About this event
MBCA Safe Drivers - Safe Families
Driver Education
Our training is designed to teach adapt driving at fairly low speeds to simulate a variety of highway driving situations. It gives the participant the opportunity to add alternative maneuvers to their driving knowledge when an emergency situation occurs. It is knowing what your car can do to you - and what you can do to your car. Accidents happen in a split second. Adept driving may help drivers gain an extra second in reaction time in that emergency situation and that second may just save their lifes. In an emergency, every second counts.
Two courses are being offered under the Safe Drivers - Safe Families umbrella.
Driver Improvement Course for the more seasoned driver who wants to update his/her driving skills
Young Driver Course where we will be teaching basic driving skills and car knowledge to our younger students and new drivers.
In the morning, the class begins with a brief classroom instruction, where participants will learn proper seat and mirror adjustment, steering techniques, braking, foot position, tire patch theory and car dynamics. Then participants will drive through the various stations we have set up in a parking lot, with an instructor at their side at all times. We will have them practice avoiding an obstacle in the road, proper hard braking technique and steering through slalom to feel the cars dynamics. They will also experience the feel and sounds of their ABS brakes. We will take them through several times until they feel confident or when we feel they have successfully completed the course.
Lunch Break - A small lunch and soft drinks are included in the registration fee.
In the afternoon, we will re-design the course, making an AutoCross Lite. We basically connect the cones from the morning sessions so that there is a continuous flow through the course. Participants will be able to drive through this course (once with instructor) and review the skills they learned in the morning session. The object is to practice some of the techniques learned and to have fun driving through the course as quickly as possible without knocking down any of the cones. Sometimes we take people through a few times until they feel comfortable and then ask them if they want to be timed. There will be certificates and awards but not necessarily only for the fastest!
Note: We want people to bring the CAR THEY DRIVE EVERY DAY (it does not have to be a Mercedes). Especially students in the Young Driver Course, we want them to bring the vehicle they drive daily, not necessarily mom and dad’s car.
| Driver Improvement Course |
Young Driver Course |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, May 24th | Early Bird* | Regular | Early Bird* | Regular |
| MBCA Members & Spouses | $60 | $75 | $50 | $60 |
| Non-Members | $79 | $89 | $50 | $60 |
|
*before May 16, 2014 |
Event requirements
The Safe Drivers - Safe Families was developed by the Mercedes-Benz Club of America for its members and their families However, we wholeheartedly invite neighboring MBCA sections and all other Mercedes enthusiasts. In fact, we invite any driver interested in updating and honing his or her everyday driving skills as well as all novice drivers eager to get expert coaching wheater he or she own a Mercede-Benz car or not.
To get the member discount you must be an active member in the Mercedes-Benz Club of America. Please have your membership number available to complete this registration. If you are not a member of MBCA, you can join online now at www.mbca.org/join-today.
"Early bird" entry fees are good until May 16, 2014. There is a maximum of 30 spots available for each segment. Registration closes May 27 at midnight unless it sells out earlier.
|
Time |
Activity |
Location / Presenters |
|
07:30 -
09:00 – 09:30
|
Helpers Meeting
Registration Welcome, Introduction to the course and coaches, students assignment |
North Parking - Powerade Centre Harald von Langsdorff / Doug Dees / Frank & Mary Alice Cozz |
|
09:30 – 10:00 |
Car Safety Clinic: Mechanical and safety check |
Parking Lot - Powerade Centre |
|
10:00 – 10:30 |
Meeting: Focus and thinking ahead, ABS systems, vehicle dynamics and control |
Classroom |
|
10:30 – 12:00 |
Driving Clinic: Defensive Driving Exercises, Collision Avoidance, Backing up into box, Slalom … |
Instructions in theory and technique, riding with students |
|
12:00 – 13:00 |
Lunch Break |
Classroom |
|
13:00 – 15:00 |
AutoCross: Looking ahead and thinking ahead |
Short briefing on technique, comments and coaching |
|
15:00 – 15:30 |
Meeting: Review of vehicle dynamics and car control |
Classroom |
|
15:30 – 16:00 |
Final Words & Awards |
Classroom & Outside |
