Y OUNG D RIVER R ESEARCH I NITIATIVE (YDRI) SADD TEAM MEMBER WORKSHOP Part I: What and Why?

2 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN Crashes are not accidents, they have causes and most are preventable. Crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for adolescents. The whole school should be involved to help solve this complex problem. You can make a difference— and it’s simpler than you may think. The heart of Ride Like a Friend is teens talking to teens.

3 5,000 REASONS TO GET INVOLVED That’s how many teen lives are lost in crashes each year SADD has led the way, putting the focus on teen’s destructive decisions behind the wheel. It is time to take even more action Source: NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts, August 2008

4 A CAUSE, A SOLUTION A car “crash” is not an “accident.” A crash has a cause or set of causes. A cause could be distracting passengers, cell phones (text or call), speeding and driving inexperience. By understanding the cause, we can do something to prevent crashes! 12% Suicide 16% Homicide 37% All Other 35% Motor Vehicle LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH FOR TEENS

5 WHAT CAUSES CAN COMBINE IN FATAL TEEN CAR CRASHES? * Alcohol? Less than 20% (SADD, your work has made a difference.) * Among 16- to 17- year-old drivers Source: Williams, et al, Journal of Public Health Policy, 16:3 (1995) The top cause of fatal teen crashes is driver error: 75% Speeding? About 40%

6 DISTRACTIONS AND INEXPERIENCE ARE MAJOR FACTORS IN DRIVER ERROR A BIG DISTRACTION? PASSENGERS

7 PASSENGERS ARE A MAJOR FACTOR LEADING TO FATAL TEEN CRASHES One peer passenger doubles the risk of a fatal crash Three or more passengers raises fatal crash risk four to five times Source: Chen L, et al. Journal of the American Medical Association (2000)

8 THE MORE PASSENGERS, THE WORSE THE DANGER. WHY? Chen, LH, Baker, SP, Braver, ER & Li, G JAMA (2000). Relative Crash Risk

9 WHAT MAKES PASSENGERS DANGEROUS? Teens surveyed said they don’t want passengers to: 1)Act wild 2)Encourage speeding 3)Be intoxicated 4)Sing or dance

10 TEENS TOLD US Safe driving behaviors you would use include: 1)wearing seat belts 2)establishing safe driver- passenger interaction 3)reducing driver distractions 4)asking for help as drivers 5)turning down radio volume RLAF builds on this!

11 SOMEDAY YOU WILL DRIVE YOUR FRIENDS RLAF recognizes and supports passenger limits: during the first 6 month or 1,000 miles of driving in keeping with Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws Eventually you will be in full control of your car, your rules rules and the number of passengers Safe passenger behavior will pay off today and down the road.

12 MESSAGES FOR DRIVERS Set your rules. Ask for help. Expect respect. If they’re your friends, they should help.

13 MESSAGES FOR PASSENGERS Buckle up. Be there to help (give directions, answer cell phones, etc.) Show respect. If you’re their friend, you should care.

14 SO WE CAN BE FRIENDS AND SAVE LIVES. HOW DO WE GET STARTED? Keep it positive Remember the science (stay on message) Get everyone involved Create a campaign that works in your school

15 STAY POSITIVE--RESEARCH SHOWS: Scare tactics lead to fear and short-term change Sources: Hale J, et al., Designing Health Messages, Sage (1995) Witte, K. et al., The Handbook of Communication and Emotion (1998) Positive messages lead to long-term change

16 REMEMBER THE SCIENCE Teen car crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for adolescents Car crashes are not accidents and most are preventable The top cause of fatal teen crashes? 75% are caused by Driver Error RLAF has been tested by teens and it works

17 GET EVERYONE INVOLVED Passengers and drivers School and community members Parents and other adults Make sure activities you plan are engaging and accessible to all!

18 BE CREATIVE: MAKE A CAMPAIGN THAT WORKS IN YOUR SCHOOL Select materials that will be well received Scale up or down to your resources! Tie the campaign to popular events at your high school Homecoming Game Assembly Spirit Week Sports Booster Event (car wash, dance, fund raiser

Y OUNG D RIVER R ESEARCH I NITIATIVE (YDRI) Available courtesy of the Research and Outreach Alliance of: Y OUNG D RIVER R ESEARCH I NITIATIVE (YDRI)

NEXT UP Getting It Started

21 Y OUNG D RIVER R ESEARCH I NITIATIVE (YDRI)