DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 402 305 SP 037 069

TITLE Car Club Teacher's Guide. An Educational Program onSafety Belt Use for Junior High School Students.

INSTITUTION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (DOT),Washington, D. C.

REPORT NO DOT-HS-807-652PUB DATE Oct 90NOTE 25p.

PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use Teaching Guides (ForTeacher) (052)

EDRS PRICE MFO1 /PCO1 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS *Driver Education; Instructional Materials; Junior

High Schools; *Junior High School Students; MotorVehicles; *Restraints (Vehicle Safety); *SafetyEducation; Safety Equipment; Teaching Guides;*Traffic Safety

ABSTRACTThis information packet describes the teacher's role

in Car Club, a program designed to convince junior high schoolstudents to use motor vehicle safety belts. Students are approachedas both passengers and future drivers to help them examine theirroles and responsibilities relating to safety belts and occupantprotection systems, including air bags. The guide includes: outlinesof the four modules; an Answer Key for student self-assessment anddiscovery sheets, and for a student activity exercise; a listing ofvehicle occupant safety resources; and Student Activity Sheets(Self-Assessment, Discovery Sheets, Short Spins, Road Trips, Logosand Certificate, and Parent/Student Contract). The resource listhighlights print materials, videos, tapes, films, and public serviceannouncements and where they can be obtained; and associations andorganizations that can provide additional materials and support.Organizations are presented in Health, Law Enforcement and Judicial,Traffic Safety, and Education categories. (MAH)

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Safety belt use is lower among teen-agers than any other age group; onlyabout 29 percent of teens buckle upas compared to 44 percent of preteens5-12 years and 45 percent of adults!Yet motor vehicle crashes are theleading cause of death for this agegroup! Convincing teens, specificallythose in junior high school, to buckleup is the goal of this educationalpacket.

The Car Club program wasdeveloped to help junior high schoolstudents make decisions about usingsafety belts. These are the yearswhen peer pressure becomes moreimportant to young people and theyare beginning to examine their val-ues and beliefs. This is an especiallyimportant time to introduce trafficsafety issues and help them make thechoice to buckle up.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Car Club program offers informa-tion and a set of activities that allowstudents to discover the importanceof using safety belts and the con-sequences of nonuse (for somestudents who used child restraintsystems when younger, these activi-ties will be a rediscovery and willhelp motivate them to continue usingoccupant protection systems). Stu-dents are approached as both pas-sengers and as future drivers to helpthem examine their roles and respon-sibilities as they relate to safety beltsand automatic occupant protectionsystems, including air bags.

The Car Club materials include:Teacher's Guide, with AnswerKey and listing of occupantsafety resourcesStudent Activity Sheets: Self-Assessment, Discovery Sheets,Short Spins, Road Trips, Logosand Certificate, and Parent/Student Contract

*Restraint System Usage in 19 U.S. Cities.1989 Annual Report. National Highway TrafficSafety Administration. DOT HS 807 595.June 1990.

The Car Club is a program forlearning about occupant safety, andnot really a "club" with members ormeetings. But the idea of a club isimportant as a theme in the sensethat after going through the program,students can feel they have somespecial knowledge or awarenessabout an issue that is important foreveryone. The idea of participating ina "club" activity and/or receiving acertificate can sometimes serve as areminder about what was learned.

Those students who are mostinterested in the issue can form anactual club to promote occupantsafety through various activities(see "Road Trips: A Student Guideto More In-Depth Activities OnOccupant Safety").

MAPPING YOUR COURSE

Before getting started, review thisteacher guide, all the student activi-ties, and the resources to decidewhich of the materials you wantto use. The materials have beendesigned so that you can modify thelesson plan to respond to your needsand time constraints. The Teacher'sGuide also includes an Answer Key,and a listing of occupant safetyresources to supplement the materi-als provided in The Car Club. Theresource list highlights:

Print materials, videos, tapes,films and public serviceannouncements (PSAs), andwhere they can be obtained andAssociations and organizationsthat can provide additionalmaterials and support.

Depending on the amount of classtime you have, you can use just onemodule or all four, but the moremodules that are used, the better.Each module will take approximatelyone class period, depending on theamount of class discussion. The activ-ities included in each of these mod-ules are described in the "StudentActivities" section of this guide.

A program such as The Car Cluboften works best when its message issupported on many fronts. Tryannouncing the program to parents

through parent-teacher newsletters,for example. And be certain to checklocal laws, because the law in yourarea may require wearing safety belts.If so, you can discuss this with yourclass before or during your presenta-tion of the program.MODULE 1. For the basic module werecommend the self-assessment andthe first three discovery sheets: Youand the Road; If You Crash Once, YouCrash Three Times; and The Amaz-ing Safety Belt. This module may takeup more than one class session, soallow for more time if needed.MODULE 2. For the second session,have the students summarize whatwas covered in the basic module andthen continue with the last threediscovery sheets (Crash Protectionthat Works like Magic; A MillionReasons Not To, None of Them Good;Remember the Rules of the Road).MODULE 3. Short Spins offers activ-ities for students to do while in theclassroom. These include role play-ing, a debate, and a "Declaration ofRoad Safety."MODULE 4. Road Trips is designedas a student guide for expanding theactivities outside the classroom. Thiscould possibly involve other classesor the entire student body. Howmuch more the students do dependsa great deal on their enthusiasm andcommitment.

The Parentl Student Contract maybe used with any of the modules. Theletter/contract helps get the messageout into the community, and fostersfamily participation. The letter maybe used as provided or modified tomeet your own special needs.

Also included in the packet is asheet of The Car Club logos that maybe used on letterhead, press releases,buttons, or wherever else a logo canbe used. The Certificate included onthe same sheet may be issued tostudents who have finished all pro-gram modules.

SPECIALCONSIDERATIONS

This educational packet can be usedeffectively in almost any class andreinforced through various activities.Having the message reinforced indifferent settings helps to remindstudents about the importance ofusing safety belts.

In English or literature classes,occupant protection can be used asthe topic for written composition ororal debate. Identifying the issuessurrounding safety belt use can beused when teaching research skills.

In history or civics classes, learn-ing about any existing State legisla-tion requiring mandatory safety beltuse, and the background on anydebates would be a natural. Discover-ing how the law is enforced couldalso be a class project.

Exploring the dynamics of a crashis a great activity in science and mathclasses. For example, a science classcan see the effects of a crash andsafety belt use with the "egg car"demonstration (see Road Pips inthis packet), while a math class cancalculate the force of impact or take astudent poll on wearing safety beltsand use that to calculate percentages.

English as a Second Languageteachers can introduce the vocabu-lary prior to having students com-plete the activity. The discoverysheets can be used as reading materi-als and the questions that areincluded on each sheet will helpmeasure language comprehension.Also, if the class happens to be at alower reading level, teachers mightwant to introduce selected vocabu-lary. In general, the language hasbeen designed to appeal to a broadspectrum of students from sixththrough ninth grades.

If you are presenting the programto more advanced eighth or ninthgraders, you may want to considersupplementing these materials withmaterials oriented toward a high-school level. These are available from

the National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA) and othersources. See the Occupant SafetyResources list included in thispackage for further informationand addresses.

STUDENT ACTIVITIESThese materials have been designedto promote active student participa-tion and to reinforce self-discovery, aprocess vital to behavioral change forthis age group. The activities shouldbe student-directed with the teacherfacilitating the activities. Having thestudents take the lead will reinforcethe self-discovery approach.

