Street_Survival

BMW Car Club of America

Central California Chapter

This is not your high school driver's ed course.

The primary emphasis of the Street Survival school is a "hands-on" driving experience simulating real-world situations. We use your own car to teach you about its handling limits and how you can control them.

This is not a course for learning how to drive your car at high speeds. Safety and car control are our objectives. Saving your life is the result!

This school is sponsored by the Street Survival program.

A big THANK YOU to all the volunteers (including parents) that dedicated their time and skill for the Street Survival Schools in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011. From setting up the course and registration to running the exercises and the final take down of the cones, everyone did an OUTSTANDING job and we could not have done it without your help. There were a number of comments noting how smoothly things were run and what a great experience the day was. One comment from a parent I’d like to share went something like this:

“…the fact that you are all out here volunteering your time to make this happen impresses upon the students just how important the skills you're teaching really are.”

It was quite rewarding to see the students learn so much, so quickly and to see that “light bulb” go on and the kids exclaim “I get it!”. After a “chalk talk” explaining each exercise and a few runs through, they skillfully navigated the slalom (weight transfer, looking ahead), circled around the skid-pad (understeer, oversteer, skid correction) and ran through the braking exercises (threshold braking and accident avoidance) like they’d been doing it for years. They certainly learned a great deal and their car control skills improved measurably.

Thank you, Students, for coming out and having a fun and educational day. You've learned car control skills that will make you a more aware and safer driver and judgement skills that will help keep you safe.

Thank you, Parents, for supporting your children in programs such as this. We hope you enjoyed seeing them progress through the day. They are now among a very small percentage of licensed drivers that have had a course like the Street Survival School. You've helped put them in a class of their own....

So, CONGRATULATIONS to each and every one of you for making our first Street Survival School an overwhelming success! Your dedication and enthusiasm were the defining characteristics that made for a successful event. There were many individuals involved, from planning all the way through the wrap up after the event and each and every contribution was valued and appreciated. I want to send a special thanks to Debbie for not only finding the new location to make the event possible, but her incredible help in organizing and planning! Great t-shirts by the way - “The Ultimate Driver’s Ed” – very creative! I also want to thank Bob for making the trip down from the Bay Area and the insight and input he offered for our school. We’ve experienced what it takes to put on a successful school and we’ve learned a few things that will make the next one better - we’ll make sure every volunteer gets a longer break for lunch next time!

Again, thank you for a job well done – you should all be proud!

Sincerely,
Frank Reed
Chairman, Street Survival School
Central California Chapter, BMW CCA

Your Teen Can Become a Safer, Smarter Driver!

Street Survival is a unique hands-on driving experience that puts each student behind the wheel of his or her own car with a trained coach one on one, all day. The goals of the Street Survival program are to teach students some of the basics of car control, to enhance their enjoyment of driving and to improve their competence as drivers. We want the students to understand how their actions govern a car's responses, and as a result to become safer, more effective drivers on the road.

During the event, students will maneuver their cars through exercises laid out using orange traffic safety cones in a closed parking lot. Each element will teach the students a specific skill or group of skills and they will experience each exercise element several times in order to learn from their mistakes. A trained driving coach will accompany each student to provide real-time feedback while performing maneuvers. Students will experience emergency driving situations in a controlled environment including skid control, ABS braking, accident avoidance, and emergency lane changes among many other good driving skills and habits.

Students will learn how to properly use their own cars based on the physics of car control. They will learn how their cars feel and sound just before and as they exceed the limits of tire adhesion in a controlled situation, helping them to avoid accidents in actual everyday driving situations. The exercise elements are laid out in advance and are designed to be fun, safe, challenging and educational.

There is no stopwatch, nor head-to-head competition with other cars. The students are here to improve their skills, not to compare themselves with someone else. Safety is our prime concern.

Fresno School Information:

Date: Sept. 8, 2012

Time: 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM

Location: Fresno Fairgrounds

Cost: $75 (includes lunch and new membership in the BMW Car Club of America)

For further details, student driver requirements and videos, please visit the Street Survival web site at www.streetsurvival.org.

This school is staffed by volunteers from the Central California Chapter of the BMW Car Club of America.

Please note: Due to the differences in vehicle dynamics, SUVs and other High Center of Gravity vehicles are not able to participate in this school