Car clinic helps teens stay safe behind the wheel

Teens learn the limits of their car and how to avoid accidents

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — Local teens got a real life lesson on how to stay safe behind the wheel.

Gundersen Health System offered a Car Control Clinic Sunday afternoon.

The daylong clinic taught teens basic vehicle control first in a classroom, then behind the wheel.

Along with basics like proper braking and changing lanes, the course showed teens how easy it is to lose control of a car. They even wet down the course to mimic conditions the teens might face in Wisconsin.

Because they are such new drivers, the teens got to learn what to do in an emergency situation. “So we put them through these courses, they do a lot of practice runs, we just really repeat and really get them used to the sensation of their vehicle so that ultimately they know what to do if a crash were to occur,” said Kim Lombard from Gundersen Health System.

Lombard says 58% of teens who have taken the course say they have had to use the skills they learned while driving.