We have found that the teacherplays a major role in setting the toneand determining students' attitudesabout this important issue. Studentsthis age often just don't believe thattraffic safety is something they haveto worry about, despite the fact thatcar crashes are the number one killerof teenagersand the number onekiller for all ages 1-34. That is why itis so important to introduce The CarClub to the class and discuss theobjectives before starting the activi-ties. Create interest in the program,for example, by placing one of thelarge logos on the bulletin board aweek or so before you actually startthe program.IMPORTANT NOTE:Throughout the materials the word"car" is used for the sake of readabil-ity, but remind your students thatwhat they are learning about occu-pant safety applies to any motorvehicle.

Each of the activities has beenprovided in formats you can use withphotocopying and spirit duplicatingmachines. The answers to questionsare shown in a separate answer keyat the end of this Teacher's Guide.

MODULE ONE

Self-AssessmentObjective: Students will assess theirknowledge about safety belts and thedynamics of a crash by taking a test.

4

Have students respond to the 15questions on the assessment sheet.All questions with the exception ofnumbers 14 and 15 have correctanswers. The last two questions aresimply an assessment of individualuse and do not have "correct"answers.

Once the students have com-pleted the exercise, review thequestions and answers together.Discuss which answers weremost surprising and why. Listthem on the board.Take a count of the answers forquestions 14 and 15 (self-assessment on individual safetybelt use). What is the percen-tage of students for eachcategory? How does the classcompare to the national averageof 25 percent?

Discovery SheetsThe six discovery sheets included inThe Car Club program provide thestudents with the facts about theeffects of crashes and how safetybelts and automatic occupant protec-tion systems (such as air bags) work.Have the students review the materi-als individually, in small groups, ortogether as a class in an interactivesession.

Module One includes the firstthree Discovery Sheets, which are:

Yon And The RoadObjective: Students will recognizethe risks of being a passenger ordriver on the road and how they canreduce some of these risks.Approach: As future drivers, stu-dents will identify three characteris-tics of a "good" driver.

Once students have completedthis activity, ask how many planto get their driver's licensewhen they are old enough (16or 17 years old in most states).Some may not realize howclose they are to becomingdrivers.

Have students discuss thecharacteristics of a good driver.What should they do when theybecome drivers? What shouldthey avoid?Have the students list on theboard what they think can bedone to minimize the risks of theroad. Discuss how they can actto minimize risks in difficultsituations where they have toconfront peer pressure andother challenges.

If You Crash Once, You CrashThree TimesObjective: Students will learn aboutthe dynamics of a crash and howinjuries and death occur.Approach: Most people do not have aclear understanding of the dynamicsof a crash. Learning about the secondand third collisions in a crash willhelp students recognize how injuriesand deaths occur in motor vehiclesand how the use of occupant protec-tion devices can minimize injury.

Review the concept that the carand passenger are actually mov-ing separately, not together.Have the students give otherexamples where this occurs(riding a bicycle, skateboard,airplane or train).

The Amazing Safety BeltObjective: Students will learn howsafety belts prevent the second andthird collisions and may even preventthe first collision.Approach: Have the class review thediscovery sheet and examine howoccupant protection devices stop thesecond and third collisions fromhappening.

Find out how many studentshave already been involved intraffic crashes. How many werewearing their safety belts?Discuss what it feels like whenthe car comes to a sudden stopwhen you are wearing yoursafety belt. Have studentsdescribe how it would feelwithout safety belts.

MODULE TWO:

This module includes the last threeDiscovery Sheets as described below.

Crash Protection That WorksLike MagicObjective: Students will learn aboutautomatic occupant protection sys-tems, such as air bags and automaticsafety belts.Approach: Discuss how automaticsafety belts and air bags work.

Ask how many students havebeen passengers in cars or othervehicles with automatic safetybelts. Have them explain howthey are different from manualsafety belts and what some ofthe different automatic beltsystems are.Check car dealers to find outwith which automatic safetysystems different car modelsare equippedwhich modelshave an automatic shoulder beltonly and which have bothshoulder and lap belts.After reviewing the informationabout air bags, discuss whenthis system works best (frontalcollisions) and which pas-sengers benefit the most. Alsodiscuss the need to use safetybelts with air bags for maxi-mum safety.Have students check with differ-ent car dealers to see whichmanufacturers offer air bags asstandard equipment and whatthe cost is for getting theminstalled as optional equipment.

A Million Reasons Not To,None Of Them GoodObjective. Students will examineexcuses people use for not bucklingup as a way of reinforcing theirunderstanding of why they shouldbuckle up.Approach: This exercise can be doneas a whole class or in small groups.

Have students discuss eachstatement and indicate whetheror not they agree. Conducta debate.

Let each group report on whichstatements they agreed with andwhich they didn't. Have themsummarize the group discussions.Ask the class to share what theywould say if a friend or familymember believed any of thestatements.

Remember The Rules Of The RoadObjective: Students will review theneed to wear safety belts as one ofseveral sound "rules" of safe driving.Approach: The exercise can be donein a group or as a class.

Have students review each ofthe rules and discuss how thesebehaviors could endanger orsave a life.Ask students to give examplesof what they could say or do ifsomeone they cared aboutignored any of these rules.

MODULE THREE:

Short SpinsObjective: Students will have a chanceto creatively use their new knowl-edge about safety belts, and to thinkof the safety belt issue in the widercontext of public issues.Approach.- Short Spins offers stu-dents additional activities they cando in the classroom. These activitiesare designed to encourage activestudent participation.

Activity #1 includes a set ofrole playing situations in whichstudents will have the oppor-tunity to develop skills andresponses that will help themto be assertive in awkward situ-ations where people are notwearing safety belts. Eachgroup will act out their situa-tions and then have the classoffer other responses or reac-tions that would also be effective.In Activity #2, the class willdebate the issues surroundingmandatory safety belt use.Some of the issues will be free-dom of choice, unnecessary reg-ulations, and enforcement (how

can they be enforced). In pre-paring for this debate, have thestudents check with local policeon enforcement methods andfor any existing legislation.For Activity #3, students will"declare" their choice by pre-paring a statement about roadsafety. The class will write anarticle for the school paper, andif possible, a student will bringin a camera to record the event.

MODULE FOUR:

Road TripsObjective: Through these projects,students will integrate occupantsafety into a broad range of activitiesoutside the classroom.Approach: Road Pips offers anexpanded program for studentinvolvement. Some of these activitiesmay be done as class projects or asCar Club activities.

If students are interested informing an actual Car Club, discussany requirements, such as permis-sion from the principal or a teacheradvisor. If the club is just part of aclass and not a schoolwide activity,then the need for prior schoolapproval of projects listed in RoadPips should be decided on a case-by-case basis.

These activities get the messageout to other students in the school,as well as out into the community.Promoting student involvement in alarger program will strengthen theircommitment to traffic safety and tobecoming safe drivers.

If students are interested in carry-ing out a long-term program, theactivities can be timed to coincidewith two national occupant safetyevents. The kickoff for the programcan be held during "Child PassengerSafety Awareness Week," which takesplace around Valentine's Day, and theprogram finale can be during "BuckleUp America! Week," which startsthe week before and includes theMemorial Day holiday.

How much you do and howinvolved students become is up to

you. What matters is not whether theclass participates in just Module Oneor in a year-long program, but ratherthat everyone gets involved. Trafficcrashes are the leading cause ofdeath and injury for our young peo-ple. Preparing young people to bebetter drivers and better protectedpassengers can help turn that tragicstatistic around.

ANSWER KEY(For questions on Self-Assessmentand Discovery Sheets, and forActivity #1 in "Short Spins')

How Far Do You Need to Go?Self-Assessment

1. False. Statistics show that a person islikely to be involved in a car crashonce every ten years.

2. 73-ue. Not only that, almost 80 percentof the teenagers who die in crashesare passengers.

