Robbie Buhl’s teen street skills program in Detroit bettered me as a driver and increased my confidence behind the wheel.

Although the three-hour class was pushed into one hour for me, I got a taste of every simulation with hands-on experiences that overall increased my driving skills as a newly licensed driver.

According to former race car driver Robbie Buhl, the leading cause of teen deaths from 16 to 17 years old is fatal car crashes. His campaign, “Eyes Drive,” looks to educate young drivers and prevent the use of cell phones while operating a vehicle.

The driving course contained three stations that gave participants experiences of possible real-world situations. The first test I partook in had me hit the gas and accelerate towards a three-cone lane and slam on the brakes. This gave me the chance to experience ABS firsthand and manipulate the car in a way that I could steer and come to a complete stop. The experience was great and built up my confidence. Before doing this, I was nervous that braking with such force and turning could hurt the wheels and possibly flip the car.

My second driving test was a skid test. They hooked up rear wheel rigs that suspended the back wheels high enough to take the weight off the rear portion of the car to ensure a drift at every turn. This simulates what could happen on any icy, slick road. I personally struggled with this portion of the segment because I was taught to let the wheel slide through my hands. Professional Dane Carter told me that this habit is very dangerous because it gives me a lack of control of the vehicle in case of potholes or other unexpected obstacles.

The third and final portion of the segment taught me invasive lane change. This can come in handy if a semi truck in front of you drops items or if an unexpected accident happens in front of your car. In this test, the driver was expected to accelerate towards three cone lanes and a man with two flags. As you approach, the instructor would wave a flag right of left to indicate which lane you would turn to. Once you were secure in the lane you apply the brakes and go for another chance. This was my favorite part of the whole class as I excelled in this field and enjoyed it while doing so.

This test is far better than any required driver’s ed class because instead of being in a classroom watching videos, I was out experiencing situations for myself. I was out experiencing situations for myself. I am overall a better driver and more confident behind the wheel as a young driver because of this course.