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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Each
year in California, children under age 15 comprise 32.1 percent of pedestrian
traffic crash victims, and 33.5 percent of bicycle crash victims. These
alarming statistics are exacerbated by the fact that educational budget
cuts have eliminated traffic safety and driver's education and training
programs in schools, losing crucial opportunities for prevention, and
negatively impacting overall community safety.
The City of
Los Angeles and its surrounding communities have been particularly affected
by the elimination of traffic safety education in schools. The combination
of severe traffic congestion and the large number of pedestrians traveling
in and around the city have led to numerous traffic crashes involving
pedestrians and bicyclists. In an effort to meet this community's pressing
need for effective traffic safety education, the California Science
Center developed an innovative new program.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Commitment to Traffic
Safety Program was developed by the California Science Center in 1997
to provide an effective alternative source of public safety education
at no cost to the public. Program developers envisioned the creation
of a museum filled with a series of interactive, exciting exhibits that
provide tangible explanations of basic traffic safety principles and
the roles they play in everyday life. Specific project goals and objectives
were to:
- Increase the use of bicycle
helmets among children ages 5 to 18 by 35 percent (from 5 percent
in 1996, to 40 percent in 1998)
- Increase the use of child
safety seats for children up to 4 years of age by 15 percent (from
50 percent in 1996, to 65 percent in 1998)
- Implement a public information
campaign targeting bicycle safety, which includes age specific literature
and a hands-on bicycle safety training class
- Host a Community Science
Day, featuring a science carnival on public and traffic safety issues,
with 3,000 children and their parents participating.
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The first phase of the
California Science Center/Exposition Park, a state of the art science
learning center, was completed in 1997. The Center includes four exciting
and innovative traffic safety exhibits including a crash dummies safety
impact test, bicycle case study, automobile design trade-offs display
and an interactive drunk driving presentation. Each exhibit is fun and
hands-on, stirring curiosity while teaching participants about safety.
A media event was planned
to kick-off the bicycle and pedestrian safety training aspect of the
program. Hands-on bicycle training classes were presented by the Department
of Public Safety. During each class, a variety of educational materials
were distributed to participants, along with bicycle helmets and certificates
of completion.
Partnerships were formed
with local clinics and schools for pregnant teens to encourage participation
in child safety seat awareness classes provided by the program. Vouchers
for no-cost safety seats were distributed at child safety seat program
presentations.
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