3. False. You are 4 times more likely to bekilled if you are thrown from the carand onto the hard pavement. Safetybelts keep you inside the car, whereyou have some protection (and to getout of the car after a crash it's easyjust unbuckle).

4. False. Most crashes and fatalitiesoccur under 40 miles per hour andless than 25 miles from home. Safetybelts should be worn every time youare in a car.

5. False. Safety is the issue, notpoliteness.

6. False. Your best chance of surviving ina car that is on fire or submerged is toremain conscious and not injured.Your safety belt is the best way to stayconscious and uninjured, and it takesonly a few seconds to unbuckle yourbelt and get out. If you are notwearing a safety belt, you are morelikely to be unconscious or too injuredto move, and therefore unable to getout of the car. Besides, less than onehalf of one percent of all injury-producing crashes involve fire orbeing under water.

7. False. Back seat passengers can justas easily be thrown against the insideof the car or against other people inthe car. NOTE: Car models beginningwith 1990 are required to have three-point safety belts on the outsidepositions in the rear seat.

8. False. Absolutely not. Your chances ofescaping injury or death in a crash are50 percent better wearing safety beltsthan they are if you don't wear them.

9. False. Even if you are a good driver,there are plenty of drivers out therewho are not.

10. Pug. They are a winning combination.11. a. We already know that choice (b) is

wrong (from question 3). As for (a),no arms in the world can withstandthe force of impact in most crashes.

12 b. Choice (a) is dead wrong. Alcoholimpairs driving ability, even if thedriver is relaxed. For (c), whether ornot the driver knows he or she isdrunk is not relevantbecause his/herjudgment and ability to react isimpaired anyway.

13. a. Since (a) is true, (b) is clearlywrong, and (c) is not important, giventhe danger posed by speeding.

14. Student poll.15. Student poll.

You And The Road

What are three risks for passengers anddrivers? The three risks to be listed couldinclude any of those mentioned on thisDiscovery Sheet or other risks thatstudents bring up. There are no setanswersthis question is primarilyfor discussion.Can anything be done about these risks?Again, this question is for discussion pur-poses. One of the answers, however, shouldbe using occupant protection devices.

If You Crash Once, You CrashThree Times1. First blank: comes to a stop, or crashes.

Second blank: keeps moving.2. First blank: comes to a stop, hits

something (like windshield, pave-ment, etc.)Second blank: keeps moving.

3. First blank: come to a stop, hit some-thing inside your body (like your brainhitting your skull).

The Amazing Safety Belt1. a. As for (b), no matter how big or

small your car is, when you crash it is amajor impact that can cause injury ordeath. (c) is clearly false. Again, yourchances of escaping injury or death ina crash are 50 percent better wearingsafety belts than they are if you don'twear them.

2. b. Since (b) is correct, (a) is not.(c) is clearly wrongyou don't wearor not wear safety belts based onwhether or not someone can see you.It's a safety issue!

3. c. If you are the driver, you have aresponsibility for the safety of yourpassengers. (a) is therefore wrong. Asfor (b), politeness is not the issue.Safety is.

Crash Protection That WorksLike Magic

Automatic Safety Belts1. d. All are correct.2. a. It is important to wear your lap belt

if the automatic restraint system inyour car has only a shoulder belttokeep you from sliding out from under-neath. Choices (b) and (c) may happenin a crash, but are not necessarilydirect consequences of wearing anautomatic shoulder belt.

Air Bags1. c. Air bags protect you in frontal

collisions, not side or rear-impactcollisions. That's why they should beused with safety belts.

2. c. This is an absolute must if your airbag system has been activated. Choices(a) and (b) are wrong because once thesystem has been used, you cannot "fix"it by replacing a part or re-stuffing theair bag itself. It is designed to workonly once, in order to ensure systemintegrity and safety. As for choice (d),you can be involved in a crash at anytime, so you should always be prepared.

A Million Reasons Not To,None Of Them Good

Which activity takes the least amount oftime? Buckling your safety belt (d) takesonly a few secondsless time than any ofthe other, regular activities listed.Explanations for 1 through 7 are inthe text.

Remember These Rules Of The Road

This question asks for the choice that isnot a way to stay safe on the road. (a), (b),(c) and (e) are all good safe-drivingpractices. (d) is not, since most crashesand fatalities occur close to home, so (d)is the answer.

Activity #1 in "Short Spins"The following are some examples ofappropriate responses to the class exer-cises in Activity #1. Remember, these

examples are not the only possibleresponses, because the purpose of theactivity is to encourage students to becreative in handling difficult situationsinvolving safety belt use and other occu-pant safety practices. The responses pro-vided below only serve as a guide to helpyou understand what kinds of responsesto look for.

Group OneThe driver is your best friend'sfather, so you try to be polite. Youcould say, "I know we're only goingto the park, but I wear a safety belteverywhere I go. Could you pleasehelp me look for the other end ofmy belt so I can buckle up?"Or, if the driver doesn't want tohelp: "Well, I can't seem to find mysafety belt. The park isn't very far,so I think I'll just hop out and walk.See you there."

Group TwoYou say to the driver, "Hey, isanyone else you know with a cargoing to the same place? We can'tput safety belts on with all of us inhere."If the driver says no: "I think I'll justskip it then (gets out of car)."

OR"Well, why don't we all just walkthen. There's an all-night coffeeshop about a half mile down theroad."

Group ThreeYou try not to confront the driverdirectly, because in this situationthat would not be productive. Soyou could say, "Yeah, I trust youjust fine. But there are a lot of otherdrivers out there I don't trust."Or, you say, "What about otherdrivers? Do you trust them? I don't,so I'm going to wear my safety belt.You might want to think about ityourself. It doesn't mean you're nota good driver."

Group FourYou don't want to dampen the spiritof things, but you still want yourpassengers to know you are serious.You work it into the rest of theconversation and say, "Everybodyhave all their stuff? Okay... safetybelts. Everyone have his safety belton?"You buckle up your safety belt,then turn the radio on, listen to the

music, but don't start the car. In aminute, a passenger says, jokingly,"Hey, nice beach. You going to go orwhat?" You look up, surprised, "Oh,yeah. I was just waiting for every-one to put his safety belt on."

OCCUPANT SAFETYRESOURCESThe following is a list of occupant safetyresources that you can use to supple-ment or help you present The Car Clubprogram.

I. MATERIALS

Educational PiecesNational Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA): The follow-ing kinds of items may be obtained bycontacting NHTSA, NTS-13, 400 SeventhSt., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590:

Consumer information, e.g., factsheets on occupant safetyOccupant safety educational kits/teacher guides for preschoolthrough high schoolList of Spanish language occupantsafety materialsInformation on community occupantprotection safety programs.

Twice a Champion: The Toney LineberryStory, by Tommy Lineberry, 1988. Toorder, mail $9.95 to: Twice a Champion,581 Nelwood Place, Manakin-Sabot,VA 23103. Toney Lineberry is also avail-able for presentations.

Occupant Protection Training Work-shop: Instructor's Guide. Write:University of North Carolina, HighwaySafety Research Center, CB 43430,Chapel Hill, NC 27599, 1987.

B.E.L.T. (Buckling Up Extends A LifeTime). Kit for High School. Entertain-ment Industries Council, Inc., 1988. Forordering information, write: EIC, Inc.,444 Riverside Drive, Suite 203, Burbank,CA 91505.

American Automobile Association:Contact your local AAA Club regardingavailability of materials.

