Overview
The Collision Avoidance Training (C.A.T.) program is an advanced defensive driving and vehicle control program designed for teenage drivers. The two day program is designed to provide young drivers with the knowledge and understanding of vehicle dynamics and human kinetics -the forces created by an automobile and the effects of the forces on the human body.

Program's Objective
The objective of the program is to enhance the young driver's 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 curriculums were created around the fact that most crashes involving teenage drivers are classified as "avoidable" and, due to lack of experience or training, teens are not prepared to make the vehicle respond appropriately.

The education segment (defensive driving) is designed to give the student 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, 35 mph is fast. This portion of the program gives the students a better understanding of why the vehicle responds the way it does and prepares them for the exercises on the driving range. The basic principles of safe, defensive driving are emphasized throughout this program.

Skills and Techniques
The purpose of the structure of this program is to give young drivers a strong foundation from which they can continue to develop and improve their driving skills to a consistently high level while maintaining safe driving habits. Due to lack of experience, most teens have little or no idea of 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/or 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 are the tasks addressed in this program. Training exercises used in this program have been adopted from the law enforcement training manual and approved by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission. Student drivers must master the following exercises:

1. Evasive maneuvers
2. Threshold/emergency braking
3. Forward serpentine Cornering
4. Backing
5. Skid recovery

All classes are conducted under the direct supervision of certified high liability driving instructors. Instructors ride with each student and students move to the next exercise only after the instructor feels the student has demonstrated a reasonable degree of skill. C.A.T. students receive the same behind-the-wheel training as police officers.

Click here to find a location near you where CAT is offered.

For more information or to enroll your teenage driver:
Call Partners For Highway Safety at 850-681-0800.