The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by: Macy Davis, Quill
Every year a new group of students travel to the Henderson County Fair Grounds to learn about safety; safety on the farm, in the car, on the water, at home, and many other places as well.
The individual "seminars' were set in several different stations. Station one was on the seat belt safety. Illinois State Trooper Edward Howard, Safety Education Officer from District 14, Macomb spoke to the students about seat belt safety and the dangers of not wearing a belt.
He brought with him a truck designed to demonstrate a roll over collision.
Using two crash dummies, which he buckled into the seats, he turned on the battery and watched as the truck turned over and over.
The windows were open and the truck spun for approximately nine minutes but the dummies never fell out, successfully demonstrating how a seat belt increases the likely hood of surviving a crash.
When the dummies were left in the seat unbuckled, however, it only took eight seconds for the life size dummies to fall out of the windows.
He explained that out of the 11 traffic fatalities in Henderson County and surrounding area, 71% of the victims were not wearing a seat belt.
Station two was on the dangers of meth abuse.
The students were shown shocking before and after pictures of meth users.
The investigator who was leading the seminar also explained that the effects of meth last a very long time.
He said that he has seen people who've stayed up 10 days straight, without brushing their hair, their teeth, or changing their clothes.
Meth is highly addictive; it only takes once before most people are hooked.
Some of the side effects of methamphetamines are: brain damage, extreme weight loss, tooth decay, sores, and death.
Station three was on lawn mower safety.
Most of us have learned safety around lawn mowers, but it's always good for reminders.
Some of the advice the children received were to never mow if it's dark, when it's wet, or if there's no adult at home to supervise or help if need be.
In all there were about 10 stations on safety, all were very informative and helpful.