"Safety Belts for People Who EnjoyLiving." Brochure.Traffic Safety Education MaterialsProgram (Teacher's Guides for GradesK-3, 4-6, 7-9; My Own Safety StoryActivity Booklet; Otto the Auto Story-book; Set of 10 Posters).

ReportsContact AAA Foundation for Traffic Safetyor NHTSA.

Posters/AdvertisementsNational Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA):

Posters, decals, print ads availablefrom NHTSA

NHTSA also has available a range oftelevision public service announce-ments (PSAs), short films, andtrailers on occupant safety.

American Automobile Association:Contact your local AAA Club regardingavailability of materials.

Dashboard Decals: Safety Belt UseREQUIRED ( #3398) or REQUESTED(#3399).Litter Bags: Develop the SafetyBelt Habit ( "3625); Buckle Up( #3628); Season's GreetingsBuckle Up ( #3629).

These Officers Met by Accident andThese Children are in a Class by Them-selves Posters, American Coalition forDuffle Safety, 1620 I Street, N.W., Suite1000, Washington, D.C. 20006,202-857-0002. (Free)

Buckle Up Music Video. TV and radioPSAs and movie theater PSAs/trailers.Various lengths from 5 min. to 10 sec.Entertainment Industries Council, Inc.,444 Riverside Drive, Suite 203, Burbank,CA 91505.

Vince and Larry Public ServiceAnnouncements, 21 spots. PSAs varyfrom 10 seconds to 30 seconds in length.National Highway Traffic Safety Admini-stration, 1/2", 3/4", and 1" video. NOTFOR BROADCAST USE.

Audio-VisualsThe Winning Combination, film/video,8-1/2 min. Educational film for generalaudiences on automatic safety belts andair bags, NHTSA, 1/2" and 3/4" video;16 mm.

Air Bags Now. Demonstrates how safetybelts and air bags complement eachother in preventing occupant injuries incrashes. The film features new crash testfootage, interviews with crash survivorsand on-the-road demonstrations. Insur-ance Institute for Highway Safety. 1/2"VHS or Beta, 3/4", 16 mm. Free loanor purchase $25 video/$65 film.

Lucky Thirteen, film/video. Entertain-ing story of a crash dummy come to life.The dummy refuses to crash his carwithout a safety belt. NHTSA, 3/4" videoand 16mm film.

Children in Crashes, film/video,Insurance Institute for Highway Safety,Washington, D.C. Shows why smallchildren need to ride in child safety seats.

If Only..., film/video, 23-min. The mes-sage is "Protect your Head!" when in amotor vehicle, participating in sports,etc. Shows the devastating consequencesof irreversible head/brain injury. VisucomProductions, Inc., 415-364-5566.

Buckle Up, 22-min. Celebrity testimoni-als on safety belt use and a buckle uprock video for youth audiences. Enter-tainment Industries Council, Inc.,444 Riverside Drive, Suite 203, Burbank,CA 91505.

Safety Belts: For Dummies or People?;The Game of Your Life, General Motors/American Medical Association. Teachingvideos on safety belts and drunk drivingfor upper elementary grades and juniorhigh school. Check with school library ormedia center or Corporate RelationsDept., Rm. #11-157, GM Bldg., Detroit, MI48202, 313-556-2046.

American Coalition for Traffic Safety:1620 I Street, N.W., Suite 1000, Washing-ton, D.C. 20006, 202-857-0002.

Children's Survivors' Event Video,10-minutes. $3.50 ea.Children in Safety Belts. $3.50 ea.Law Enforcement Video. $3.50 ea.

II. ORGANIZATIONS

HealthAmerican College of

Emergency PhysiciansP.O. Box 61911Dallas, TX 75626(214)659-0911

American Collegeof Preventive Medicine

1015 15th Street, NW, Suite 403Washington, DC 20005(202) 789-0003

American Hospital Association840 North Lake Shore DriveChicago, IL 60611(312) 280-6048

American Medical AssociationAdolescent Health Division

535 North DearbornChicago, IL 60610(312)645-5530

American Nurses'Association

2420 Pershing RoadKansas City, MO 64108(816)474-5720

American OsteopathicAssociation

122 C Street, NW, Suite 875Washington, DC 20001(202) 783-3434

American PublicHealth Association

1015 15th Street, NWWashington, DC 20005(202) 789-5627

American Red Cross17th and D Streets, NWWashington, DC 20005(202) 639-3086

American SchoolHealth Association

P.O. Box 708Kent, OH 44240(216) 678-1601

American Spinal InjuryAssociation

2020 Peachtree Road, NWAtlanta, GA 30309(404) 352-2020

American Trauma Society1400 Mercantile LaneSuite 188Landover, MD 20785(800) 556-7890(301) 925-8811

Association for the Advancementof Health Education

1900 Association DriveReston, VA 22091(703)476-3440

Association of State &Territorial Health Office

1311-A Dolly Madison BoulevardMcLean, VA 22101(703) 556-9222

National Centerfor Health Education

2190 Meriden Park BoulevardConcord, CA 94520(415) 676-2813

National Head Irkjury Foundation18A Vernon StreetFramingham, MA 01701(617) 879-7473

U.S. Department of Healthand Human Services

330 C Street, SW, Room 2132Washington, DC 20201(202) 472-5370

Law Enforcement andJudicialYour first resource in this category shouldbe the local police department. Contactthe following organizations for additionalinformation on law enforcement ideasand activities:

American Judges Association300 Newport AvenueWilliamsburg, VA 23185(804) 253-2000

International Associationof Chiefs of Police

13 Firstfield Road, SEGaithersburg, MD 20878(301) 948-0922

National Association of State Directorsof Law Enforcement Training

50 Fremont Street, Room 205Melrose, MA 02176

National Sheriffs Association1450 Duke StreetAlexandria, VA 22314(703) 836-7827

U.S. Departmentof Transportation

National HighwayTraffic SafetyAdministration

Traffic SafetyAAA Foundation1730 M Street, NWSuite 401Washington, DC 20036(202) 775-1456

American Driver & Traffic SafetyEducation Association

239 Florida AvenueSalisbury, MD 21801(301)860-0095

American Automobile AssociationAAA HeadquartersTraffic Safety Department1000 AAA DriveHeathrow, FL 32745(407) 444-7913

National Association of Governors'Highway Safety Representatives

444 North Capitol StreetWashington, DC 20001(202) 624-5877

National Safety Council444 North Michigan AvenueChicago, IL 60611(312) 527-4800

State Traffic Safety Agencies(Check telephone book for information.)

EducationAmerican Association

of School Administrators1801 North Moore StreetArlington, VA 22209(703) 528-0700

Boy Scouts of America1325 Walnut Hill LaneIrving, TX 75038(214) 659-2000

Boys Clubs of America771 First AvenueNew York, NY 10017(212) 351-5904

National 4-H Council7100 Connecticut AvenueChevy Chase, MD 20815(301) 961-2800

9

National FFA Center(Future Farmers of America)5632 Mount Vernon Memorial HighwayAlexandria, VA 22309(703) 360-3600

Mothers Against Drunk Driving(MADD)

669 Airport FreewaySuite 310Hurst, TX 76053(817) 268-6233

National Association ofElementary School Principals

1615 Duke StreetAlexandria, VA 22314(703) 684-3345

National Association ofSecondary School Principals

1904 Association DriveReston, VA 22091(703)860-0200

National Associationof Student Councils

1904 Association DriveReston, VA 22091(703)860-0200

National PTA700 North Rush StreetChicago, IL 60611(312) 787-0977

National Student Safety ProgramContact the local chapter.

