January 2008 Calendar Resources

Stop Aggressive Driving Campaign

In 2005, there were 682 fatalities in crashes involving young Florida driver’s ages 15-20. Florida ranked number 3 behind California and Texas with the most fatalities in crashes involving young drivers. There are many unsafe driving practices that lead to these deaths and aggressive driving is one of them.

Here’s a questionnaire to determine if you are an aggressive driver:

Do you:

  • Express frustration? Taking out your frustrations on your fellow motorists can lead to violence or a crash.
  • Fail to pay attention when driving? Reading, eating, drinking, texting, or talking on the phone can be a major cause of roadway crashes.
  • Tailgate? This is a major cause of crashes that can result in serious deaths or injuries.
  • Make frequent lane changes? If you whip in and out of lanes to advance ahead, you can be a danger to other motorists.
  • Run red lights? Do not enter an intersection on a yellow light. Remember, flashing red lights should be treated as a stop sign.
  • Speed? Going faster than the posted speed limit, being a "road racer" and going too fast for conditions are some examples of speeding.

What you can do:

  • Allow plenty of time to get where you're going.
  • Identify Alternate Routes. Try mapping out an alternate route. Even if it looks longer on paper, you may find it is less congested.
  • Concentrate. Don’t allow yourself to become distracted by talking on your cellular phone, texting, eating, drinking or putting on makeup.
  • Relax. Tune the radio to your favorite relaxing music before you start driving. Music can calm your nerves and help you to enjoy your time in the car.
  • Drive the Posted Speed Limit. Fewer crashes occur when vehicles are traveling at or about the same speed.
  • Use public transportation, carpool, or get a ride with others. Any of these can give you some much-needed relief from life behind the wheel.
  • Just be late. If all else fails, just be late.

When confronted with aggressive drivers:

  • Get out of the way. First and foremost make every attempt to get out of their way.
  • Put your pride aside. Do not challenge them by speeding up or attempting to hold-your-own in your travel lane.
  • Avoid eye contact. Eye contact can sometimes enrage an aggressive driver.
  • Ignore gestures and refuse to return them.
  • Report serious aggressive driving. You or a passenger may call the police. But, if you use a cell phone, pull over to a safe location.

Visit www.nhtsa.dot.gov for related NHTSA materials.

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HIV/AIDS Awareness Month

For charts and statistical data on the number of people affected by AIDS, go to http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/stats.htm.  Here are some ideas to promote awareness:

  • Create posters and informational flyers.
  • Invite a panel of experts and people living with HIV/AIDS to speak at your school.
  • Have an HIV/AIDS awareness day in the library, lobby, or cafeteria.

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Elementary School Campaign

Visit elementary schools in your area and discuss with students the facts about tobacco, alcohol and other drugs and the harm they can cause. Also discuss with them being safe in other ways, such as wearing their helmets when bike riding, roller-blading or riding a scooter.

When going to elementary schools to speak to students, mix your presentation with a play, skit, role-playing or rap to get your message across. Make it a fun time with a message. Also remember to adjust your message and material to the grade you are visiting.

Suggestions for Elementary School Presentations:

  • Bring Vince and Larry the crash dummies with you to talk about the importance of always wearing their seat belts and sitting in the back seat of the car for safety.
  • Conduct a poster contest illustrating how to say NO to peer pressure. Kids could do it alone or in groups but it would really help them to reinforce in their minds how and when to say NO.
  • Build a Chain of Life in each classroom. Bring them all together and hang them in the cafeteria to display the students’ commitment to being alcohol and drug-free.
  • Collect paper grocery bags from your local store and distribute to elementary students to create drug- free messages. Award prizes to the winners. Return all the decorated bags to the grocery store to be used. Shoppers will have a drug-free message on their bags when they return home.
  • Explain to the students that smoking would damage their lungs and hearts and they would not be able to run that fast anymore.
  • Smoking is not the only issue threatening young people. Also discuss with them the dangers of sniffing or experimenting with pills or other toxic substances.
  • If you have a really creative chapter, write little rhymes for the younger grades to help them remember things like always wearing their seat belts, saying no to alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, and other issues that affect them. Create little rhymes such as this and sing it with them in class so that they will remember it.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
I’ll always wear my seat belt
Because I love you.

Younger students look up to older teens in their community. Use this admiration to build a bond of friendship and trust. Through this bond you may be able to influence them to make good choices and grow up to be strong, healthy young adults living a healthy lifestyle. Explain to them that you can be popular and successful without drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes or using drugs. Don’t underestimate the power of your influence!

Middle School Activity for the Elementary School Campaign

Ask your school Principal if your club can be part of the welcoming committee for each Elementary School that visits. You could give them stickers, pencils, and other SADD club items to remember you by.

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Family Safety and Prevention Programs

Website: http://main.edc.org/tours/familysafety.asp

There are many things that are potentially dangerous and lend themselves to SADD clubs as ideas for awareness campaigns. Things like: loose items in cars; unbelted rear passengers; riding bicycles and/or motorcycles without a helmet; unfenced pools; poisoning from household plants and/or cleaning products; etc.

What your club can do:

  • Brainstorm other potentially dangerous activities with your club and come up with a list of your own.
  • Create flyers, banners, brochures, and/or posters regarding these activities and display them on your school property and/or community.
  • Make a video and play it on the school morning program.
  • Set up a table and hand out information about it.

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National Volunteer Blood Donor Month

Website: www.aabb.org

January is usually a difficult month for blood centers to collect blood donations, due to fewer people donating during the holidays, poor weather, and more people getting sick. A reduction in turnout can put blood inventory at a critical low. In some parts of the country, blood centers are currently on critical appeal.

What your club can do:

  • Call your local blood bank and volunteer to distribute flyers at the mall and/or local shopping area.
  • Arrange for the Blood Mobile to come to your school and hang posters, signs, etc announcing the date/time/location at your school and in your community.
  • Create posters, etc. with information about donating blood

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National Mentoring Month

Website: www.mentoring.org

During the month of January, attention is focused on how mentoring benefits the child, adult and society, as a whole. It was also a time to thank those mentors who are "everyday heroes" to their mentees and to encourage others to share the experience and become a mentor.

Ideas to help you get started are at the National Mentoring Month website
http://www.mentoring.org.

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