Nonprofit organization works to eliminate deadly car accidents involving teenagers

ROANOKE, Va. – Teen Driving Solutions’s guiding principle is that its students should always reach their destination alive.

“Just been kinda exposed to this for many many years and I finally decided it’s time someone do something about it,” Founder Daniel Wagner said.

When Wagner was just 14 years old, he was forced to say goodbye to a close friend. Now, he is working to reduce the number of fatalities among young people who are involved in car accidents. According to the findings of the Insurance Information Institute, teenage drivers make up 5.1 percent of all motorists. However, they were responsible for 8.5 percent of all fatal accidents in 2020.

“We are here to end the epidemic of automobile driving for teens being the leading cause for death,” explained Wagner.

The parents and their children will get instruction in both the classroom and on the track during the course of the two-day event.

“For every parent, I think you want your children to come home safe,” said Charlotte parent Chris Eddings.

The training that was held at the Virginia International Raceway was attended by 22 families from the states of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Mae Jacobs, who is now 16 years old, was born in Lynchburg. She said that the training on how to prevent accidents gave her the courage to go back on the road.

“How to fix oversteer and understeer. That was honestly something I was a little worried about but now I know how to handle it,” said Jacobs.

After finishing the training, the school discovered that 98 percent of its graduates had a safe driving record over a period of four years.

“We get them to think differently about the entire qualification and requirement,” added Wagner. “And we give them all the skills to control that vehicle safely in whatever condition they find themselves.”

The next Driving school is scheduled for October.