LESSON PLAN - NASRO



LESSON PLAN

FOR

CONDUCTING A UNIT OF INSTRUCTION

IN

IMPORTANCE OF SEAT BELT USAGE

AND

OPERATION COOL

PRESENTED

FOR

DRIVER’S EDUCATION CLASS STUDENTS

PRESENTED

BY

DEPUTY ALICIA MAXEY

JUNE, 2001

Unit Learning Goals

The primary purpose of this unit of instruction is to educate students about the importance of seat belt usage, and to explain “Operation Cool”.

The student at the completion of this course would have gained knowledge on what the “Operation Cool” program is and what it is designed to accomplish. Explain the importance of seat belt usage.

Unit Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this unit of instruction, the student will be able to:

1. Explain “Operation Cool” and its primary purpose.

2. Identify reasons why it is cool to wear a seat belt.

3. Identify how buckling up reduces risk of injury.

4. Identify rewards which could be beneficial to you.

Unit Learning Plan

Method of Instruction

1. Lecture

2. Discussion

3. Practical Exercise – Rollover simulator demonstration by Sgt. Rory Steidl – Illinois State Police

Instruction Aids

1. Podium

2. VCR and monitor – Show Operation Cool video

3. Overhead projector

4. Student Handouts

a. Seat Belt Pledge “Contract for Life”

b. Statistics fact sheet

c. Cartoons

A. Student Materials

1. Notebook

2. Pen/pencil

B. Time Allotted

One Hour

Instructor Reference/ Bibliography

1. “The Click Newsletter” – Illinois State Police

2. Operation Cool Handout

Topical Outline

Introduction

Personal background

Professional background

A. Tell personal story of personal injury rollover accident, and outcomes of drivers, one with seat belt one without.

B. Ask class if they have any personal experiences to share in reference to accidents and seat belt usage, or failure to wear seat belts.

Body

What is “Operation Cool”

1. A program developed by the Illinois State Police nearly three years ago, the message is simple –“It is COOL to wear a seat belt”.

2. Implemented throughout Illinois to develop good driving habits by wearing their seat belts.

3. Program combines education, awareness, and enforcement to motivate BUCKLE UP.

Seat Belt Facts (Handout of Statistics here)

1. 1 in 400 teenagers will be involved in serious crash before age 21.

2. 800 Illinois teenagers will die as a result of crashes in the next four years.

3. Fewer than 1 in 5 teenagers wear a seat belt.

4. Seat belts could save the lives of 45 – 55% of these youths.

Reasons to Buckle Up

1. Buckling up reduces the risk of fatal injury by 50%.

2. It is easy; it only takes 6 seconds.

a. Incentives for buckling up if school is participating in “Operation Cool”, are small cash prizes, gift certificates, food and a chance to win a new car.

Excuses Not to Buckle Up

1. I’m just going around the corner (distribute handout on Did You Know Facts).

2. I trust my car and my driving.

3. It will never happen to me.

4. Could get trapped in a rollover, or fire.

5. Hard on my clothes.

Conclusion

A. Young drivers today need to be reminded constantly about the importance of wearing a seat belt. Make it a habit for life and encourage students to participate in “Operation Cool”.

B. Make a pledge, contract for life, and remember SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES.

Dear Educators, Parents, Teenagers, and Colleagues:

As a 21-year veteran of the Illinois State Police, I have witnessed first-hand the needless deaths, disabilities, and disfigurements which have resulted in crashes when drivers and passengers are not wearing seat belts. Over and over again, troopers and EMT’s see the horrible aftermath of a crash where an unbelted occupant is hurled hopelessly through the windshield or window of a car, and comes to rest in a cornfield or ditch.

Consider this:

1. 1 in 400 teenagers (aged 16 – 20) will be involved in a serious car crash before they are 21.

2. 800 Illinois teenagers(aged 16 – 20) will die as a result of crashes in the next four years; thousands more will be permanently disabled/hospitalized. You will know at least two of them. One may be your student, teammate or neighbor. Is one your sister or child?

3. Seat belts could save the lives of 45 –55 percent of these youths.

4. Less than 1 in 3 teenaged drivers in Illinois wear seat belts every time he/she is in the car.

The problem is that buckling up simply has not become an automatic habit for these teens. Writing traffic citations cannot motivate all of them to buckle up. We must use a combination of education, insistence, and behavior-modeling if we are to make a lasting difference. Operation Cool is designed to get communities involved in motivating and reminding young adults to buckle up. Anyone who comes into contact with a teenager can influence them. Not only teachers, parents, coaches, and counselors, but also retailers, physicians, commercial drivers, older siblings, peers, entertainers, and civil servants need to send a clear message. Only through a consistent effort by the whole community can we get their attention and tell them seat belts do make a difference.

