TAMPA, Fla. – With Tampa’s roads busier than ever, it can be challenging for teen drivers learning how to get around safely.

When student Angel Muniz got behind the wheel for the first time, he was grateful it wasn’t on one of those busy roads. 

Instead, it was on a controlled course in Hillsborough County.

“They put you in real-life scenarios,” Muniz said. “But they make it enjoyable to do.”

He’s talking about the Teen Driver Challenge.

Instructors with the Florida Sherriff’s Association teach teens how to drive, giving them different scenarios to drive in, like learning how to make an evasive maneuver.

“I’m learning how to deal with other people on the road,” Muniz said. “And what to do in these situations. That’s not something you learn in a Driver’s Ed class or something. They’re specific scenarios.”

The Teen Driver Challenge is provided for free by the Florida Sherriff’s Association. It first started in 2007 and is now in 39 counties across the state, including Hillsborough, Pinellas and Polk.

State Farm just donated $75,000 to the program to help keep Florida roads safe.

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), teen drivers are involved in three times as many deadly crashes as other drivers.

The Teen Driver Challenge focuses on crash factors like speeding, DUI, and distracted driving.

That’s why Muniz is thankful to have this kind of instruction.

“I think a lot of teens think it would be boring or why am I taking a driving course?” he said. “It’s pretty fun, actually. And you learn new things.”

According to a news release, State Farm has granted nearly $1 million to the Teen Driver Challenge since 2011.

More than 2,000 teens participate in the challenge in Florida every year.