CPD to host crash avoidance training for teens

The Conway Police Department will hold its first Collision Avoidance Training course for young drivers on July 10 and 11.

The course involves classroom training and driving on a course set up to simulate real-world emergency situations. It is open to anyone with a learner's permit or driver's license, and students must be accompanied by an adult.

To sign up call CPD at 450-6126. The cost of the course is $80.

The Conway City Council approved in May the one-time expenditure of $8,600 to bring in instructors from the National Traffic Safety Academy, which sponsors Collision Avoidance Training courses nationwide. These instructors will work with CPD officers in this first course, after which CPD will continue to organize and teach on its own.

In the driving portion of the course students are encouraged to use the vehicle that they do or will be driving regularly. Exercises will include emergency braking, emergency steering and a combination of these skills to avoid a simulated collision.

.story-ad {

width: 310px;

float: left;

margin: 0 10px 10px 0;

padding: 4px;

}

- Advertisement -

OAS_AD('x22');

Successful completion of the course may be recognized by insurance companies and earn the student a discount on their car insurance.

"I think it's a good opportunity for the police department to kind of partner with the community and put on this course that should assist in reducing the number of accidents that young drivers are involved in," Conway Chief of Police A.J. Gary said. "Departments in other states that have put on this training say that it has reduced the number of accidents and I think it would be good for everyone. A little extra training for young drivers is certainly beneficial."

(Staff writer Joe Lamb can be reached at 505-1238 or by E-mail at joe.lamb@thecabin.net. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit.)