Mylan Blomquist (age 16) shares her experience at a unique driving class.
For teens who love to drive, only like to drive, or really haven’t completely got the hang of driving yet, the AAA Teen Driving Experience presented by the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving is a great opportunity to learn more aspects of driving than you or your parents could ever think of. This school goes beyond just teaching you the rules of the road; it puts you in a car by yourself and in not-so-perfect situations that the DMV manuals only touch upon briefly.
I was immediately drawn in by the “cute” cars they provide at the racetrack for the simulations. The Pontiac Solstice stirred up the most attention among our group, which included other teens like myself, who have the limited experience of driving family minivans and vehicles older than we are.
Although it was exciting, driving a new vehicle was not the most valuable experience of the day. I was taken aback at the amount of new information I was exposed to. Automatic Brake System? What if I ever do have to change lanes this quickly? Are there really turns this sharp? Is it really that easy to regain control of a spinning car? The school answered all these questions and more, letting each participant get in a car themselves and go through “obstacle courses” of dangerous situations that any driver could encounter on any road.
The hardest activity for me, personally, was going 40-50mph in a tiny car and approaching three lanes with three lights at the end, two of which would turn red, forcing the driver to choose the green path without slowing down.
The class really helped each new (or not so new!) driver realize their weaknesses, practice getting better and learn beyond the typical information presented in a drivers ed or defensive driving class. This experience certainly made me more confident behind the wheel — and anything that achieves that is wonderful in my book!
Learn more about the AAA Teen Driving Experience.
Learn more about the Teen Driving Courses available at Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving.