John Kwasnoski, Professor of Forensic Physics at Western New England College in Springfield, Massachusetts, has worked on a NHTSA-funded project to use automobile crashes as a basis for teaching physics, physical science, biology, math and driver's education topics at a high school level.

The materials (including 42 suggested activities) that have been developed and pilot tested are called CRASH! - The Science of Collisions. Many of the activities start with a police report and students are asked to resolve the question of civil liability or criminal culpability - a very motivating problem-solving approach.

CRASH! is a package of teaching materials and lab equipment. It is not a "program," "module" or "curriculum" and does not introduce new topics into existing courses. The materials do not have to be used sequentially or in their entirety - they are used in existing lesson plans!

Statistics Show:
CRASH! Makes A Dramatic Difference

Percentage comparisons are made to the last "pre-CRASH!" year's statistics in the two states in which there is significant saturation of the school populations. The data is taken from the respective state?s web site:

State of Rhode Island:  CRASH! introduced into schools in 2002, 2003; CRASH! was funded in RI by the Governor?s Office for Highway Safety and MetLife Automobile Insurance Co.

	Before CRASH!	After CRASH!
Fatal crashes (16–20 yr olds):	20 (2003)	15 (2004) (-25%) 14 (2005) (-30%) 9 (2006) (-55%)

CRASH! Can Improve Science Learning And Save Lives
At The Same Time!

CRASH! - The Science of Collisions addresses safety issues in the context of science and math, and its effectiveness in changing teenage risk-taking attitudes aligns with a study done by Dr. Ricardo Martinez, Executive Director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

"... presenting injury prevention within the context of a physics course would improve comprehension of the implications of risky behavior."

"Effect of Integration of Injury Control Information Into a High School Physics Course," Annals of Emergency Medicine, February, 1996

Everyone familiar with CRASH! believes that it will save lives and advance the learning of math and science students. It now appears the most likely path for a school to take to obtain a CRASH! package is through funding by a local "community partner" such as a bank, insurance agency, car dealer, real estate company, towing service, auto body shop - or the Rotary, Kiwanis or other service club.

"Who in a community would not do what they could to change the statistic that shows sixteen-year-olds being 20 times more likely to be involved in a traffic crash than their older driving colleagues?"

Gerald Partridge, retired prosecuting attorney

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