No mother wants her kid to be pulled out of a car that looks like this. That’s why we’re doing a repeat performance of a recent giveaway that was VERY popular with local moms of teenagers. Our sponsor, Driving Academy of Northwest Arkansas, has graciously agreed to give one more scholarship to a local mom so she can send her teenager (age 14 and up) through comprehensive driver training at the Academy — a scholarship valued at $525. (If you don’t have a teen, please tell your friends who do have teen drivers about this giveaway.)
One of the reasons the first Driving Academy scholarship giveaway was so popular is because moms of teenagers get very concerned when they read this scary statistic: Motor-vehicle collisions are the number one cause of death for ages 15-24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This comprehensive course offered by the Driving Academy of NWA includes a week of classroom instruction (30 hours) as well as 6 hours of private, one-on-one driving lessons with a certified instructor. (A parent is allowed and encouraged to ride along during the private driving lessons with their teen driver and the certified instructor.)
Fyi: My own 14-year-old son (pictured right) attended the Driving Academy course this summer and passed his written learner’s permit test last month. Woo-hoo! He is in the process of doing the private driving lessons now. The course has been phenomenal for him. He has learned SO much, and it gives me peace of mind that we’re doing everything we can to ensure that he’ll be safe on the road.
Keep in mind that, for many parents, having your child complete driver education training may help you qualify for a discount on your teen driver’s insurance. (Check with your agent for details.) There are several different dates to choose from when scheduling the week-long classroom training as well as the private driving lessons.
ABOUT THE COURSE: Far more important than the insurance discount, this course can turn your new driver into one who is more prepared not only for normal driving situations but also the unexpected ones that often cause life-threatening collisions. Training includes these must-have driving skills as well as many others:
Skid-recovery- Unique driving hazards for young drivers
- How to drive in bad weather
- What to do when a wheel goes off the road
- Speed management
- Traffic law changes within the past 10 years
- Sharing the road with trucks, motorcycles, bicyclists, pedestrians, and others
- How to use ABS brakes the right way
- What to do if your car hydroplanes
- What to do if the brakes fail and other malfunctions
Here’s a video sneak peek of some of the other things your teen will learn during the Driving Academy course. This video will also introduce you to the course instructor and Driving Academy owner, Kimma Harper.
HOW TO ENTER: If you’d love to win a scholarship for your teen to attend the Driving Academy of Northwest Arkansas, just click HERE or click on the word “comments” (right under the headline of this post) and scroll down to the bottom of the comments posted by other moms. Then post a comment about what bad driving habit scares you most when you see other drivers doing it.
You can also email your answer to us at giveaways@nwaMotherlode.com.
If you’re still unsure about whether or not your teen needs driver training, we’d recommend you watch this video and this one before you make a decision.
INCREASE YOUR ODDS OF WINNING: Help us spread the word about this giveaway by emailing your friends and family about the giveaway. We’ll give you an extra chance to win for every person you tell. Just be sure to put giveaways@nwaMotherlode.com on the CC line of your note so we can give you proper credit.
You can also earn an extra chance to win by signing up to receive the free email newsletter we send once a week.
Our newsletter subscribers get access to the good stuff, including exclusive giveaways (like this one), information about local events, local mom interviews, recipes and more.
It’s delivered straight to your inbox so you don’t miss anything awesome. CLICK HERE to sign up. We won’t fill your inbox with info, no worries. We only send out newsletters when there’s something in it for you — and we know you’ll be interested in hearing about it.
BE SOCIAL: You can also earn extra chances to win by commenting on our Facebook page, following us on Twitter or following us on Pinterest. If you do any of those, just mention it in your comment or email so we can give you proper credit.
Good luck, mamas! We’ll use a random number generator to select the winner and we’ll notify you via email so watch your inboxes. We want to close out this post with one more video that’s a “must-see” not only for our teens but also for every one of us who have ever been tempted to send or check a text message while behind the wheel.
People on their phones!!!!!
I often see other drivers looking down at what is obviously a cell phone and also with that I often see their car gliding to one side. It terrifies me that someone I love is going to get killed by a driver who is texting or that my child may be walking and texting, meaning they are not paying attention to their surroundings. I would love to win this for my son. He is so eager to take his driving test. I think this course would help him mature and learn how to respond to caucus situations.
Bailey will be turning soon and this would be great for her. What scares me most about bad drivers is the ones that go from one lane to the next to try to get someplace faster.
Hold your hand on back of the seat while backing up. Do not look back to the front until you have stopped backing up.
Keeping “x” number of car lengths between you and the person in front of you depending on the speed you are going. My son is turning 14 this month and we really want to get him into the Driving Academy for instruction. Thanks!
People texting…
Too many follow too closely. My 14 year old needs this to learn defensive driving..
My daughter is 14 and won’t be going to the driver academy because I can’t afford it as a single mom.
Bad habits, drivers looking down, not signaling, not using a turn lane & backing up traffic.
Too many people simply do not keep their eye on the road. I see so many texting and swerving. I would love for my son to take this course!
It’s a toss up between those not using their turn signals and people on their phones.
You must be a defensive driver! Not only be conscious of what your doing, but also be conscious of everything around you!
People on their phones. I’ve seen teenagers driving down I-49 while looking down at their phones and texting. Scares me to death for them and other drivers!
distracted driving scares me. Whether it be messing with their phone or the radio. Looking away for just a few seconds is huge for a young driver. The driving academy would be great!
It is scary when a driver passes you and then enters your lane without leaving hardly any distance between your car and theirs.
Everyone has said it too, but cell phone use scares me the most for young and experienced drivers. You see people of all ages looking at their phones at lights and then taking off with phone still in hand! I trust my teenage driver not to use her phone behind the wheel, but I don’t trust other drivers to attend to the road and not their phones!!
I have 2 teens, one 17 and one 15. The 17 year old has a permit, she does alright when we are in the car with her. I’m afraid once we are not there she will be distracted by the phone, radio, friends, whatever.
My 15 year old isn’t super responsible and thinks he is invincible. I would like one or both of them to take the class so they can learn how to drive safely and appropriately.
The cell phone is the biggest concern I have for my teens who will be driving soon. Passengers and music were a big distraction when I first learned to drive, but I think the phone adds a whole new layer of distraction. Kids have seen their parents use their phones for music, gps directions, etc. It’s not just a texting thing.
People driving in the turning lane like it’s a 3rd lane is the worst and people that wave other drivers into oncoming traffic. Never pull out when you can’t see other cars for yourself!
Weaving in and out of traffic to get ahead!
Texting while driving!
People following too closely- unsafe for both cars!
Tailgating scares me the most. So many accidents could be avoided if the proper following distance was observed.
“Drive defensively, but more so, drive smart”. I would love for my teen to participate in this educational and money saving class.
Drive defensively, but drive smart. This would be well worth the participation in such a positive, educational course for my teen.
Distracted driving is the habit the scares me the most. I have a 15 year old who could benefit from the class. I follow you on facebook, pinterest, twitter, and recieve your newsletter.
This the kind of giveaway that you can not put a price on.
Distracted driving scares me the most. I follow you on facebook.
People of any age texting is so scary. Young drivers especially need to be concentrating on the road, not their phones!