The 2015 Ford Focus is available with driver assist technologies such as Blind Spot Information System with Cross-Traffic Alert and Lane-Keeping System. Those are helpful features, but there’s a lot to be said for solid driving skills.
New, teenage drivers are hitting American highways every day. They need to be prepared for a variety of potential on-road situations. This summer, Ford wants to get teen drivers ready – and keep them from learning about driving hazards the hard way.
Until August 7, the Blue Oval will be hosting Ford Driving Skills for Life (DSFL), a free camp in which young drivers will learn things such as how to handle a vehicle on slippery pavement, react to an animal crossing in front of them on the road, recognize hazards, and manage their speed and space.
According to Ford, participants “will also learn the dangers of impaired driving through the use of a special suit and goggles that mimic how being under the influence of alcohol or drugs slows movements, reduces coordination and blurs vision.”
That’s especially important because even teens drink and drive. Ford knows that. In fact, it will be hosting DSFL in the six states – North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Wyoming – that the Centers for Disease Control have identified as those that have the highest percentage of teens ages 16 or older who’ve claimed they drink and drive. The full DSFL schedule is below:
-July 7-8, Fargo, North Dakota
-July 11-12, Omaha, Nebraska
-July 15-16, Des Moines, Iowa
-July 18-19, Madison, Wisconsin
-July 25-26, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
-Aug. 6-7, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Four half-day sessions will be offered in each city, but registering at www.drivingskillsforlife.com for one of them will be enough. Your teen will need a signed consent form and a valid driver’s license or permit.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
