Part 3 - Defensive Driving Training

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by KYW's Michelle Durham

All new agents are required to go through defensive driving classes so they know what their cars are capable of doing during high speed chases.  New agents take turns being navigators and drivers during a violent two- to three-minute exercise!

Instructor Mark Averi took my partner Brant and I through the series of hairpin twists and serpentine turns.  On some of this course you have to drive backwards. There are points off for hitting a cone, losing control of the vehicle, or any other mistake you make.

We're in Car 65 and it's my turn to drive:

"The most important thing (is to) keep your eyes up.  Don't look at what you don't want to hit.  Make sure you off set:  turn right to go left; left to go right." 

"All right, it's on you!"

(Brant): "Go through those cones and be prepared to make an immediate right.  Once you get through these, you want to curve it out a bit and take a right through these cones..."

(Michelle): "Right through?"

(Brant): "And then you are going to the left through these … right through these, get to the end and go to the garage."

(Mark on radio): "Yeah, that's the way to do it 65...."

(Brant): "Don't use the brakes."

(Mark on radio): "Get off the brakes 65."

(Brant): "Now right through here."

At the end of class, the scores!

"Brant  2:28..two cones..85 and Michelle 2:37 with three cones.  Seventy-eight final, so you would have had a passing score."