The teen driving school at Miller Motorsports Park focuses on vehicle control rather than teaching from manuals to help new drivers avoid serious accidents.
Lessons, which include high-speed breaking and high-speed lane changes, aren't what new drivers would expect to learn from the state driving instructors, but teachers say the skills they're teaching teens have practical value.
"The problem is they go through the public programs just to get licensed, but they really don't aquire the experience that they need," said Bill Rhinehart, Miller Motorsports Park.
Experience instructors say can help drivers avoid skidding on snow-covered roads.
"I think there's a mental block when you hit ice, like you don't know what to do and you kind of freeze up, so I think it's important to learn these things," said Elizabeth Johnson, a student at the school.
The four-hour class puts teens in the driver's seat of some specially-designed cars that simulate conditions; students get to practice over and over to get experiences they wouldn't get to practice on public roads.
For more information, visit www.millermotorsportspark.com.
