Sitting in the passenger seat next to your child who has never driven before is possibly the most terrifying thing I have ever done as a parent. I thought it would be fun. I was looking forward to teaching him how to drive, until it was actually happening.
Then I had the unsettling realization that both his life and mine were now in the hands of someone who had no idea what he was doing. My husband and the driver’s education teacher took over the driving lessons from there. I don’t have the fortitude for it.
Since I still have three more children to reach driving age, I’m excited to learn about Toyota’s kartSTART program. It is a creative way to teach young children about driving skills.
Presented by Toyota and Russ Bond, retired professional racing driver, kartSTART is a unique family driving education program that is designed to give tweens and teens (ages 10-16) and their families a true, real-world understanding of the physics behind driving a motorized vehicle. It’s a truly unique and seriously FUN half-day course that gives participants the opportunity to learn some fundamentals of driving skills and safety in a vehicle just their size – a go-kart! The program (valued at $250) includes a professional Racing Kart, Qualified Instructors, use of a Snell approved Helmet, the use of CIK Racing Suit to really get them looking the part, a Safety Driving exercise for the whole family and a catered Lunch.
Toyota’s kartSTART is a national program taking place at select racing speedway locations across Canada. Gift certificates for the holidays are available for purchase and those that purchase it as a holiday gift receive priority registration. The price point is $79+ HST. It’s absolutely adorable, the kids have a blast and it’s truly helping them develop a life skill. The courses take place in the summer months, so it’s a great gift kids can mark on their calendar to look forward to.
2016 Tentative Dates
- Chilliwack Area – Greg Moore Raceway July 3 & 6 – Chilliwack, BC – kartSTART
- Alberta (Red Deer or Edmonton Area – TBC) July 10 to 12 – kartSTART
- Saskatchewan (Regina or Saskatoon – TBC) July 17 & 19 – kartSTART
- Ontario West (Delaware or Flamborough – TBC) July 25 to 28 – kartSTART
- Toronto Area – Sunset Speedway August 2 to 5 – Innisfil, ON – kartSTART
- Montreal Area – Autodrome August 8 to 11 – Saint Eustache, Québec – kartSTART
- Trois-Rivières – SC Performance August 15 to 17 – Saint-Célestin, Québec – kartSTART
- Moncton Area – Champlain Motorsports Park August 21 to 23– Dieppe, NB – kartSTART
- Nova Scotia (Halifax Area – TBC) August 28 to 30 – kartSTART
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