Nationally, more than 60 percent of all new drivers will be involved in a crash within the first 12 months of getting their licenses, Paul Burris said.

Burris, director of programs and training for the National Traffic Safety Academy, traveled to Woodrow Wilson High School this weekend to help Beckley police launch the first session of their collision avoidance training program for teen drivers.

“We started this program in February 2000,” Burris said, “and since that time, around 14,000 kids have gone through it.

“In the last nine years, only 7 percent of those kids have been involved in a wreck of any kind, and to date, there have been no deaths and no injuries. That’s why we are really excited.”

The program was brought to Beckley by Sgt. Jake Corey.

“We’ve been working on this for about a year,” Corey said. “The mayor ... and the chief of police received an e-mail about the program and asked if we would look into it. That’s basically what got the ball rolling.”

The first class of the new program, which is also the first program of its kind in West Virginia, kicked off Friday.

“It’s a two-day class,” Corey explained. “(Friday), they had four hours of classroom time, where they learned how to deal with distractions like texting, cell phones, alcohol and drug abuse and friends inside the vehicle.”

The practical part of the class resumed Saturday as Burris trained three students and four instructors.

“It is a test run for the officers as well,” he said.

The participants maneuvered through a course built in the high school parking lot, as officers taught them how to control acceleration and certain braking points.

The program is for already-licensed teen drivers, ranging in age from 16 to 21. Students are required to have at least 60 days’ experience.

“I truly believe that this program will save a life,” Corey said. “It’s not a beginner’s course like driver’s education. We are going to give students the skills they need to get out of an accident.”

“It’s easy enough to replace these cars,” Burris added, “but go talk to the doctor in the emergency room and ask him how many times he’s seen the kids that you don’t put back together, that are never going to be whole again.

“That’s our primary goal with this program. We want to reduce the number of crashes, but we want to reduce the injuries, severities and fatalities. That’s what this police department is going to do.”

The program is funded by the West Virginia Highway Safety Office and granted through the Southern Regional Highway Safety Office.

“They are only going to fund it one time,” Corey said, “and this was our initial start-up. So it is a fee-based class, but everything goes directly back into the program.”

Corey says the program will be offered again when the weather breaks in March, and they hope to have at least 10 teen drivers in every class.

According to Burris, graduates of the class will also receive discounted insurance rates.

For more information, contact Corey at 304-256-1717 or jcorey@beckleypd.com.

— E-mail: cclark@register-herald.com