Bridgestone will host its free Teens Drive Smart driving program at Firestone Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 20, offering northeast Ohio teenagers professional instruction in defensive driving and vehicle safety.
The half-day program features two sessions: 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. at the historic stadium located at 1575 Firestone Parkway. Registration is open at Akron.TeensDriveSmart2025.com.
Participants must be 15–21 years old with a valid license or learner’s permit. Teens with at least 30 hours of driving experience will benefit most from the instruction, according to Bridgestone.
The program goes beyond traditional driver’s education by focusing on vehicle control techniques, handling adverse weather conditions and preventing accidents. In contrast to basic rules covered in traditional driver’s education, Teens Drive Smart teaches accident prevention, hazardous weather best practices, and the dangers of distracted driving.
Professional instructors with motorsports, stunt driving and test track backgrounds will lead the training. The Akron program will feature Jonathon Bruhin, Consumer Sales Training Manager at Bridgestone Americas, alongside professional instructors with motorsports, stunt driving, and test track backgrounds.
The curriculum includes four modules: vehicle dynamics, lane-change exercises, distracted-driving simulations and basic car maintenance. Participants receive both classroom instruction and hands-on driving exercises in a controlled environment.
According to the Department of Transportation, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States. Bridgestone developed Teens Drive Smart to combat this statistic.
Akron is the third city to host a Teens Drive Smart event in 2025, following Nashville and Houston. The program, launched in 2003, has trained more than 30,000 teens nationwide.
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