JAMESTOWN, N.C. -- The sound of squealing tires echoed through Jamestown on Saturday. Fortunately it was all in a controlled environment set up to teach young drivers about real-world driving situations with some hands-on experience.

"We are tired of seeing the death of motor vehicle cases involving teenage drivers," Guilford County District Court Judge Tom Jarrell said.

Experts said young drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 account for nearly one out of every four fatal accidents in North Carolina. Officials in Guilford County hope a program like the one in Jamestown will cut that number down.

"Courses like Street Safe are the best way to educate teens on how to drive, how to be safe, what to do, and more importantly, what not to do,” Judge Jarrell added.

The program has already been picked up in other North Carolina counties.

"We're an alternative to infractions for traffic court down in New Hanover and Pender County, and we supplement driver’s ed down in New Hanover and Pender County," Street Safe founder Doug Darrell said.

"Our plans and hope is to have this be a permanent program where teen drivers, when they do get a ticket or an accident, they are required to go through this training, and we're working with the Guilford County judges,” explained Tom Wiecek, who works for Paramount Insurance, a company that sponsors Street Safe.

“We've got the support of the district's attorney's office and the judges are all on board,” Jarrell said, adding that one part of the program that makes it so effective is the contract that both parents and teenagers have to sign.

He said both parties have to understand the potential cost – both physical and financial – of reckless driving.

"Nothing will bring you to court faster than speeding in a motor vehicle,” Jarrell added.

Darrell said one thing parents can do to cut down on distractions in their teenager’s car is limit the technology. He said things like cell phones, mp3 players, and DVDs can all be too much for even the most experienced driver to ignore.