The Allstate Foundation Teams Up With Scientific Social Solutions to Launch
CRASH! The Science of Collisions Program in New York State
Educational Program Teaches Driver Safety to High School Students Using Math
and Science to Reconstruct Actual Motor Vehicle Accidents
NEW YORK, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Allstate Foundation announced today the
launch of the Scientific Social Solutions (S3) CRASH! program in New York
State. CRASH! The Science of Collisions, is an educational program that uses
automobile crashes as a basis for teaching physics, physical science, biology,
math and driver's education topics to high school students.
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring the CRASH! program to high
schools across New York State," said NY Allstate Foundation Spokesperson Kelly
Costanza. "This program not only brings invaluable applied science lessons
into the classroom, but the residual safety message of the CRASH! program is
so important to young and inexperienced drivers."
Designed in 2002 by Professor John Kwasnoski, one of the country's leading
experts on motor vehicle crash reconstruction, the CRASH! program directly
engages students in the learning process through real-world problem solving.
Students use actual police reports from traffic accidents to solve a mystery
using mathematics and science.
"What makes the CRASH! program so effective is that it addresses safety issues
in the context of science and math," said Kwasnoski "Its effectiveness in
changing teenage risk-taking attitudes is profound."
Students do more than just listen to lectures or view demonstrations - they
actively calculate things like how far a car going 45 mph will travel while
its driver looks away from the road for two seconds, or how fast a car was
traveling before the driver hit the brakes. Students gain a genuine
understanding of the implications and consequences of speed, inattention, and
alcohol; an understanding that has been demonstrated to modify their
behind-the-wheel behavior.
The S3CRASH! program was first introduced into the Rhode Island Public School
System in 2002. Following its inception, Rhode Island traffic safety officials
observed astonishing results. Between 2003 and 2006, the state noticed a
dramatic 55 percent decrease in fatal car crashes involving 16-20 year-olds.
The Allstate Foundation started to deliver the S3CRASH! Kits to 50 high
schools in Nassau County and New York City, and will distribute an additional
178 kits to high schools throughout Erie, Monroe, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange,
and Oswego counties over the coming months.
For more information about the Allstate Foundation's S3CRASH! program, please
visit www.scientificsocialsolutions.org.
About The Allstate Foundation
Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable
organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation.
Allstate and The Allstate Foundation sponsor community initiatives to promote
"safe and vital communities"; "tolerance, inclusion, and diversity"; and
"economic empowerment." The Allstate Foundation believes in the financial
potential of every individual and in helping America's families achieve their
American dream. For additional information, visit www.clicktoempower.org.
About Scientific Social Solutions (S3)
Scientific Social Solutions (S3) is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization
dedicated to expanding young people's interests and skills in science and
mathematics through the creation and dissemination of state-of-the-art
programs and materials, and to offer educational services and opportunities to
young people in the areas of safety, health, and technology. For additional
information, visit www.scientificsocialsolutions.org.
SOURCE The Allstate Foundation
Thomas Lee of 451 Marketing, +1-617-259-1605, tlee@451marketing.com