Students Against Drunk Drivers(SADD)

Box 800Marlboro, MA 01752(617) 481-3568

DOT HS 807 652October 1990

S E L F - ASSESSMENT

How Far Do You Need To Go?

How much do you know aboutsafety belts? How much do youknow about safe driving? Learn-ing about these issues is one ofthe main reasons for The CarClub, so try answering the ques-tions below to see how much youknow, or how far you need to go.

"We use tar"throughont these materials,but the *formation applies to any motorvehicle, including vans, trucks, etc.

TRUE OR FALSE

1. I'm not likely to be involved in a crash in the next 10 years.Injuries from car* crashes are the number one cause of deathfor young people.If I'm in a serious crash, my chances of inj ury will be less if I'mthrown clear of the car.It's a good idea to wear safety belts on long trips on thehighway, but you don't need them for short trips close tohome.

5 If no one else in the car is wearing safety belts, it is impolitefor me to put them on.

6 I shouldn't wear safety belts because they will trap me insideif my car is on fire or submerged under water after a crash.

7. Passengers in the back seat don't need to wear safety belts.8 Safety belts are more likely to cause an injury than prevent

an injury.9 Good drivers don't need to wear safety belts.

10 Safety belts combined with air bags are the best way toreduce injury in a crash.

2

3

4

CIRCLE THE BEST ANSWER

11. Of the following, the best way to protect yourself in a car crash is toa. brace yourself with your arms.b. jump clear of the car.c. wear your safety belts.

12. Drinking while drivinga. helps the driver relax and drive better.b. is one of the major causes offatal car crashes.c. is safe as long as the driver knows he is drunk and is especially

careful.13. Which of the following is true? Speeding

a. gives the driver less time to react and is a major cause of crashes.b. is the best way to get somewhere in a hurry.c. keeps your engine in tune.

14. When you ride in a car, how often do you wear safety belts?a. always b. most of the time c. sometimes d. never

15. Should you be wearing your safety belts more, less, or is what youdo about right?a. more b. less c. about right

10

sp

Although you might not thinkabout it, you spend a lot of timeon the road as a passenger in acar, pick-up, van or bus, or rid-ing a bicycle. And it won't be toolong before you'll be on the roadas a driver, too.

Since being on the road issuch an important part of yourlife, let's look at some of therisks. Think of it this way: Whenyou're in a car, you are almostalways traveling much fasterthan you would walk or run,and you're traveling inside amachine that weighs a few thou-sand pounds. Not only that, butyou're not alone. The road isfilled with other cars, trucks,buses, and all kinds of vehicles.So a lot can happen. When you

SHEET

You And The Road

are involved in a crash, there's alot of force involved, and theresults are often very serious.But most crashes can be avoided.That's why we use the word"crash" and not "accident."

See what you think of thefacts below. How might theyapply to you?

Motor vehicle crashes arethe leading cause of deathamong teenagers. Thisdoesn't just mean teenagerswho are driving. Almost 80percent of the teenagerswho die in crashes arepassengers!Almost 20 percent of theseteenagers were between 13and 15 years old. Not evendrivers yet!

#1

Many of these deaths werethe result of driving whiledrinking, speeding, and notwearing safety belts.You're already on the roadas a passenger, but chancesare you'll be on the road asa driver when you are 16or 17 years old. In 1987,almost 2 million 16 yearolds got their licenses.That's half of all 16 yearolds in the U.S. for that year.When you do get a license,you'll have to get car insur-ance. Because the crashrate is so high for youngdrivers, insurance is veryexpensive. But you cankeep the cost down with agood driving record.

What are the risks you face as a passenger and a driver? List three ofthese risks.

1

2

3

Can you do anything about these risks? List three things you thinkyou can do to help reduce your risks as a passenger or driver.

1

2

3

11

S P

COLLISION 1

In

DISCOVER Y

C*.

sfr

SHEET #2

If You Crash Once,You Crash Three Times

) 1

/""rIN

10oCOLLISION 2

COLLISION 3

A crash is not just a crash. It'sreally THREE different colli-sions. Sound hard to believe?It's not if you realize thatyou and the car are movingSEPARATELY. The car is mov-ing, but so are you. So whenthe car hits something, itstops but you don't. You keepgoing until you hit something,whether it is the dashboard,the windshield, or the pave-ment outside. When the carhits, that's the first collision.When you hit, that's the sec-ond collision.

Let's look at the first twocollisions, and then we'll talkabout the third collision.

FILL IN THE BLANKS

Think of the third collisionthis way: Just as you moveseparately from the car,your organs move aroundseparately inside you. Takeyour brain, for example. Yourbrain is suspended in liquidinside your skull. If your skull(your head) comes to a hardstop in a crash, your brainkeeps moving until it hits theinside of your skull. This colli-sion can cause brain damage,which is often permanent.Can you imagine what wouldhappen to your brain during a50 MPH crash?

The third crash looks like this.

1. In the first collision, the car

Meanwhile, your body

2. In the second collision, your body

Meanwhile, your internal organs

3. In the third collision, your internal organs

WEARING YOUR SAFETY BELT CAN PREVENT YOU FROM BEINGINJURED OR KILLED IN THE SECOND AND THIRD COLLISION!

D ISCOVERY S HEET #3

The Amazing Safety Belt

Statistics show that you arelikely to be in at least one carcrash over the next ten years(and once every ten years afterthat). If you are, that crashdoesn't have to turn into threecollisions! There's one easy wayto make sure it doesn'tWEARYOUR SAFETY BELTS. It's soeasy to do, and you'd be amazedat how well they work. They'rethe BEST way anyone has evercome up with to reduce injuriesin a crash.

Let's see how safety belts dotheir job. In the first collision,the car hits something andstops. Now without safety belts,youwhether you are the driveror a passenger would keepgoing until you hit something(second collision). Not with

safety belts! The belts hold youto the car, so that WHEN THECAR STOPS, YOU DO, TOO.The third collision happenswhen your internal organskeep moving after you hitsomething (like the dash-board or windshield). Butwith your safety belts on,you'll still come to a fast stopin a crash, but it won't benearly as hard an impact. Thebelts will spread the forceover the stronger parts of yourbody, like your hips and shoul-ders. By spreading the crashforces this way, you are muchless likely to be injured. Thisis true even for crashes atlow speeds.

TURN THIS PAGE OVER TO LEARNHOW TO WEAR YOUR SAFETYBELT THE RIGHT WAY.

13

COLLISION 1

COLLISION 2

COLLISION 3

SF

HOW TO WEAR YOUR SAFETYBELT THE RIGHT WAY:

To do their job, though,safety belts have to be wornthe right way. Your lap beltshould be fastened low on thehips, across the upper thighs,not up around the stomach. Yourshoulder belt should fit snugly(not loosely) over the shoulder.It should never be tucked underthe arm or behind the back.

CIRCLE THE BEST ANSWER

1. Safety beltsa. prevent you from being

thrown out of the car andfrom hitting the car'sinterior.

b. are not necessary ifyou're in a big car.

c. don't make much of a dif-ference in a crash.

2. If you are a back seat passen-ger, youa. don't need to wear safety

belts because you'll be pro-tected by the seat in frontof you.

b. do need to wear safetybelts because you canstill be thrown againstdamaging parts of thecar's interior, be throwninto other people in thecar, or be thrown out ofthe car.

c. dont need to wear safetybelts because no one cansee you back there.

14

3. If you are a driver, youa. should worry about your

safety belts, not yourpassengers'.

b. shouldn't ask yourpassengers to wear theirsafety belts. It would beimpolite.

c. have a responsibility tomake sure everyone in thecar has buckled up.

