Free Event to Train Teen Drivers Aims to Save Lives

Register your teen for the Ford Driving Skills for Life event in Anaheim on Aug. 16 and 17, and join Federico E. Vaca, MD, MPH, in helping to keep young drivers safe.

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for teens in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The harsh reality of this statistic is a motivating factor for Federico E. Vaca, MD, MPH, professor and executive vice chair of emergency medicine at UC Irvine’s School of Medicine.

“For me, it started as a result of caring for my patients and their families in the emergency department and trauma center, trying to save the lives of motor vehicle crash victims,” says Vaca. “That was plenty enough motivation for me to get beyond the doors of the emergency department and into the community to be part of the solution in reducing motor vehicle crash injury, disability and death.”

Vaca now leads the Brain, Body & Behavior Driving Simulation Research Lab (B3DrivSim Lab) at UC Irvine, exploring data-backed methods for keeping young drivers safe on the roadways. His research resulted in a $1 million grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The grant supports the lab’s Youth Thriving in Life Transitions with Transportation program, focused on traffic injury prevention and road safety in California.

Through that program, Vaca is collaborating with Ford Philanthropy for its signature Driving Skills for Life event at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Aug. 16-17, 2025.

Driving Skills for Life

Teens aged 16 to 19 with a permit or license can register for one of six Driving Skills for Life sessions, where they will gain hands-on driver training with a professional instructor. Participants learn to recognize hazards, handle their vehicle and manage its speed, and avoid the dangers of distracted and impaired driving.

Recalling the horrific car crash that resulted in the tragic loss of life for five teenagers this past April, Vaca encourages teens from Santa Ana to attend.

“We’re really excited about this free, high-visibility prevention training event,” he says. “My team and I will be there to interact with participants and their families and our community partners.” In addition to Ford Philanthropy, such partners include the community-based organization GREEN-MPNA and the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA).

“It’s a positive opportunity to really benefit the whole community,” says Vaca. “As we like to say, safer young drivers keep families happier and allow for a safer community.”

Understanding Crash-Injury Risk and Prevention

The event compliments Vaca’s work in education and epidemiology to prevent serious and fatal crashes. “It’s an important sidebar to our overall efforts to educate young drivers, who are well known to be more vulnerable when it comes to driving,” says Vaca. “We’re exposing them to the opportunities and responsibilities of independent transportation and how it can impact their health, education and employment as they prepare for early adulthood.”

The B3DrivSim Lab is a critical tool for advancing Vaca’s efforts to protect young drivers. “In the lab, we can directly observe their behaviors while they drive and put them in very challenging situations for the purpose of learning more about preventing crashes, and no one gets hurt,” he says.

Vaca’s research and program work, funded by the NIH and the California Office of Traffic Safety, has already informed curriculum development to educate teens. “When taking on the privilege of driving, we want teens to be intentionally mindful of how it can impact their lives, those they love, and their community,” says Vaca. “In all of our work, we aim to understand more about crash prevention and safety so that our teens can flourish in emerging adulthood.”