ESCANABA, Mich, (WZMQ) – No matter how good a driver you are you can find yourself in a dangerous situation in a heartbeat.
That’s why the Michigan State Police (MSP) are giving teen drivers the skills they need to protect themselves and other while driving.
At today’s MSP UP Teen Defensive Driving course, eight students learned defensive driving tactics like controlled braking, precision maneuvering, serpentine, and even skid control.
MSP Sgt. Patrick Janisse, the course organizer, said the driving skilled the students learn today, can help protect them and others in the real world tomorrow.
“What you have the ability to control is defensive driving, watching out for the other person,” said Janisse. “It would be ideal that everyone is a perfect driver but that’s not the case. This is to Instill confidence in the teen drivers, so that way, if, put in the real world, they encounter a dangerous situation, any time of year, they can adapt and overcome.”
This is the third year the course has been offered, and now with district funding, they can offer the courses to any UP teen with a level two driver’s license, free of charge, no matter their skill level.
“You got to start off with a strong foundation,” said Janisse. “This is an environment where you can take that foundation and build upon it to make them more successful for the future.”
One student, Asher Phaffle, said some of the exercises were more challenging than others, but they all were fun.
“The skid pad, that sure is challenging,” said Phaffle. “You could feel the car wanting to go in different directions, you could feel the back start to swing out, so you got to counter it before it does, otherwise you’re just going to go into a full doughnut. It’s exciting, I’m enjoying it. It’s a lot of fun and it’s very knowledgeable.”
The course continues with new students tomorrow and Friday at the Escanaba fair grounds.
There are still open slots for tomorrow’s class that will be given out on a first come-first serve basis.
If you are interested in participating in the course check out the MSP website.
Janisse said they plan to continue the course in years to come.
