Car accidents kill more young people in the U.S. than any other cause. For the firefighters and paramedics at Snohomish County Fire District No. 3 in Monroe, prevention is the name of the game.
That is why, about six years ago, firefighter paramedics Kurt Schneider and Pat Gjerde decided to see what they could do to reduce the number of young people getting involved in car accidents. They became motivated to implement some type of prevention strategy specifically oriented toward teenagers after experiencing a discouraging streak of serious-injury car accidents.
"For whatever reason, Pat and I seemed to be working every day that it happened,GÇ¥ Schneider said. "Finally, on the last one, we were looking at each other, saying, "This is ridiculous. There's got to be something we can do.'GÇ¥
They recognized the fact that there are programs to teach young children about fire safety and to teach senior citizens how to prevent injury in the home. But in the case of vehicle accident prevention, it seemed like maybe more could be done.
With the help of the department's former public information officer, they located a curriculum and completed the training required for them to teach the class. The mission statement of the program, which is called "Think Again,GÇ¥ is "to reduce motor vehicle crashes in the highest risk audience, [people] 15 through 19 years old, through an interactive educational classroom presentation.GÇ¥
The class is taught to juniors at Monroe High School. It takes Schneider and Gjerde about three days to cycle through the entire junior class.
"We've probably shown at least 900 to 1,000 kids this presentation in the last few years,GÇ¥ Schneider said.
Typically, the class is held every year in May, but this school year, they held the class in December to accommodate Gjerde's commitment to the U.S. Navy. December marked the fifth time they've taught the class. Schneider explained that it has been a very successful program; the students are engaged and receptive, and even more importantly, it seems to be working.
"No one around here remembers cutting a teenager out of a car since we started,GÇ¥ Schneider said.
After a brief introduction by Schneider and Gjerde, the class starts with a series of photographs from actual fatal car crashes where seat belts would have drastically changed the outcome. The photos are graphic and startling, but they reflect an important reality. Schneider and Gjerde monitor students closely during this portion of the class and work hard to make sure that they don't become too uncomfortable.
They personalize the presentation by talking about their own experiences when responding to major car accidents. Because Monroe is a relatively small town, they are careful to choose experiences that occurred in other jurisdictions.
Initially, the course primarily emphasized intoxicated driving, but over time they've learned to adapt the curriculum by obtaining information via a student survey. This has enabled them to keep the class up-to-date and relevant. They teach that distracted driving, especially while texting on a cell phone, is actually surpassing intoxicated driving as the cause of accidents.
Schneider and Gjerde explain to students that while intoxicated driving is dangerous, distracted driving is just as bad or worse, because when drivers are texting, they aren't even looking at the road. Having young and inexperienced drivers driving with one hand on the wheel and taking their eyes off the road for extended periods of time can be a deadly combination.
"Drunk drivers that are on the road are at least holding the steering wheel looking where they're going, trying not to crash,GÇ¥ Schneider said.
In addition to covering distracted driving, intoxicated driving and the importance of wearing seat belts, Schneider and Gjerde also discuss safety devices that are meant to be used in conjunction with seatbelts. Schneider said that, often times, safety devices built into vehicles can actually be counterproductive when drivers don't wear their seatbelts.
Both Schneider and Gjerde have their own specific segments they teach during the 40-minute course. Gjerde goes into detail about alcohol and talks about alcohol poisoning and what amount of alcohol actually qualifies as "one drink.GÇ¥ They use plastic cups to demonstrate exactly how different amounts of alcohol equate to different numbers of drinks.
They intentionally keep the presentation low-tech, without a lot of bells and whistles.
"By talking to them and making it personal, we can respond to them,GÇ¥ Schneider said. "We can draw them into our conversation and set the mood, and it seems to be working very, very well.GÇ¥
Overall, the course is about offering teenagers the opportunity to make better decisions by providing them with facts that can hopefully inform their choices in the future, Schneider said.
The duo hopes to inspire teens to have safe fun. But they definitely want to drive home the message that it's critical to always be vigilant when operating a vehicle.
"Stop with the texting,GÇ¥ Schneider said. "When you drive, drive. When you sit down to have a good time, have a good time. Just don't mix them up.GÇ¥
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