Ford Driving Skills for Life: Teen Safety Program

MADD Canada estimates there are between 1,250 and 1,500 impairment-related crash deaths in Canada each year (3.4 – 4.1 deaths per day). In 2003, Ford Motor Company Fund and Governors Highway Safety Association established Ford Driving Skills for Life (Ford DSFL) to teach newly licensed teens the necessary skills for safe driving beyond what they learn in standard driver education programs. The free program is making four stops across Canada in Windsor, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver.

I recently took part on the first ever Ford DSFL program in Vancouver. During the weekend, over 200 students got a hands-on training on vehicle handling, space and speed management and hazard recognition in a controlled environment.

In the first station, the professional instructor walk through a vehicle safety check like how read the oil and coolant levels and correct tire pressure.

The second station students put on “drunk goggles” to stimulate impairment & blurred vision. Students struggled to maintain their balance, equilibrium & reaction time like driving under the influence of alcohol. With the help of the Vancouver Police Department, students learned the consequences of alcohol misuse and abuse.

The next station tested the students reaction time while changing lanes and making a full stop on a red light. Students learned how to engaged the vehicle anti-lock braking (ABS) systems and emergency braking techniques.

The last station was all about vehicle handling. It was fun burning tires and drifting on a Ford Mustang. Students learn to recover from skids and regain control on a slippery road.

It’s awesome to see Ford has brought this program to the West Coast. During the half-day program, students learned how to deal with common driving situations and valuable life lessons. To date, Ford DSFL program has train over 550,000 new drivers in over 15 countries.

To learn more about Ford DSFL, visit: https://drivingskillsforlife.ca