AutoNation hosts car care clinics for young drivers across South Florida – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports
POMPANO BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) – Before teens hit the road, one car company is giving them an opportunity to learn everything they should know before they put the pedal to the metal.
As young drivers get prepared to take on the road and its many challenges, AutoNation is helping families start the school year on the right track by hosting a series of free car care clinics across South Florida.
7News cameras captured attendees at one of the events that took place Tuesday at AutoNation’s Mercedes-Benz of Pompano location.
The Pompano Beach dealership’s expert technicians shared important tips on managing a vehicle, including jump-starting a battery, properly inflating tires, including changing out a flat one, and what items to store in case of an emergency.
Matthew Pickton, Service Director at Mercedes-Benz of Pompano, said these are all very important things to know so these drivers don’t get into accidents.
“This is the time when they’re really learning about a lot of things. They don’t know how to maintain a car, they don’t know what distracted driving is,” he said. “That’s really when they can get into an accident and get hurt. We don’t want that; we want to make sure their car’s maintained well, their tires are good, they know what the right inflation is.”
Besides the trip tips, the clinics also incorporate driver safety education, in partnership with Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies, on need-to-know topics.
“We need to get the instructions out there that they need to put the phone down, text can wait, everything can wait,” said BSO Youth and Neighborhood Services Capt. Paul Auerbach. “They need to arrive alive and get to their destination safely.”
These include distracted and impaired driving to proper driving positioning, as well as what to do when they’re pulled over for a traffic violation or faced with a field sobriety test.
“It’s part of our monthly messages this month to bring awareness for safe driving habits for teens to prevent tragedies and improve driving habits,” said Auerbach.
The young adult drivers and their parents were also given an opportunity to ask questions.
Two teens, Jamesia Stephens and Rod, said they learned a lot.
“You shouldn’t have your phone when you’re driving,” said Stephens.
“I learned that you should never smoke, have drugs in the car, or drink and drive, or be drowsy or sleepy,” said Rod.
AutoNation has more car care clinics set for South Florida, including one at its Honda Miami Lakes dealership in Hialeah this coming Saturday.
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