And, by the way, don’t forget to buckle up.

Sincerely,

Colonel Daniel W. Kent

Illinois State Police

DID YOU KNOW…?

How many times have you heard people say, “I don’t need to buckle up. I am just going around the block,” or, “I was just going 30 mph.”? While it is true that slower speeds reduce the risk, don’t forget that 11 percent of all fatal crashes occurred when the car was going 30 mph or less. So, think of the following scenarios, when you make that choice to use your belt.

At 3 mph

Imagine that you are hit head-on by a football tackle running 3 mph. He knocks you flat and your head hits the turf. You wake up in the hospital with a serious concussion and a sprained neck.

At 15 mph

Many people blade at 15 mph. Imagine shoving your face into the windshield or your chest into the steering wheel at that speed with no helmet, no pads, and no chance to brace yourself.

At 20 mph

You buckle up and are cruising the square at 20 mph. The kid’s car in front of you stops suddenly. Too late to apply the brakes! Your best friend, who is unbuckled, is hurled square into the back of your head at 20 mph, breaking his jaw. Your injuries prevent you from graduating on time.

At 35 mph

You are driving at 35 mph when a deer darts in front of your car. You brake quickly, miss the deer and keep your car on the road. Shaken up, you pull over. An officer stops to offer assistance and then issues a citation for not buckling up. "Next time, you might not be so lucky,” he says.

At 40 mph

Suppose you stand on top of a five story building and fall off head first. This represents 40 mph. Would you jump?

SEAT BELT PRE-TEST

1. Last year 195 teens were killed in traffic related crashes? True False

2. Buckling up reduces the risk of injury by 50%? True False

3. Operation Cool is a program started by the Illinois State Police to promote seat belt usage and awareness targeted at teenage drivers? True False

4. Emergency room costs are about $5,000 more for people who don’t buckle up?

True False

5. Many businesses and local governments require their employees to buckle up each and every time they are in a company vehicle? True False

SEAT BELT POST-TEST

1. Fastening a seat belt only takes six seconds? True False

2. Buckling up reduces the risk of injury by 50%? True False

3. 1 in 400 teenagers will be involved in a serious crash before age 21?

True False

4. Only 1 in 5 teenagers wear a seat belt? True False

5. Operation Cool offers incentives for buckling up? True False

MAKING THE PLEDGE…A CONTRACT FOR LIFE

A big part of what makes programs like Operation Cool and Save Ourselves such a success is the student contract and sponsor pledge. Each school or program is free to develop its own forms, which detail the responsibilities of the student, school, sponsor, and advisory board. The contract usually is designed for and signed by the individual student, and kept on file for prize drawings. The sponsor pledge helps to convey facts about seat belts, and serves to enlist program support. It can be signed by an individual or group of individuals (such as the city council or board of directors).

Below is an example of language which might be incorporated into a pledge. Remember, publishing the contract and the names of those participating is the key to building community-wide support.

EXAMPLE OF A SEAT BELT PLEDGE

I

-----------------------

I,________________, do hereby acknowledge that by using my seat belt and encouraging others to do so, my

actions could result in lives saved in the event I am involved in a vehicular crash. Buckling up will reduce traffic fatalities by 35 to 50 percent. I also acknowledge that crash related injuries are responsible for 10 percent of doctor visits and 38 percent of emergency hospital visits each year, and that proper use of seat belts can reduce hospital costs by an average $5,000 per person involved in a crash. I understand that the cost of these crashes is borne by everyone in the form of higher insurance premiums and tax-supported subsidies.

I further acknowledge that by consistently using my seat belt and encouraging my employees, colleagues, family, and passengers to use theirs, that I am conveying the message that their health and safety are important to me.

I also understand that Operation Cool is implemented to help teenagers make buckling up a habit. Further, I agree to support Operation Cool by modeling safe driving behaviors and promoting the buckle-up message in the community and at work. Please notify me if my child is observed by any program sponsor or volunteer driving or riding as a passenger without their seat belt.

I agree to support Operation Cool by wearing my seat belt every time, for every trip. I will also make a contribution to Operation Cool in the form of being a compliance monitor, implementing seat belt policies in company vehicles or on company time, advertising on the company marquis, and donating discount coupons for food.

I understand that Illinois law mandates all drivers to use seat belts and to require all passengers to be properly buckled up. I further understand law enforcement officials in this community will issue a citation for these violations.

Supporter’s Name (PRINT)

Supporter’s Signature

School or Program

Names of teenaged children

Business/town

Date

Must be returned to __________________no later than __________, 20__.

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