Simulator teaches students to buckle down

COLUMBUS -- They may not be old enough to drive yet, but Columbus Middle School students learned an important lesson in vehicle safety.

State Trooper James Reilly of the Nebraska State Patrol gave a presentation about seat belt safety to a group of CMS students this week. Using a rollover simulator, he demonstrated what happens when travelers use and don’t use a seat belt.

The demonstration simulates a vehicle traveling 30-35 miles per hour. Two dummies are placed inside, one the size of an infant, the other the size of an adult. A book bag also was in the simulator.

The first time the simulator was turned on the dummies were strapped in with seat belts. As the machine rolled over and over, the book bag was tossed from the window, but dummies stayed secure.

During the second demonstration the dummies were not wearing seat belts and flew out the side windows along with the book bag.

“It’s very important, even if you are heading a few blocks away, to snap on your seat belt,” Reilly said.

Although seeing the dummies tossed out drew a few giggles from the students, Reilly presented some sobering statistics that got their attention.

He said there is a collision every 16 minutes in Nebraska, and, according to the department of motor vehicles, in 2006, of the 269 traffic accident fatalities in the state, 69 percent were not wearing seat belts.

Reilly said a person has a 40 percent better chance of surviving a traffic accident if they are wearing a seat belt.

CMS Principal Doug Kluth said the staff wanted to have the rollover demonstration at the school to promote safety belt usage among the students.

“We see a lot of students being picked up after school not wearing their seat belts and their parents not wearing their seat belts,” Kluth said.

Overall, nine demonstrations were given to students in health and fitness classes throughout the school day.