| Smash Match is available for schools to borrow. This is a timed shape-matching activity that helps you demonstrate a person’s susceptibility to the impairing effect of alcohol simulated through the impaired goggles. It can be used as a stand-alone activity to bring awareness to the danger of impaired driving or as part of a larger discussion on the subject. |
Set-Up:
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Items Provided*:
- Smash Match Mat
- 8 sets of shapes
- User Guide
- Impaired Goggles
*All of these items are stored in a yellow drawstring bag.
Set up tips:
- You will need a small table to place the mat and shapes on and 2 chairs.
- Make sure you have enough room to spread the shapes around the edge of the mat.
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Facilitation:
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- Before your outreach, review the provided User Guide.
- Familiarize yourself with the digital timer and how it works.
- Each peer will play twice – once without and once with the impaired goggles and each attempt will be timed.
- Explain that they will be matching the shapes to the shapes on the mat; they can only place one shape per location and use each color only once. For example, if they place the yellow stop sign shape on the mat, they can’t use any other yellow pieces for matching the other shapes. There is no time limit, but the participant will be timed to show the difference between being unimpaired and impaired.
- After completing the first attempt without goggles, make note of how long it took to match all 8 shapes.
- Mix up the shapes again, placing them to the sides of the mat, and repeat this activity a second time while wearing the impaired goggles.
- Once done, note the time as well as any mistakes in matching (placing the wrong shape in the wrong space or using a color more than once).
- Compare the two attempts and talk about the effect the impaired goggles had on their performance.
- The goal of this activity is to educate your peers about the risks of impaired driving. Here are a few questions you might ask to get players thinking about how impairment affects driving:
- Did you perform as you expected? Was there anything that surprised you?
- What kind of difficulties did you experience while trying to match shapes? How might these relate to someone driving?
- Placing shapes in the wrong spots – this is a sign of poor judgment.
Behind the wheel, this might look like neglecting to wear your seatbelt, misjudging time needed to stop, not staying in your lane, hitting the gas instead of the brake.
- The quicker you need to react, the more likely you are to make mistakes.
Behind the wheel, this might look like erratic accelerating and braking, missing turns, turning too widely; alcohol impairment slows down a person’s reaction time.
- It takes longer to do the activity.
Behind the wheel, this might look like driving well below the speed limit, trying to compensate for the loss of reaction time.
- Missing shapes right in front of you.
Behind the wheel, this might look like missing a stop sign or not noticing a traffic light has changed to red.
- Look at the driving behaviors listed on the mat; how important are those behaviors to safe driving?
- How might you deal with someone who you believe has had too much to drink and is about to drive?
- Brainstorm a list of ways to prevent impaired driving among your peers.
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Don’t Forget:
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- 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
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Make it GREAT:
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- Complete this activity as part of other impaired outreach your team is doing during high activity times such as the holidays, spring break, and around prom and graduation.
- Utilize your TDS kit and resources, such as posters, yard signs, etc. to reinforce messaging.
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