Isaac Brott "was always smiling," remembered Jessica Lewin, "whenever I saw him in class."

The only time she sees his smile now is in her memories.

Brott died in September when the BMW sedan he was riding in slammed into an eastbound cattle truck in Novato. The driver was drunk and unlicensed. Brott, 15, wasn't even supposed to be in the car, according to Lewin, who went to middle school and attended Novato High with Brott.

Lewin wasn't in the car, but the pain from that incident rushed back as she sat with her parents looking at photos of fatal crashes.

Lewin, a 16-year-old Novato High student, was one of six teens attending the Start Smart safe driving class at the California Highway Patrol office in Corte Madera on Wednesday night. The class, which targets teen drivers and their parents, has a "scared straight" feel, but there were some laughs during the two-hour session.

San Marin High student Matteo Capretta entertained the audience as he tried to walk a straight line while wearing a pair of goggles specifically designed to simulate the effects of being intoxicated.

"Not even on the line," CHP officer Chris Rardin chided jokingly as Capretta struggled to maintain his balance. Capretta was also hampered somewhat by a broken ankle suffered recently, but admitted it would have been difficult to pass the standard sobriety field test anyway.

Patricia Capretta sat with her son and gripped his hand as they watched "Red Asphalt," the movie that has been a standard element in teen driving classes for years. The instructional — and frightening — film shows video taken by California police officers responding to fatal crashes involving teens.

"Why do we show 'Red Asphalt'? Partly to scare you, yes," said Rardin, who was one of the officers on the scene at the fatal accident that killed Brott. He was the only sober teen in the car, according to Rardin.

"On TV, it's the bad guy or the one who's drunk who gets into an accident and is killed. That's TV. In reality, that's not always the case. Sometimes it's the guy whose only mistake was getting in the car," he said.

Accidents involving teens account for 14 percent of the traffic deaths in California. The leading cause of death for Americans ages 15-20 is motor vehicle collisions. The most common causes of accidents are driving under the influence, distracted driving, speeding and just showing off.

Law enforcement officers reported 964 DUIs in Marin County in 2010, a relatively low number compared to other Bay Area counties. But driving under the influence isn't even the most dangerous thing teen drivers do. Studies suggested texting while driving can be far more dangerous than driving drunk.

"I'm probably going to be the one driving home, but I'm a little scared now," Lewin said. "I probably won't talk to anyone on the phone when I drive, at least not without a hands-free (device)."

The class, offered for no charge to teens and parents, helps fill a void created as several schools in the state are cutting drivers education classes.

"It's disappointing that they don't have those classes in schools. It's placing the burden on parents more," said Werner Lewin, who paid for a series of driving lessons for his daughter. "This was a great class."

Rardin offered several useful pieces of information and reminded parents that not only are they legally responsible for their teen drivers, but they also have the authority to revoke the driver's license of their child under the age of 18. That brought a smile and several warnings from the parents who came to the class with their children.

While the teens in the class were shy to ask questions, the adults peppered Rardin with questions.

"I liked the questions. It's great that we get that interaction," Rardin said.

The next class is scheduled for Feb. 9. Contact Rardin at (415) 924-1100 ext. 218 for more information.