LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville teens learned lifesaving skills this weekend. More than 350 new drivers got hands-on experience through the Ford Driving Skills for Life program.

Teens learned safe driving tips from professional drivers.

“We use scooters ... to see the perspective of a scooter and try not to hit them with our doors, and we do another one where we go really fast in the car and we switch lanes at the last minute and try to stop and not hit the cones,” said 17-year-old Katherine Hagan, a teen driver participating in the program.

As a newly licensed driver, Hagan said there are some maneuvers that concern her.

“I get really nervous when driving, especially going on the highway, trying to merge and just going fast … I don't go that fast over the speed limit,” Hagan said.

At this weekend’s free clinic, Hagan learned about vehicle handling, hazard recognition and more, all while driving with drunk goggles and other kinds of distractions.

“I think it’s really helpful," she said. "It's definitely different than what I thought it was. I thought it was more like a classroom or just watching things, but it's very interactive."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 12% of accidents involving young drivers resulted in fatalities in Kentucky. Program officials said teaching people at a young age will hopefully influence future generations.

“The Ford Fund believes that everybody in the mobility scheme going from point A to point B should have an equitable and safe chance to travel from point A to point B,” said Mike Speck, manager for Ford Driving Skills for Life.

The program not only involves driver training but also scooter, cyclist and pedestrian training.

“I drive a sedan, but here we drive SUVs, the sedan and then we drove the scooters," Hagan said. "It's definitely diverse."

The Ford Driving Skills for Life program began in 2003 and is backed by the Ford Motor Company Fund.