Local group teaches young adults safe driving skills at Portland Raceway

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Portland International Raceway was filled with drivers pushing their cars to the limit, but instead of racecars on the track, there were minivans and Fiats Saturday.

Mick Posner is an organizer for Tire Rack Street Survival, a nonprofit that offers courses for young adults to learn skills like skid control, emergency braking and how to correct oversteering and understeering.

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“We believe the last place you want to learn how to control a skid is on the public streets,” Posner said. “By bringing in controlled exercises setting up scenarios that replicate what’s going to happen on the streets, we give those young adults a bit of muscle memory to what to expect if that happens and how to control it.”

Before students hit the track, their cars are tested to make sure their cars meet at least a three-star rollover rating.

“The sad statistic is that teens, young adults, 15 to 19-year-olds are three times more likely to be involved a traffic accident,” Posner said. “So tire rack street survival is all about giving those young adults the hands on experience that might save their lives in the future.”

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Student Ethan Chapman said the course helped him feel more confident, especially on slick roads.

“I know that I can practice it without having people in the way of harm,” Chapman said.

The course also puts parents like Leslie Turner at ease, knowing their child is prepared to hit the road.

“Being able to practice in a controlled environment would be helpful in learning what to do in emergency situations or just when you come upon things that we often do,” Turner said.

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