San Luis Obispo Sheriffs hosts Teen Driver Challenge in Lompoc

LOMPOC, Calif.- The Teen Driver Challenge is a hands-on course. It helps give students the experience they need to drive safely.

Funded by local donations and sponsorships, the program is offered  to local high school students for free.

Students participated in a variety of activities like driving on an uneven road challenge, obstacle avoid challenge, as well as learning how to parallel park.

“They learn all about what to do if they're in a vehicle and if they get in a situation where the vehicle's not going down the road the way it's supposed to if it gets out of control. They learn how to handle under steer and over steer, how to bring a vehicle back onto a road safely if they go on to a soft shoulder and this saves their lives," said Scott Newell, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office School Resource Officer.

Students say this program  was very beneficial to them.

"It prevents crashes by teaching people the right way to respond to a problem. Like, if I were too skid now, I might not have known before how to properly deal with it but now I know how to," said Zachary Scott, a Lompoc High School Student.

“They really stressed speeding, but I never really realized how important it is to not speed when turning and stuff today. You can see in the drifting and then when drifting or going off road, I learned to have a strong grip because if you have a weak grip that's how accidents happen the wheel gets out of your hand," said Kylee Garcia, Lompoc High School, Student.

Students say even though the challenges can be dangerous they are always in safe hands.

“They want to put you, like in I know it's dangerous situations, but they're not going to get you let you get hurt or anything. It's going to be okay," said Melissa Cross, a Lompoc High School Student.

Tomorrow the SLO Sheriffs will be working with San Luis Obispo high school students on the teen driver challenge.