Looking to save lives and make Florida roadways safer, the free national teen pro-active driving school B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe) will make its first-ever appearance in the Naples-Fort Myers area, with training sessions on Feb. 3 and 4 at Naples Fort Myers Greyhound Track in Bonita Springs.

Training sessions will be held:

• Saturday, Feb. 3, classes start at 8 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

• Sunday, Feb. 4, classes start at 8 a.m. and noon.

Registration is accessible at putonthebrakes.org.

Car crashes are among the leading causes of death among teens. Through their participation in the pro-active defensive driving program, B.R.A.K.E.S. graduates are 64% less likely to get in a crash within their first three years of driving, according to an independent study conducted by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

The 501(c)(3) charity was founded by multi-time Top Fuel drag racing champion Doug Herbert in honor of his two sons, Jon and James, who lost their lives in a tragic car crash in 2008. Herbert turned that personal tragedy into a lifesaving mission that has trained more than 130,000 teens and their parents to date.

The visit to the Naples-Fort Worth region marks the latest expansion of the program, which established records for weekend visits and total teens and parents trained in 2023. “We’re thrilled to be able to bring our life-saving program to the region, as we further our efforts to being B.R.A.K.E.S. training to new locations across the country,” said Herbert.

Utilizing vehicles provided by Kia Motors, B.R.A.K.E.S. offers teens extensive behind-the-wheel instruction from professional trainers including current and former law enforcement officers and professional racing drivers, teaching the teens and their parents how to be safer on the road. Exercises include Distracted Driving Awareness, Panic Braking, Crash Avoidance, Drop-wheel/Off-road Recovery and Car Control/Skid Recovery.

B.R.A.K.E.S. is not Driver’s Ed. It is a free, hands-on, advanced driver training program taught by professional instructors, including current and former members of law enforcement, professional racers and stunt drivers. B.R.A.K.E.S. maintains a low two-to-one student-to-instructor ratio to maximize educational effectiveness.