Cosmi's favorite was the skid recovery -- a part of the course designed to teach drivers how to navigate on wet or icy roads. The cars, which were limited to speeds of 25 mph, were outfitted with tires that simulated the feeling of skidding around tight turns.

The spinouts in a controlled environment can be fun, Cosmi said, but it's still a serious technique to master. Cosmi has experienced a real spinout, so he has first-hand experience on how unnerving it can be.

It took Cosmi a couple of tries, but by the fourth attempt, he got the hang of how to make the turns.

"Yeah, a little drifting action there," Cosmi said with a smile. "You don't typically get that in the vehicle."

Herbert, who was a professional driver and organized the driving course after his two sons, Jon and James, were killed in a car crash in 2008, compared driving to reading a play on the field. The players have to know what's coming next to execute the play successfully, he said, and they can't do that if they aren't paying attention.

"I'd drive these race cars going 330 mph," Herbert said. "Well, I guarantee you I am 100% focused on it. Because my life depends on it. And it's no different than driving here."

Another lesson the instructors teach is how to properly eliminate a be aware of blind spots in rear view mirrors. Rivera hasn't driven the course himself, but he has been in the vehicle with someone else at the wheel. The result is "a very stark reality."

"You're sitting there and you have no idea that there's this car in your blind spot," Rivera said. "And then the instructor says, 'Now, look down and see that car.' I said, 'Oh my gosh, I never knew it was there.' He said, 'Exactly. That's the whole point of this.'"

According to the B.R.A.K.E.S. organization, graduates are 64% less likely to get in a crash within their first three years of driving. It's far from where Herbert and his instructors would like it, but it does arm driver with more information on how to safely navigate the road.

"It was very informative to get behind the wheel, just being able to get behind the wheel and learn some stuff that you typically won't learn in a driving course," Cosmi said.