Share the Drive Group Demonstrations

It only takes three seconds to detect a hazard and act to avoid a deadly crash. During those 3 seconds drivers need to: (1) scan for and detect hazards;  (2) process the need to respond; (3) decide on an action; (4) act to avoid the crash. New drivers take more time at each step than more experienced drivers. Distractions, such as cell phones and other passengers, chip away at these precious seconds. That's why inexperience and distraction is such a deadly combination.

To help others better understand teen driving issues, use these five short demonstrations. They can be given at school assemblies, PTA or other community group meetings, or in your living room.  

Exercise #1: Can You Scan?
Exercise #2: Spilling Spells Trouble
Exercise #3: Don't Spin Out of Control
Exercise #4: Eyes on the Road, Not the Floor
Exercise #5: Is That Call Worth It?

Preparing for the demonstrations:

Age Group: High school teens, parents, adults
Number of Participants: The more the better
Time to Set Up: 1 hour
Time to Practice: 1 hour
Time to Execute: 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on the number of exercises
Key Message: "It only takes 3 seconds" illustrates how hard it is to do two things at one time
Resources: Read about the science behind these actions
Materials: three flip charts, a flashlight, a paper cup filled with water, and a comic book or popular teen magazine
Cost: $3 to $10
Preparation: Read over the facts from Drive the Message Home and know the Key Messages from the 2007 National Teen Driver Safety Week

Note: To be sure that they work for you, it is important to practice these demonstrations before doing them in front of an audience. Place all the objects listed above in a cardboard box out of the audience's view.

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Exercise #1: Can You Scan?

NOTE: This is the most complicated exercise. The others are much easier.

Preparation:
Draw a long road from the bottom to the top of each flip chart. The road should be about 6 inches wide. Decorate the road with trees and a house. Draw a circle on the road to represent an approaching car.

Set up the stage with the three flip charts in front of and facing the chair about 4 feet away — one to the right of the chair, one in front of the chair, and one to the left of the chair.

Activity:

Ask for a volunteer with a cell phone and have her sit in the chair. Hand her the flashlight and instruct her to turn on her cell phone, place it on the chair beside her, and answer it if anyone calls.

Then, explain that the volunteer is now in the driver's seat. Instruct her to shine the flashlight at each of the circles starting on the left, going to the center, and then to the right. Have her repeat the exercise until told to stop.

As the volunteer performs this activity, ask everyone to imagine that she is a driver scanning left, forward, and right to notice hazards and avoid crashes.

Ask for another volunteer with a cell phone. Ask for the first volunteer to give her cell phone number to the second volunteer. Wait about 2 minutes and then whisper to the second volunteer to call the first volunteer on her cell phone.

Watch the flashlight go all over the place when the phone rings and the first volunteer answers the phone.

Discussion:  What happened?

Where was the driver looking when she answered the cell phone? (Probably at the phone, not at the road)What happened to the light? (Probably went all over the road)
What happened to the scanning? (Probably stopped because the driver was focused on one direction)
Could something distract you while you are driving?

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Exercise #2: Spilling Spells Trouble

Activity:

Ask a teen or adult to join you in the front of the room. Give him a cup of water to hold in one hand. Show him a small ball and tell him you are going to ask him to catch it with the other hand.

Turn your back. Ask the volunteer if he is ready, count to three seconds, and then turn and throw a large ball. Remember, he is expecting it to be the same small ball you showed him.

Discussion: What happened?

Could something unexpected happen to you while you were driving?
If you do not get any responses from that initial question, discuss these points that are sure to get the audience talking:

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Exercise #3: Don't Spin Out of Control

Activity:

Ask a volunteer to join you on the "stage." Give her the ball with the string on it. Show her how to twirl the ball as fast as possible. Ask her to do the same.

Then hand her the comic book or magazine. Tell her to keep the ball turning fast and that she has 3 seconds to read a cartoon or article and tell the audience what it is about. Ask someone in the audience to time her.


Discussion: What happened?

Have you every seen someone distracted when they were driving?
It's hard to do two things at once. That's true for driving, too.
Ask the audience, what do drivers do at the same time that distracts them? 
If you do not get any responses from these initial question,s, mention these distractions to encourage discussion:

How can these distractions be avoided?

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Exercise #4:  Eyes on the Road, Not on the Floor

Activity:

Have a volunteer sit in a chair. Give him a small ball with a string and ask him to twirl it as fast as he can. The twirling ball is a substitute for the task of driving.

Then put a large ball on the floor in front of the volunteer and tell him he has 3 seconds to pick it up. Ask someone to keep time.

Discussion: What happened?

Could something like this happen to you while you were driving?
Is driving a car easier than twirling a ball?
What happens when the driver is distracted, even if it only takes 3 seconds?

Ask the audience for examples of distractions that make a driver take his or her eyes off the road. If you do not get a response, discuss these examples with the audience:

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Exercise #5:  Is That Call Worth It?

Activity:

Ask a teen with a cell phone to join you and to sit in the chair. Ask him for his cell phone number. Give him a ball attached to a string and ask him to twirl it as fast as he can. Twirling the ball is a substitute for the task of driving.

Place a pencil and a napkin on a small table beside the volunteer. (Note that it will be hard to write on a paper napkin with a pencil.)

Call the teen's cell phone. Tell him you have the number of where the party is going to be tonight, and your battery is low. He has to copy the number down quickly. Tell your volunteer to go to : "29947 Ironical Street, Bastion Heights - it's the third house from the corner on the left."

Discussion: What happened?

Could something like this happen to you while you were driving?
What would you tell your friend on the phone if you hit someone?
What are possible solutions? It's hard to do two things at once.
Ask the audience to remember a difficult cell phone conversation and to think about what would have happened if they had received it while driving.
If no one gives any examples, ask them to consider these possible scenarios:

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