Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

SHERIFF’S OFFICE OFFERS ADVANCED TEEN DRIVING PROGRAM 

The Volusia County Sheriff's office offers a program designed to train teenage drivers to avoid deadly traffic crashes through a variety of advanced driving skills. The course called, Collision Avoidance Training, or C.A.T., is a 12-hour course taught over two days that trains teens how to prevent crashes through defensive driving techniques and evasive maneuvers. The course goes well beyond the basics of automobile operations, teaching young drivers life-saving skills such as the proper way to safely maneuver corners, brake during emergencies and recover from a skid. "This is the absolute best driving program I’ve ever seen," said Sheriff Ben Johnson. "This isn’t just designed to teach teens to get their driver’s license. This course is designed to save their lives once they get their driver’s license and get behind the wheel." 

The C.A.T. program provides a mixture of classroom instruction and hands-on driver training at the Sheriff’s Office’s driving track in DeLand. “If we save one kid, it means a lot,” added Sheriff Johnson. “We can actually put them in a car and let them skid. They can actually get out there and find out what a vehicle can and can’t do.” 

The cost of the course is $165 and classes are held monthly. Participants must provide their own car. Anyone seeking more information or an enrollment packet can call the Sheriff’s Office Training Section program coordinator, Kathy Daniels, at (386) 239-6522.