MONTVALE, N.J. -

In an educational outreach effort, Mercedes-Benz said Wednesday that it will debut a driving school in the U.S. later this year that aims to help teenagers become safer and more skillful drivers.

The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy will employ interactive classroom sessions, online teaching and behind-the-wheel training. The training will include top-notch teaching methods and employ the use of supervised practice within the structure of Graduated Driver Licensing.

The company says it hopes to “prepare students for today’s driving environment by going beyond basic car control skills and rote learning of traffic rules.”

"Despite the dramatic changes in vehicles, highways and the driving environment over the past 60 years, driver education remains relatively unchanged in the U.S.,” shared Alexander Hobbach, senior manager at Daimler AG.

“The skills required to simply get a license do not fully prepare young drivers to meet the demands of the road. Mercedes-Benz recognizes this issue and as a result is creating an educational program for the U.S. that is based on the best teaching methods and tools available,” he added.

Hobbach continued: “As a company, we have a long history and continuous efforts to improve vehicle safety, so the Driving Academy is a natural extension of Mercedes-Benz’s desire to achieve accident-free driving.

“With only 10 percent of crashes being a result of technical failure and 90 percent due to human error, Mercedes-Benz sees an opportunity to actively improve drivers’ skills, focusing first on novice drivers, who are most at risk on U.S. roads,” he concluded.