Year after year, our young people continue to needlessly die and suffer
catastrophic injuries as a result of traffic crashes. The combination of
alcohol use and lack of driving experience have accelerated this epidemic.
Despite decades of interventions, stricter laws, increased enforcement and
awareness, support groups, public policy changes and national media
campaigns we are still losing our children.
Pennsylvania’s graduated license has already yielded life saving benefits by
mandating increased on-the road experience. Zero tolerance laws for persons
under the age of 21 have reduced the access to and consumption of alcohol.
In addition, we must continue to move forward on several fronts to address
youth injuries and death.
Any effective educational intervention must address both youth alcohol
prevention and highway safety. Reducing youth alcohol consumption is only
part of the equation. We must also encourage safety belt use, increased
on-the -road experience and the reduction of aggressive and fatigued
driving. Most importantly, we must make youth aware of their
responsibilities.
"Survival 101: A Student’s Guide to Staying Alive" is a police-driven
curriculum designed to encourage appropriate decision making among middle
and high school students. Developed by the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation’s Buckle Up PA Project, "Survival 101" provides police
officers with the multi media tools necessary to successfully lead a
dynamic, hard-hitting presentation.
Middle and high school students - ages 12-18 - traditionally have been a
difficult audience to reach. Attempts to change attitudes and behaviors in
this age group have always been a difficult task.
This curriculum provides a step-by-step program guide that allows officers
to draw from his or her own personal experiences when relating to teenage
crashes and fatalities. Program leaders who have "been there" can explain to
students what it’s like to respond to a serious crash and to inform loved
ones of tragedy. At
Buckle Up PA, we feel that thispersonal
approach - when paired with a high-energy multi-media presentation - is the
best way to reach this target age group.
More than 300 Municipal and State Police are trained to present the
"Survival 101" program. Each department now has a "Survival 101" Curriculum
and the materials to complete a program within their jurisdiction. A list of
those departments is available on the Buckle Up PA website,
www.buckleuppa.org.
The Back Is Where It's At
The Back Is Where It´s At elementary seat belt program was designed to
provide
law enforcement officers with tools to educate children about the
importance of
proper seat belt use. The curriculum was created for Buckle Up
Pennsylvania
and uses many existing community resources.
The Back Is Where It´s At has reached approximately 36,000 elementary aged
children in over 80 Pennsylvania schools since it began in 1999. Many
municipal
police officers and state troopers are currently trained to
present this curriculum.
This safety program was developed specifically for police officers. It is
designed to assist presenters through a self-contained training portfolio.
The portfolio is equipped with a self-explanatory training tape and DVD, a
step-by-step curriculum (complete with a removable guide for quick
reference) and other materials necessary to facilitate a successful
presentation.
The Back Is Where It´s At covers five significant safety topics: booster
seats, seat belts, air bags, back seat usage for children 12 and under, and
entire family usage. The program is designed for small group settings to
encourage a more personalized and meaningful delivery. It is fast-paced to
accommodate short attention spans and covers a multitude of material in a
short period of time. Due to the fact that children are directly involved
with this presentation, inattentiveness is rarely a problem. In many
instances where The Back Is Where It´s At had been offered, it has become an
integral part of the local seat belt safety initiative.
The programs are appropriate for Grades K-5. Classroom presentations should
be scheduled with no more than two classes or 60 students per presentation.
Pre- and post-observation surveys can be completed, reaching students and
their families.
