BCAT News

The Burlington Police Department has partnered with In Control Crash Prevention & the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security for a Crash Prevention 101 Training course for Burlington teens and adults.

“Our goal is to reduce crashes and save lives, and we believe this hands-on program is really the best way to do it,” said Dan Strollo, Executive Director of In Control Family Foundation.

In Control’s main goal is to get people to participate in their hands-on drivers training. The foundation has a long-standing relationship with the Burlington Police Department, having trained the BPD Officers in Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC) vehicle training in the past. In Control programs are also available in schools.

In Control instructs drivers of all ages in emergency situations and teaches them skills to get themselves out of trouble, particularly younger drivers. The training proactively teaches drivers to avoid problems on the road. The four and half hour program partners drivers with state certified driving instructors, usually with a background in automobile racing.

“We’re not trying to promote racing or encourage these kids to become race car drivers, it’s just they’re the experts in vehicle dynamics,” explained Strollo.

The training takes place on an airfield where instructors demonstrate the drills, then the driver has to perform the drill on their own. For example, the driver must perform a 60-mile-per-hour panic stop.

“You can imagine it’s pretty intimidating. The car makes noises they’ve never heard before, the pedal is bouncing around, the steering wheel is rocking,” Stollo described.

Drivers repeat the drills until they’ve mastered them.

“Right now, 70 to 75 percent of kids who get a license crash in the next few years,” said Strollo.

According to Strollo the U.S. was once #1 in the world for lowest crash rates, but now stands at 40th place. This why In Control endeavors to put young, inexperienced driver in an emergency situation and teach them the right skills,

“Graduates of our program enjoy insurance discounts, but at the end of the day the main benefit of it is you’re far less likely to crash,” said Strollo. “We want to make the roads safer”

To enroll or for more about the In Control Crash Prevention 101 Training contact the Burlington Police Traffic Division at 781-505-1940