17 Year Old Credits TDC

Kristin, a 17-year-old graduate of the Citrus County Sheriff's Office Teen Driver Challenge tells how the 8-hours of instruction on the driving range helped her keep her cool in an accident.

"I am 17 years old and a senior at Crystal River High, Citrus County. I took the Teen Driver Challenge this past May. I was involved in an accident this afternoon (Aug. 23, 2010), a four car domino effect in which I was the third car in line, the first one to get hit. I noticed the car in front of me braking, then braking much harder so I did the same. My ABS brakes kicked into gear and I stopped 2-3 feet away from the car in front of me. I looked into my rear view and saw the car behind me coming fast - I knew I'd get hit. Thankfully, there were no injuries. I thank the TDC for helping me in this situation. If it had not been for TDC, I would not have known and expected the feeling of the ABS brakes. Since I knew what it felt like, I kept hard on the brakes and did not let up. If not for TDC, I might not have acted the same and I would not have remained nearly as calm as I did. One potential addition to your course could maybe be the discussion of what to do if in an accident. My car was smoking and I was unsure as to what to do next. I don't recall going over these types of things in the course, although I might have forgotten about the lesson if it was included. Ultimately, THANK YOU"

-KT