Free driving course offered to teenagers

A program to help teenage drivers improve their behind-the-wheel skills comes to the Southland next week.

Called Driver’s Edge, the half-day of classroom and on-the-road training is offered at no charge. Wait-list applications are still being taken.

Two sessions -- 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. -- are to be held April 21 at Santa Anita Park, 285 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia.

Costs for such programs run by for-profit outfits can easily hit $400, but Driver’s Edge is underwritten by sponsors including tire maker Bridgestone Americas, the CarMax Foundation and the IndyCar Series.

The program is open to drivers age 15 to 21 who hold a valid learner’s permit or driver’s license and who register in advance at www.driversedge.org.