In The Car Club, we know howimportant safety belts are. Hereare the facts: With safety belts,your chances of escaping injuryor death in a crash are 50 per-cent better than they would bewithout belts. And the percent-age is highest when you haveboth lap and shoulder belts on.Not only that, many States nowhave laws that require you tobuckle up. But wearing them isup to you. It's your decision!

DISCOVERY

AUTOMATIC SAFETY BELTS

SHEET

Crash ProtectionThat Works Like Magic

Now there are some new crashprotection devices that you arelikely to see in more and morecars. These new devices areautomatic safety belts andair bags.AUTOMATIC SAFETY BELTS

The automatic safety belts yousee in pictures AC are just likeregular safety belts, except thatyou don't "put them on." Theyput themselves on, becausethey are either motorized orattached to both the car doorand the seat so that when youget in and shut the door, the beltcloses over you automatically.This makes it hard for you toforget! But notice that the auto-matic belt systems in A and Bhave only a shoulder belt. Itis important to wear yourmanually-attached lap beltwith these shoulder belts. Otherautomatic systems, like the onein C, include both shoulder andlap belts. Some systems withshoulder belts also have a pad-ded knee panel below the dash-board to help keep you fromslipping out from under the belt.

15

# 4

CIRCLE THE BEST ANSWER

1. Automatic safety beltsa. are attached either to a

motorized track above thecar door or to the car dooritself.

b. close over the passenger (ordriver) automatically whenthe car door is shut.

c. should always be used witha lap belt.

d. all of the above are correct.2. If you are wearing only an

automatic shoulder belt, butnot your lap belt along with it,you coulda. slide out from under the

shoulder belt and hit thecar's interior.

b. be pinned to the seat.c. be unable to escape from

the car.d. be thrown from the car if

the door comes open.e. both a and d.

TURN THIS PAGE OVER TO LEARNABOUT AIR BAGS.

Sp

AIR BAGS

As you can see in the picture, airbags are really bags of "air" thatinflate during afrontal (fromthe front) crash and prevent thedriver or front seat passengerfrom hitting the windshield ordashboard by absorbing theoverall impact of the crash. Sofar, they can only be installed inthe steering wheel and dash-board for front seat occupants.

How do they work? There aresensors built into the car, usu-ally behind the bumper. In afront-end crash over 12 milesper hour, these sensors set off agas canister (usually nitrogen)that inflates the bags. Right afterthey've inflated in the crash, thebags deflate again so that theperson hitting them doesn'tbounce between the bag andthe seat. This all happensquicklyin less than one second!!

Air bags work extremely well,but only in front-end-crashes.They're added protection, butnot a substitute for safety belts.Always wear belts with air bagsto help keep you in your seatand protect you in side and rear-end crashes, where the bags donot inflate.

You might wonder whatwould happen if an air bag acci-dentally inflated while someone

16

was driving. It almost never hap-pens, but if it did, there is notlikely to be a problem. The airbag itself is small, and remem-ber, it inflates and deflates inless than a second.

After an air bag has inflated,it must be replaced. You can'tjust "stuff it back in" like a sleep-ing bag. And, to find out whetheran air bag system in a car isworking, check the indicatorlight on the dashboard. Youshould always check this whenbuying a used car that has anair bag.

CIRCLE THE BEST ANSWER

1. Air bags protect you if yourcar is hit from thea. right sideb. backc. frontd. left sidee. all of the above

2. After an air bag has been used(inflated), you shoulda. carefully stuff it back in so

it can be used again.b. buy a new gas canister.c. have the air bag system

replaced.d. not do anything, because

you probably won't get inanother crash.

D ISCOVERY H EE T #5

A Million Reasons Not To,None of Them Good

Now that you know how impor-tant safety belts are, can youimagine why anyone WOULDN'Twear them? It's so easy just tobuckle up every time you get ina car. Pull, clip, snap. That's it!

Which of these activitiestakes the least amount of time?a. Putting a coat on before going

outside on a cold day.b. Putting your shoes on.c. Brushing your teeth.d. Buckling up your safety belt.

If you can believe it, a lot ofpeople still don't quite under-stand the benefits of safety belts.Many people don't wear them

regularly. Here are some of thereasons people give for not wear-ing safety belts. For each reasongiven, mark whether you agreeor disagree that it's a good reason.1. "Pm probably not going to get

in a crash anyway. That hap-pens to other people, not me."AGREE _ DISAGREE _

2. "If I wear safety belts, I couldbe trapped in the car if thereafire or if under water."AGREE _ DISAGREE _

3. la better to be thrown clearin a crash."AGREE _ DISAGREE _

17

4. "Pin not going far, and I won'tbe going fast, so I don% reallyneed my safety belt."AGREE _ DISAGREE _

5. "Safety belts will hurt you ina crash."AGREE _ DISAGREE _

6. "Safety belts areuncomfortable."AGREE _ DISAGREE _

7. "None of my f riends wearsafety belts."AGREE _ DISAGREE _

TURN THIS PAGE OVER TO FINDOUT WHY THESE ARE NOT GOODREASONS.

SP

Now let's take a closer look atthese reasons.1. "I'm probably not going to get

in a crash anyway. That hap-pens to other people, not me."What about all those peoplewho are killed or injured incar crashes? Do you think anyof them said "not me"? Proba-bly. Maybe it was the lastthing they ever said. Justremember, statistics showthat you are likely to be in acrash some time during thenext ten years. It could betomorrow, or the day after,or next year, but why takea chance?

2. "If I wear safety belts, I couldbe trapped in the car if therea fire or if An, under water."Your best chance of survivingin a car fire or under water isto remain conscious anduninjured. If you're uncon-scious or too injured to move,you certainly aren't going tobe able to get out of your car,even if you are not wearing asafety belt! That's why yoursafety belt can help youescape. With your safety belton you're much more likely tobe okay, and it'll take you onlya second to unbuckle yourbelt and get out. Besides, lessthan one half of one percentof all injury-producingcrashes involve fire or beingunder water.

3. "la better to be thrown clearin a crash.""Thrown clear" usuallymeans being thrown throughthe windshield, being scrapedalong the pavement, or beingcrushed under your car oranother vehicle. In fact, youare 4 times more likely to bekilled if you are thrown fromthe car.

4. "Pm not going far, and I won'tbe going fast, so I don't reallyneed my safety belt."Most crashes occur under 40miles per hour and within 25miles from home. And youmay think that 35-40 milesper hour is too slow to gethurt. Not true. 80 percent ofdeaths and serious injuriesoccur in cars going under 40miles per hour, and 75 per-cent of deaths and injuriesoccur less than 25 milesfrom home.

5. "Safety belts will hurt youin a crash."Not very likely. Any injury youcould get from correctly usingsafety belts would be muchless than what would happenwithout them.

18

6. "Safety belts are uncom-fortable."You can adjust them to makethem more comfortable. Butthink about this a minute.Even if they are a little uncom-fortable, it's got to be betterthan broken ribs, a fracturedskull, or worse. Besides, onceyou get used to wearing safetybelts, you'll feel like some-thing's missing when you'renot buckled up!

7. "None of my friends wearssafety belts."Is this really a good reason?Friends are one of the bestthings in the world, butthey're not always right. Youhave to make decisions foryourself. You've seen howmuch safety belts help. So, asa member of The Car Club,you can actually help yourfriends out by making surethey always wear safety belts!

DISCO V

ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY BELTS-AND WEAR THEM THERIGHT WAY!

