately, deaths in vehicles are a major problem for our teenagers,” Herbert said. 

The mission for B.R.A.K.E.S. is personal for Herbert.

The racer launched the program after his sons, Jon and James, died in a highway crash in Jan. 2008.

“My goal is to make sure no other parent gets the phone call I got,” Herbert said. “We want to make sure the teenagers are coming home.”

In North Carolina alone, the Department of Transportation reports more than 12,000 teen crashes during 2024’s “100 Deadliest Days,” the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day. It resulted in 32 teen deaths. 

Herbert said a five-year study of B.R.A.K.E.S. participants found teens were 64% less likely to be involved in a car crash after completing the program.

“That number is incredible to me,” Herbert said. 

 Jay Lynch, 16, said the class helped build confidence to handle anything that comes into his path.

“Makes me feel better,” Lynch said. “I’m obviously not going to be able to be 100%, but I’ll be more ready for anyting that comes my way.”

B.R.A.K.E.S. is open to teens with a learner’s permit or driver’s license and at least 30 hours of driving experience.