Tires will be screeching at the Portland International Raceway on Sunday as teenage drivers get behind the wheel of their family cars and navigate a zigzagging course that forces them to make safe, split-second decisions.

It's all part of the Tire Rack Street Survival school, in which young drivers spend a day being coached by volunteers who are Oregon members of Sports Car Club of America. All of the instructors are motorsport hobbyists; some are semi-professional competitive racers.

--Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman

Sara Hottman | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Over seven years, the safe driving program has taught about 1,000 young people across the country how to better manage emergency situations and avoid being distracted by friends and devices.

The $95 fee includes a day of classes, exercises and lunch for 15- to 21-year-olds who have a driver’s license or permit.

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Tire Rack Street Survival School

With a coach in the passenger seat, the new drivers barrel into a wet skid pad to learn how to recover after spinning out of control.

They make rapid lane changes at different speeds and maneuver around orange traffic cones to practice reacting to unexpected changes.

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Sara Hottman | The Oregonian/OregonLive

The driving challenges take place mostly at low speed on a quarter-mile course designed to demonstrate safety techniques, says volunteer instructor Rio Rios of Milwaulkie, a former police officer in the U.S. Air Force and father of two grown children who has seen “the nightmares of teen driving.”

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Sara Hottman | The Oregonian/OregonLive

The students accelerate, then slam on the brakes to experience how anti-lock braking systems (ABS) work.

“It’s daunting the first time,” says Rios. “It feels as if the car is breaking apart. It’s so harsh on the senses that some drivers pull off the brake instead of continuing to apply it.”

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Tire Rack Street Survival School

By the end of the day, the students see their cars as something they can control, says Rios.

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Tire Rack Street Survival School

5 foolish driving mistakes to avoid:

Inspect the car before you get in to make sure tires are inflated properly and wheels are torqued. "These factors will affect how safe you are," says Rios.

Align the driver's seat and side mirrors for the best visibility. "There really are no blind spots if you do this right," says Rios.

Don't hold the wheel so your thumbs are over the airbag. Instructors detonate an extracted airbag to demonstrate its force.

Use both hands on the wheel. "One kid almost broke his wrist trying to make a fast lane change with one hand," says Rios. "One hand does not give you the force you need to do that maneuver."

Drive a safe car. "Because many of the instructors race, we have a good idea of which models are unsafe," says Rios. Old SUVs, trucks, Jeeps and minivans with a high center of gravity aren't allowed on the course because they are top heavy and less stable, take longer to stop and tend to fishtail during panic stops or when the road is slick, say instructors. "One parent sold a popular car after hearing it can tip or roll over," says Rios.

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