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Motor Vehicle Crashes Research Paper

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Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are the leading cause of death in US teens, encompassing greater than one in three deaths.1 Based on 2010 data, 2,700 teenagers were killed and 282,000 were treated in Emergency Departments (ED) for injuries sustained in MVCs.1 That equates to approximately seven teens between the ages of 16 and 19 dying daily due to injuries sustained in MVCs. Mile per mile teens aged 16 to 19 are more likely than those aged 20 and older to be involved in a fatal crash.2 People aged 15 to 24 years old encompass approximately 14% of the US population; however, males and females of this age group account for 30% ($19 Billion) and 28% ($7 Billion) of the total costs of injuries due to MVCs, respectively.3
Younger drivers tend to …show more content…

The majority of these programs are for alcohol injury prevention targeting high school students, often involving a driving while under the influence (DUI) fatal car crash. In these reenactments students watch a scripted scene with actual staged damaged vehicles, local police activation, fire-rescue extraction and treatment of crash victims, and an on-scene death of a fellow student. After the scene plays out, witnesses and staff describe the effects of a fatal DUI upon friends, family and community. The American Red Cross has been a leader in the use of the mock crash reenactments. “Operation Prom Night” is a community sponsored crash reenactment program conducted by the Red Cross of Central Illinois secondary to grants from the Illinois Department of Transportation that are staged annually at participating Central Illinois high schools around prom season. Its main focus is to promote safe behaviors, mainly abstaining from alcohol use, for students that will be participating in prom night festivities.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a mock crash reenactment upon the observing student’s knowledge about the risks of drinking and driving as well as their behaviors relating to drinking and

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