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 Teen drivers in Delaware now have the chance get behind the wheel and learn how to avoid collisions on the road, thanks to an innovative driving course being brought to the state by the Department of Insurance and the Dover, Lewes, Milton, Smyrna and Wilmington police departments.
The Collision Avoidance Training program, developed by the non-profit National Traffic Safety Academy and offered in a number of other states, combines an evening of classroom instruction with a day’s worth of driving exercises where teen students will feel what it’s like when a car goes out of control – and learn what it takes to regain control. 
NTSA was founded and the CAT course was created by Paul Burris of Tallahassee, Florida, whose son died in an auto collision in 1992, the day after his 17th birthday. The Department of Insurance is the statewide sponsor of the program. The seven local police agencies provide instructors and locations for the training courses. The objective of the CAT program is to enhance young drivers’ awareness of the complex task of operating a motor vehicle and to create and practice skills that will prepare them to anticipate and handle hazards that occur daily in normal driving conditions. This program has been created by professionals in the fields of adolescent behavior, accident reconstruction engineering, substance abuse, and law enforcement training. The curriculum was created around the fact that most crashes involving teenage drivers are classified as “avoidable,” but that, due to lack of experience or training, most teens are not prepared to make the vehicle respond appropriately. Classroom Instruction 
The classroom instruction segment focuses on defensive driving and is designed to give students a better understanding of the responsibilities and liabilities of the driver, vehicle dynamics, friction, and the effects of intoxicating substances on their ability to operate the vehicle. A traffic model is created at the beginning of the program, and segments build on each other to a final conclusion: even 35 m.p.h. is fast. The classroom portion of the program gives students a better understanding of why the vehicle responds the way it does and prepares them for the behind-the-wheel exercises on the driving course. The basic principles of safe, defensive driving are emphasized throughout this program. Skills & Techniques Behind-the-wheel training utilizing a student’s own vehicle is designed to give drivers a strong foundation from which they can continue to develop and improve their driving skills. Practical exercises demonstrate how the vehicle responds in a given situation or how to regain control of the car once it is out of control. Five basic skills, actions and techniques of driving are identified as areas that teens need experience or training to safely operate a motor vehicle: steering, acceleration, deceleration, backing and skid control/skid recovery. All five are addressed in the CAT program. 
Training exercises used in this program have been adapted from law enforcement training manuals and approved by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission. Student drivers must master:
All classes are directed under the direct supervision of NTSA-certified, high-liability driving instructors. Instructors ride with each student, and students move to the next exercise only after the instructor feels the students has demonstrated a reasonable degree of skill. The fee for the course is $169 per student. Schedule for 2010 will be announced as soon as we get the information. To register for a scheduled course, call NTSA at 1-800-656-6507. Learn More To learn more, see the Collision Avoidance Training brochure provided by the Delaware Insurance Department.
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