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Distracted Perfection

Andrea Chacon
Best Time to Conduct:
Before/After School, During Lunch, at club meetings, or as a classroom activity in science, health, or leadership classes.		 Number of People:
1-2 students to set up and monitor
Distracted Perfection is available for schools to borrow. This fun, easy-to-do activity quickly demonstrates a person’s susceptibility to distraction, giving you the opportunity to talk about how distractions interfere with your ability to perform driving tasks and increase crash risk. Many people believe they can multitask while driving without it impacting their driving ability; this activity shows the affect of distractions in a safe and fun environment. Complete a Resource Request Form to reserve one.

Set-Up:
Items Provided:
  • Perfection Game
  • 5-second Rule game cards

Set up tips:

  • You will need a small table to place the game on and at least one chair.
  • Use some of your TDS give-away items as rewards for those who complete the activity.

 Facilitation:
  1. Familiarize yourself with how the game board works. Set the switch to “Stop” and turn the timer to “0.” Then, press down the tray. When you are ready to play, move the switch to “Start.”
  2. Each peer should play twice – once without and once with distractions. If your time is limited or you have a large crowd wanting to play, you can just have them play while distracted.
  3. Make sure they understand the goal of the game – to fit as many pieces as possible into the correct space before time runs out.
  4. After completing the first attempt without distractions, make note of how many pieces they placed correctly. You might ask them if they think this task was easy or if they think they can do just as well while answering questions.
  5. During their second attempt, while playing, ask your peer questions from the 5-Second Rule game cards. These are random questions, many with no right or wrong answer; the point is to see the effect that contemplating their answers has on their ability to focus on the task of putting the pieces into place.
  6. Once done, compare the two attempts and talk about the effect the distraction had on their performance.
  7. The goal of this activity is to educate your peers about the risks of distracted driving. Here are a few questions you might ask to get players thinking about distractions and their effects on driving:
    • Were you surprised at the effect answering questions had on your ability to focus on the game?
    • Have you been a passenger when the driver was driving distracted? Did you speak up?
    • As a passenger, what can you do to help the driver avoid distractions?

Don’t Forget:
  • Please make sure your return all pieces when you’ve finished your outreach and take care not to damage the items.
  • Post photos of your activity on your social media channels to further promote the message of safe driving and tag @teensdriverseat so we can see your great work, too.
  • Submit an online activity form to get credit for your efforts

Make it GREAT:
  • Complete this activity as part of your outreach while completing the Zero Hero-Distractions Activity.
  • Utilize your TDS kit and resources, such as posters, yard signs, etc. to reinforce messaging.
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