Free defensive driving course offered for teens in Lincoln this weekend [Video]

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – A free defensive driving course for teenagers is available in Lincoln this weekend.

It’s called the B.R.A.K.E.S. program, which stands for Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe.

Brendon Short, a senior instructor, said the program has been used to train more than 140,000 teens and parents since being founded in 2008.

Teens who take the course are 64% less likely to get into a crash during their first three years of driving, according to an independent study.

The three hour course includes training in skid recovery, braking and crash avoidance. There’s also a focus on distracted driving.

Short said when your focus is taken away by a phone, the chances of crashing skyrocket.

“People have become so numb to driving that they think it’s easy and they don’t pay attention,” Short said. “But when we’re driving, there’s no place for that. And a lot of people say ‘I can multitask’- …