CONCORD, N.C. — Ten years ago, Doug Herbert, a successful race car driver, lost his two teen sons when they were killed in a violent car crash.
“It was a Saturday and on that Monday I went to their school," he said.
Herbert said his oldest son, John, was driving recklessly; James sat in the passenger seat.
“I knew I wanted to do something; I didn’t want another parent to get the call that I did," he said.
Herbert was shocked to learn car crashes were the number one killer of teens.
“I decided I wanted to do something about it. That was something I knew about, and I was gonna make something happen," he said.
Spurred by the loss, Herbert started B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe) -- a school that train teens to drive defensively.
The first class was in 2008 – just for John and James' friends. Now there are classes across the country every weekend.
So far, 35,000 kids have participated in the driving school; although, most kids don’t want to be there at first.
“My dad kind of made me,” one teen told NBC Charlotte.
Each class starts the same way – with a news story about John and James and the reason B.R.A.K.E.S. got started.
“It goes from being loud -- to you can hear a pin drop. Everybody realizes why they’re there," said Herbert.
The instructors are guys that teach the Secret Service agents defensive driving techniques. In the four-hour class, kids learn about skidding and anti-lock brakes. They even wear drunk goggles.
Afterward, letters pour in from grateful parents.
“I look at it as John and James saving their life. I’m just the guy that helps make it happen," Herbert said. "I was lucky enough to win 30 races, flew my own plane, had a great time, but this is more of a win than anything else."
A recent study showed kids who go through the B.R.A.K.E.S. class are 64 percent less likely to be in a car wreck. It's free of charge, but there is a waiting list in Concord.
