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training question ??? - BSA safe Driving?


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Question just came to me... we have tons of training, some required and some "additional" in order to participate in various activities.

 

We have safe swim defense and safety afloat that a registered leader must take once every 2 years to put any scout on a boat in water.

 

We have hazardous weather training online, etc...

 

WHY is their not a requirement for anyone driving boys to and from an activity or campout (other than a scout in their own parent's car) to have an online Safety Driving training?

 

You know, limit distractions, no Alcohol, don't drive when sleepy, etc...

 

I'm not a big fan of more requirements on volunteers, but I'm honestly surprised this is not only not required, but I don't even find it under "additional" training.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Dean

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There is the Safe Driving pledge, that drivers are able to use as a good starting point.

 

I'm all for training. I've got about all you can have. But at what point in time are we going to substitute a training requirement for common sense?

 

I know what Ben Franklin said, but still.

 

They walk among us.

 

FYI, Sailingpj, in Alabama the boating licensing requirements are just as stiff as the auto testing is. And the DUI enforcement is the same, too. Drunk boating will cost you just as much as drunk driving.

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There are some states that do require the boating licenses, but that is not anywhere near the standard. Some states require everyone to get a license. Some have an optional certificate thing. Some require certain age groups to have a license. Some have requirements based on the type of boat being used. In some states all it takes to get the license is a 20 minute online class.

 

I just googled the Alabama boating laws and it seems that there you take an online course, pay the fee, then take you certificate of completion to the Driver's License Examining Office and they give you your Vessel Operator's License. I see no mention of having to actually get on a boat with an examiner and demonstrating that you can safely operate the boat. Oh and visitors are free to operate boats without the license.

 

The point is that with driving there is basically a national standard already in place for people's everyday lives. Everyone at some point takes both a written and practical exam. Given that everyone does that, I see no need for BSA to offer a driving safety class.

 

I don't know of anywhere that getting a DUI while boating doesn't transfer to your driver's license. Heck, here in California people get DUIs while riding a bicycle and it counts against their driver's license.

 

 

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So really the training is to cover BSA'a butt, not make us safer?

 

Even with OPI, I figure on most outings the most dangerous thing we do and the the thing with the statistically highest likelihood of KILLING a scout is the ride TO and FROM the event.

 

Seems BSA should maybe concentrate on the big high risk things first... just a thought.

 

I'd like to see stats on the last 5 years and how many injuries / deaths of scouts were due to car accidents, compared to all other types of injury / deaths in other activities the scouts engage in?

 

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Dean - google * boy scout accident * and you should see that driving accidents are the worst part of scouting. Four in WY, ten in SC, four in AZ, ...

 

The Traffic Safety merit badge is something I encourage scouts to take, especially just before they start driver's ed.

 

I set expectations with adults before every campout about being safe while driving. I don't honestly believe it changed anyone's driving habits, but at least they knew.

 

The Risk Zone IS driver training - http://www.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/632-006_WB.pdf

There's a 9-minute video at http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/Video.aspx - the first 3 minutes are about driving. The narrator is the most serious dude I've ever seen. :-)

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I'll tell you this Richard...

 

A mandatory safe driving test / class would make more sense than the crappy IOLS class I was just mandated to retake (even though I just did WLOT two years ago) just to get "trained" as a new ASM. Especially since I've been camping for 30+ years and could have done a better job of teaching the class I took.

 

I suffer through YPG, safe swim, safety afloat, and CPR renewal every two years even though the likelihood of me every running across a child molester, a water rescue, or the need to use CPR or an AED are miniscule compared to the chance of being cut off in traffic with a truck load of scouts and gear in my 4x4.

 

Just seems like BSA should be looking at managing what they KNOW to be the macro risk before they required multiple renewal(s) of subject matter surrounding the micro risks.

 

Thanks for the stats and articles, they are very eye openning.

 

Food for thought.

 

Dean

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Hate to say it, but if my council didn't make me, I probably would not have ...

Did it make me drive better? Don't know. Did it give me a rough outline to review with drivers before every trip? Yep.

Could any of my adults have avoided accidents given the training? Maybe.

Could all that have prevented our troop's one fatality? I sincerly doubt it. That one was completely out of our hands.

 

By the way guys. When you get a moment, check your brakes.

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Got to say Dean, that if you are already a prisoner in "training" and suffering thru it locally - perhaps you should consider stepping up and teaching the class?

 

I'm unaware of anything stopping your unit, or council from setting that up as a requirement. Let us know how that goes.

 

Richard

 

Topic tangent - Suggestion for the day - you may want to make sure each of your youth know's CPR, far more likely they will use it on you.

 

 

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Richard,

 

Ok in all seriousness, which version of CPR would you recommend teaching Scouts. I have my opinion, and will be doing it in 2 weeks with my former den for Readyman, but this question has arisen on this thread, and with some MBCs.

 

FYI here are the AHA versions, and I don't know the names of ARC version, but ARC follows AHA guidleines for CPR, and AHA follows ARC first aid guidelines:

 

ADULT Compression Only CPR No certifiaction card issued

 

Heartsaver CPR

Depending upon the course will cover one man infant, child, and adult CPR using the new Compression, Airway, Breathing (CAB) method. cert card is issued

 

Basic Life Support

One and two man infant, child, and adult CPR using CAB, as well as advanced airways. This is the CPR course required for BSA Lifeguard.

 

 

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Does Risk Zone training still exist? It included "how not to fall asleep while driving" and similar subjects. However, I have heard it was changed to some other kind of safety training, and I don't know what that is. Since I do not go camping anymore myself, I haven't had to keep up with it.

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