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August 22, 2022

Speak (C)up! Not Everyone Is Doing It

This fun cup-stacking activity can be used to bring awareness to impaired driving and help you start a conversation with your peers about the negative effects impairment has on a person’s ability to complete simple tasks and how teens can speak up for their safety.

 Items Needed

  • 6-12 plastic cups
  • Sharpies for writing on cups
  • Impaired goggles (available for check-out from your regional rep)
  • Table

 Steps

  1. When choosing the date, place, and time for your activity, make sure you choose a location where you will be able to interact with lots of people such as during lunch, at a sporting event, or open house.
  2. Before your activity, research and find impaired driving statistics that you can share with your peers. Make sure you are using a reputable source.
  3. Write “SPEAK UP – Zero tolerance means ZERO ALCOHOL” (or some sort of Speak up! message) and an impaired driving statistic on each cup.
  4. Have students stack cups in a pyramid twice – once without the impaired goggles and once while wearing the goggles to see effect.
  5. Review the statistics on the cups as you play. Talk about the impact of impairment on your ability to complete a simple task like stacking cups. Talk about how it affects a person’s ability to drive and the importance of speaking up for your safety and the safety of others if you see someone thinking about driving impaired.
  6. 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.
  7. Submit an online activity form at t-driver.com to get credit for your efforts.

Don’t Forget

The goal of this activity is to encourage your peers to commit to never driving impaired and to speak up when they see someone considering getting behind the wheel impaired or riding with someone who is impaired.

 Make it GREAT

  • Pair this activity with the Promise ZER0.0 pledge signing activity
  • Set up a photo station with 8.5×11 signs that say, “Not Everyone is Doing it,” and include positive trends pointing to how you and your peers are making good choices. Ask students to hold up a sign and have their photos taken. Share these on social media individually or group them together to create a video.
  • Use the impaired driving flash cards included in your TDS Resource Kit to ask questions while students are at the table waiting to stack cups.

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Article by Andrea Chacon / Activity Categories, Impaired Activity Leave a Comment

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More Ways for Teens to Be Involved

  • Teen Advisory Board
  • Extra Mile! Senior Activity
  • You in the Driver Seat Safe Driving App
  • Teen of the Month
  • Driving the Message Poster & Video Contest
  • Take the Pledge to Keep Our Drive Alive
  • Safe Driving Summit

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