NASCAR youngster wants to improve teen driver safety

Most 20-year-olds would have their licenses stripped if they were caught driving a used Ford F-150 in New York at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour, or worse.

But Colin Braun drives specially-designed versions of the truck on racetracks that host the Nascar Truck Series, and he wants to bring his experience and youth to the Ford Driving Skills for Life program.

The initiative is designed to reduce the number of traffic fatalities caused by teen drivers, which is currently about three times the rate of other motorists by instruction in handling, recognizing hazards and space management.

“I think teenagers are more likely to listen to a message coming from someone closer to their own age, so I hope my involvement will make a difference teaching young drivers how to be safer on the road,” said Braun. “Having grown up racing all my life, I learned early on there is a time and place for driving fast, but public roads are not it.”

DSFL is a private expansion of state-based driver education for teens who may be considering used cars in New York as more affordable alternatives to newer cars.