Behind every good driver is a great charity. In talking with Justin Johnson today I learned as to what charity he is involved with, Put on the BRAKES. Justin was very gracious to open up and explain as to what the charity is.
Put on the BRAKES was founded by Doug Herbert, an NHRA Driver, after he experienced the worst tragedy that any parent could ever think of dealing with; the death of two of his children in a car accident. In the light of the accident, Doug started the non-profit charity and driving school called “Put on the BRAKES” and BRAKES stands for Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe.
This is a charity to get awareness out to everyone, young or old, about the dangers that can occur while driving. The driving school is for teenagers between the ages of 15-19 and parents pay $75 to enroll their child into the school. Once enrolled, students get to learn how to drive in adverse conditions and learn from professional drivers and instructors. Justin Johnson is one of the instructors at the school. Other NASCAR drivers that are involved are Brian Vickers, Kyle Busch and NHRA drivers.
Some of the courses at the school are Skid Pad, Panic Stops, Accident Avoidance, Distractions, Slalom and Off Road Recovery. Justin was discussing with me that in the distractions course they make teens text while driving through a coned course to teach teens that driving requires all of your attention.
Justin also informed me that they can wire a system into the teens’ cars to alert their parents as to when their teen has their cell phone out or is texting. The system is like a GPS and the parents know where their teen is at every moment in the car. Also, at the end of the schooling period the parents are given the $75 back and they can then either donate the money to the charity or keep it. Justin says that the majority of parents then donate the check right back into the charity.
Thank-you to Justin Johnson for giving me insight into the Put on the BRAKES charity and I hope that everyone takes driving very seriously. Help prevent accidents! To donate or more information on BRAKES go to: http://www.putonthebrakes.org/home.html