E R Y SHEET

Remember TheseRules Of The Road

DRINKING AND DRIVING-A BAD MIX

SPEEDING-THE FASTEST WAYTO THE HOSPITAL

fl\ 71 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 1

Now that you're ready tobecome a Car Club member, let'sgo over some important rules ofthe road again. These "rules" arereally just reminders aboutwhat makes sense to do and notdo when you're on the road:

ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY BELTS-AND WEAR THEM THERIGHT WAY!

You've seen for yourself howsafety belts work. With safetybelts on and correctly fastened,your chances of escaping injuryor death in a crash are 50 per-cent better than they would beotherwise. If you use safetybelts along with air bags, yourchances of coming out okay areeven better.

DRINKING AND DRIVING-A BAD MIX

About half of all traffic deathsinvolve drinking and driving.Does that tell you somethingabout what drinking does tosomeone's ability to drive? Andask yourself this: How many ofthose drivers who were drink-ing thought they were incomplete control? Besides, it'sillegal to buy or have any alcoholif you're under 21 years old.

19

# 6

SPEEDING-THE FASTEST WAYTO THE HOSPITAL

Speeding is a major cause oftraffic crashes and the injuriesthat result. The faster you go,the more force is involved whenyou crash, and the worse yourinjuries could be. Speeding givesa driver much less time to reactto any problem on the road, andmuch less time to stop. Andthere are always problems onthe road for a driver to dealwiththat's part of driving!

Which of the following is away not to stay safe on the road?a. Don't drink or ride with

anyone who is drinking.b. Always wear your safety belts.c. Slow down (you'll get there!).d. Wear your safety belt only

if you're driving more thanfive miles.

e. Tell your friends to buckle up.MAKE THE BEST OUT OF THEROAD, DON'T LET IT TAKETHE BEST OUT OF YOU!

ROAD9 of

o t'

TRIPS

A Student Guide To MoreIn-Depth Activities On Occupant Safety

By now you're quite aware ofhow important the issue ofdriver and passenger safety is.It's a deadly serious matter.Almost 50,000 people are killedevery year in motor vehicle-related crashes. That's just toomuch of a loss! As a passengerand future driver, there are lotsof decisions you need to makeabout the kind of driver andpassenger you want to be. That'swhy we've started The Car Clubprogram. If you're interested inexploring the issue further, andmaybe even getting the wholeschool involved, there are a lotof things you can do.

Here are some suggestionsfor projects you can do by your-self or with other students.REMEMBER, you should talk toyour teacher or advisor beforestarting any of these projects.

1. Investigate safety beltlaws. Find out, from yourlocal or State government,motor vehicle department orpolice department, if thereare laws in your communityor State requiring the use ofoccupant protection devices.If there are, what do theyrequire? Also, if there is asafety belt law, contact yourlocal police department andask about how the law isbeing enforced.If there aren't such laws,contact your local or Stategovernment representativesand find out why.Write up the results. Youcould present them as areport to your class or writethem up as an article for theschool paper. Another possi-bility is to call a local news-paper and see if they will

print a story on your investi-gation. They may use yourstory as the basis for anarticle written by one of theirreporters, but it would stillappear as a story about workyou did.

2. Investigate local crashes.Find out, from your local orState police, where to getstatistics and information ontraffic crashes for your area.Then see if you can find outhow many deaths or injuriesresulted from those crashes(in the past year, for exam-ple), and how many of thosedeaths or injuries involvedpeople who were not wear-ing safety belts. Not all policejurisdictions keep statisticson safety belt use in crashes,so you may or may not beable to get this information.If you do find it, write it upas a report or a news story asin the first activity.

3. Invite a speaker. There aremany kinds of people youcould invite to speak to yourclassor even to a schoolassemblyabout the impor-tance of safety belt use.Examples are: a police offi-cer, emergency room nurse,ambulance attendant, emer-gency room physician, or acrash survivor (from organi-zations such as "Saved bythe Belt").Police departments, firedepartments (ambulanceservices), and most largerhospitals have public affairsoffices. These offices are usedto responding to requestsfrom the public and are thebest place to start when look-ing for speakers. Whether or

20

not you're speaking with apublic affairs office, explainwho you are, the name ofyour school, what you're try-ing to do, and what kind ofspeaker you need. When youhave found a speaker, talkwith that person first aboutwhat you're trying to do.

Before you set a date for thespeaker, remember to clearthis with your teacher andadvisor and to: (1) arrange aplace for the talk to be held,either in class or in an assem-bly; (2) make certain thatyou have set a date and timethat are both convenient forthe speaker and fit intoschool activities. Yourteacher or advisor can helpyou with this.

There also are many otherorganizations that will haveinteresting speakers. "Savedby the Belt" is one suchorganization that has chap-ters around the country. Trycalling your local chapter ofthe American AutomobileAssociation (also known asAAA or "Triple-A"), theNational Safety Council,Traffic Safety Now, or yourState Office of HighwaySafety. They often know howto get in touch with peoplewho are involved with thetraffic safety issue.

4. Creative project. Get themessage out to the entireschool by conducting aposter contest. The winningentry could be printed upand copies posted in localbusinesses. You could alsohold an "art exhibit" of the

CONTINUED

posters at school, at a localpark, at a community centeror mall.

Art classes can make a greatcontribution by designingbumper stickers, buttons,stickers, or book covers.Work with local printers toget them printed uptheymay be willing to do it forfree as a public service. Yourart instructor can help youwith strategies for approach-ing printers. Then passout the materials you'vedeveloped during "BuckleUp America! Week" (theweek before Memorial Day)or during a "Buckle Up Day"at your school.

5. Radio public serviceannouncements. Write ascript for a public serviceannouncement (PSA) aboutsafety belt use. Contact localradio stations for time limitsand other requirements andto see if they will use it, oreven help you produce it.

6. Print advertisements.Design an advertisement foruse in your school paper orby other newspapers orpublications. Contact yourlocal paper and see if theywill print it. Remember,always ask what size theadvertisement should be,and if there are any otherformat guidelines you needto follow.

7. Student safety belt survey.Design a simple question-naire on safety belt useand administer the surveyto as many students at yourschool as you can. This maymean that you ask permis-sion from teachers or the

principal to pass out copiesof the questionnaire in dif-ferent classes. Collect theresponses and add up theresults for each question. It'simportant to keep the ques-tionnaire short and simple,with mostly "yes or no"answers, so that it won'tbe too hard to add up theresponses. Get teachers andthe school paper to reportthe results.

8. Form a club or committee.Try forming a club or com-mittee of students that couldsponsor school "Buckle UpDays" or other events. If youcan, include students whohave been in car crashes.One way to find out whowould be interested, andwho has been in a car crash,is to use the survey describedin activity #7. Include ques-tions at the end like these:

Have you ever been in a carcrash? YES NO

Would you be interested injoining a club that wouldsponsor events about safetyon the road?YES NO

(IF YOU ARE INTERESTED,WRITE YOUR NAME, CLASSAND TEACHER ON ASEPARATE PIECE OFPAPER AND TURN IT INWITH YOUR SURVEY. IFYOU'VE EVER BEEN IN ACRASH, WRITE IT ON THESAME PAPER.)

Also, if you are already in aclub or service organization,persuade that club tosponsor a school "buckleup" event.

21

9. The "Egg-Car" demonstra-tion. For a really interestingscience project that showshow safety belts work, youcan build the following:

WHAT YOU BUILD: Awooden ramp to roll a small(wooden) "car" down. Thecar has a foam rubber seatthat holds an egg, which youfasten to the seat with acushioned vinyl tape "safetybelt." At the bottom of theramp, you build a barrier intowhich the car can run.

