Content Area: Health and Physical Education

 

Index: 2.3B Grade 12 CPI 5

 

Standard: 2.3 - Drugs & Medicine

 

Strand: B - Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator:  5 - The student will investigate the relationship between alcohol and other drug use and the incidence of motor vehicle crashes.

 

Grade: 12

 

Sample Activities:

 

·        IT'S A MATTER OF SAFETY: DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE - In small groups, students track the potential consequences of a bus driver, airline pilot, or train engineer who operates a vehicle while under the influence. In these same groups, students assess the effects of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs on their own ability to operate a car or motorcycle. Each group addresses ways to deal with situations involving impaired drivers and presents the strategies to the class.

 

·        DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE -  Plan a multidisciplinary project that focuses on a simulated drunk driving incident. Begin by show-ing
a “staged” prom night motor vehicle crash. Give each student a folder with pertinent but incomplete information about the incident. Students act as inspectors hired to investigate the crash and make recommendations to the court. Over the next week, student teams review the evidence, conduct
interviews with witnesses and police, test blood samples, participate in simulated sobriety tests, and examine the crash site for evidence (e.g., impact, skid marks, damage to vehicles). Some students calculate the speed of the vehicles at the time of impact. Team meetings are held daily to update the inspectors. After all the information is reviewed, teams hold a mock press conference to report their findings. The project culminates in a mock trial where student lawyers plead the case using the evidence discovered by the teams.

Variation: Stage a mock motor vehicle crash on school property. Invite emergency service providers and police to participate in the staging and present information to the students. Involve the local chapters of MADD and SADD. Display safety materials from the Division of Motor Vehicles, AAA, and insurance companies.

Variation: Students use the driving simulator on alcohol-simulator vehicle (provided by a local auto dealer) or “virtual driving” glasses to experience the impact of alcohol on driving. After the experience, students list ways their judgment might be impaired and the possible consequences of driving under the influence. Students research the impact an arrest might have on a driver’s license and car insurance in New Jersey.