WHAT YOU DEMON-STRATE: Roll the car withthe egg fastened in the seatdown the ramp. When thecar hits the barrier, the eggdoes not break because it'sfastened in with a "safetybelt." The car itself crashesbut the second crashtheegg against the barrierdoesn't happen and the eggstays intact. Then try thesame thing without fasten-ing the egg by its "safetybelt." See what happens tothe egg this time! (BE SUREto lay out newspaper aroundthe bottom of the ramp tocontain the mess.) Whatyou'll be demonstrating isthe effect of safety belts oncrash injuries.

INSTRUCTIONS for build-ing the egg car demonstra-tion are on a separate sheetthat your teacher has as partof this package. Ask fora copy.

10. Other projects. You'recreative! What other proj-ects can you think of thatwould help students under-stand the importance ofusing safety belts and usingthe road safely?

ROAD0 . EG

TRIPS

Safety Belt Egg Experiment*

INSTRUCTIONS: This sampledemonstration using a modifiedPinewood Derby Grand Prix Carcan show in concept howsafety belts work. The focus ofattention is a raw egg thatrides down a one meter inclinein the Pinewood Car, crashinginto a wall at the bottom.Without the vinyl tape safetybelt, the egg flies into the air.(A plastic egg such as a "SillyPutty" container can be substi-tuted for repeat performances.)This demonstrates "inertia,""momentum" and how, in anautomobile crash or suddenstop, we keep moving forwardinto the windshield. When theegg flies up and forward, it alsodemonstrates the concept of"ejection" (a person beingthrown out of an open door orwindow), which can happen ifsafety belts are neglected. Now,repeat the experiment with theegg restrained using the vinyltape safety belt. The safety belt(vinyl tape) protects the fragileegg from damage just as safetybelts are designed to protect us.

'This experiment is used by permission of theBoy Scouts of America. It was takenfrarn theCub Scout Leader "How-7b" Book, copyright1985, Boy Scouts of America.

PINEWOOD CAR

146" 3'

MEDIUMGRADE AEGG ORSILLY PUTTYCONTAINER

SEAT AREA

' CUSHION

rfiN'

STYROFOAM ORFOAM RUBBERSEAT CUSHIONSSHAPED TOHOLD EGG

NAIL WITHHEAD (REPEATON OTHERSIDE)

1/4" HOLE

SAFETY BELT SPECIFICATIONS

STICKADHESIVESIDESTOGETHER

3/4VINYL TAPE

O Gc...........'s

BANDAID ORTHIN FOAM

DOUBLEDOVER

1/4' HOLE

43"

5"

51/2"

TEST TRACK SPECIFICATIONS

31/2'

16'

NAIL

SIDE VIEW

NAIL

TOP VIEW1j1

BRICK WALL(USE PLASTICBRICKS)

3/16' THICKPINE

NAIL

5/8' THICKPINE

36

22 BEST COPY AMIABLE

S H O R T SPINS

Activities You Can Do In Class

Now that you're involved in TheCar Club program, let's take afew short spins. Here are someactivities you can do in class toexplore the issue of safety beltuse further.

ACTIVITY #1

Here are some situations inwhich you can put what youknow about safety belts intopractice. Break the class up intofour groups. Each group willdiscuss one of the situationslisted below. Then, your groupwill "act" out the situation forthe class, based on how thegroup decided to handle it.

Knowing what you now knowabout safety belts, how wouldyou resolve the following:

GROUP ONE. You are riding asa passenger and your bestfriend's father is driving. As youstart off, you can only find onehalf of your lap belt, and it lookslike it hasn't been used in ages.You can't find the other half, soyou can't buckle up. You ask himwhere the other half is, and hesays, " I have no idea. You'll beall right. We're only going tothe park."WHAT DO YOU DO?

GROUP TWO. You've gone to abasketball game to meet a groupof friends. Some of them are inhigh school and one of them hasjust gotten his driver's license.After the game, he says, "Hey,let's all pile in my car and go getsomething to eat." When you getto the car and everyone starts"piling in," you realize you'regoing to be in a situation whereyou're in a front seat with severalother people, and that there's noway you or anyone else will beable to buckle up.WHAT DO YOU DO?

GROUP THREE. You're invitedout to the movies by a newgroup of friends. When they pickyou up, you get in the front seat.The driver is not wearing asafety belt, and neither is any-one else. You reach for yoursafety belt and the driver grins,saying, "You don't trust my driv-ing?" The others wait for youto answer.WHAT DO YOU DO?

GROUP FOUR. Now imagineyou're the driver. You've justgotten your license, and you'veinvited some friends down tothe beach. Everyone gets in thecar, eager to go, talking andlaughing, but no one buckles up.This the first time you've beenallowed to take your friends any-where in a car.WHAT DO YOU DO?

23

ACTIVITY #2

For this activity, the class isgoing to take on the role of lawmakerslike a state legislatureor town council. You'll be debat-ing whether or not to pass a billmaking safety belt use manda-tory. The class will be dividedin half, with each half represent-ing a different view. One side willbe for the law and the otherside against it. You'll have 10minutes to put together yourargument and decide how topresent it, then there will be 10minutes for debate. At the endof that time, the class will take avote on whether or not the billshould pass.

ACTIVITY #3

Draw up a "Declaration of RoadSafety" on the model of the Dec-laration of Independence. Thewhole class should contributein writing the Declaration, withone student serving as secre-tary and writing suggestions onthe board. When everyone hasagreed what it should say, writeit down on paper. Leave 15 min-utes at the end of class for a"signing ceremony," where every-one in the class will sign thedocument. Later, the Declara-tion can be copied and passedout around the school.

SI'

Rider's LicenseThis license certifies that

STUDENTS NAMEhas successfully completed a classroom program in passenger safety.

The holder of this license has learned about the importance of safety belts,how to wear them properly, how to encourage others to wear their

safety belts, and some basic rules for riding and driving safely.

SCHOOL NAME TEACHER'S SIGNATURE

DATE PRINCIPAL'S SIGNATURE

LOGO SHEET

Rider's LicenseThis license certifies that

ETUOMMIIIhas successfully completed a classroom program in passenger safety.

The holder of this license has learned about the importance of safety belts,how to wear them properly, how to encourage others to wear their

safety belts, and some basic rules for tiding and driving safely.

BEST COPY AVAILABLE24 I COPY AVRABLE

SID

Dear Parents:

CSR

Each year traffic crashes are the leading cause of injury and death for teenagers.Safety belt use can help turn this statistic around. The Car Club helps juniorhigh students make the choice to buckle up.

Members of The Car Club are bringing the message home. Review the factsabout safety belts and the dynamics of a motor vehicle crash with your sonor daughter. Discuss how this can impact your family and then sign the con-tract. A promise to buckle up is a commitment to hold your family together...for life.

Sincerely,

Teacher

The Car Club Contract

We agree to keep our family safe by using safety belts. As members of The CarClub, we also pledge that all riders in our car will be asked to buckle up. As saferiders and drivers, we will practice the sound "rules" of the roadnot to ridewith a driver who has been drinking alcoholic beverages and not to speed.

PARENT STUDENT

DATE DATE

25

El

a

(9/92)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOffice of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI)

Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)

NOTICE

REPRODUCTION BASIS

1E lc 1

This document is covered by a signed "Reproduction Release(Blanket)" form (on file within the ERIC system), encompassing allor classes of documents from its source organization and, therefore,does not require a "Specific Document" Release form.

This document is Federally-funded, or carries its own permission toreproduce, or is otherwise in the public domain and, therefore, maybe reproduced by ERIC without a signed Reproduction Releaseform (either "Specific Document" or "Blanket").