Name: ____________________________ Date: __________________ Period : ____________

Seatbelt Safety Project

Part A: ​Think About It (Independent)
1. Using your notes in your notebook, answer the following questions as best as you
can:
 
● Inertia is… 
 
 
● The First Law of Motion states that … 
 
 
 
● My own real life example of Newton’s First law of Motion is… 
 

Part B: ​Read About It and ​ Annotate the

 
Text​: CATCH Annotations 
1. ​Circle:​ ​
● TWO-THREE ​unknown/confusing words or words you are not familiar with​.
● Make sure to add a comment and define words of what you think it means OR include a synonym.

2. Ask Questions/Talk to Text: ​3 Total

T​alk: Write ! ​and write what was interesting about it/new to you.

A​sk: Write ? ​and write the question you have about it, something you were confused about, what is
confusing about it.

3. ​Highlight i​mportant information/key points.

Seatbelt Safety CATCH Annotations

Write your comments in the space
Updated April 24, 2017
here:
By Chris Deziel

In the United States, only 86% of drivers and passengers wear

seat belts. Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death during
the first three decades of Americans’ lives.

Think about the last time you rode in a car. What happened
when the car stopped suddenly? You probably felt like you were being
pushed toward the front of the car. Objects in the seats near you may
have fallen over.
 Name: ____________________________ Date: __________________ Period : ____________

Newton’s first law of motion, also known as the law of inertia,

explains why this happens.
Inertia is the reason that people in cars need to wear seat belts. A
moving car has inertia, and so do the riders inside it. When the driver
applies the brakes, an unbalanced force is applied to the car. Normally,
the bottom of the seat applies an unbalanced force—friction—which
slows the riders down as the car slows. If the driver stops the car
suddenly, however, this force is not exerted over enough time to stop
the motion of the riders. Instead, the riders continue moving forward
with most of their original speed because of their inertia

When a car stops, the inertia of the objects inside the car
prevents them from stopping right away. Therefore, they may slide or
fall over as the car stops suddenly.

If the driver is wearing a seat belt, the

seat belt rather than the windshield applies the
unbalanced force that stops the driver’s forward
motion. The force from the seat belt is applied
over a longer time, so the force causes less
damage. In a collision, seat belts alone are
sometimes not enough to stop the motion of
drivers or passengers. Air bags further cushion
people from the effects of inertia in an accident.

Similarly, car seats help keep babies from being hurt when a car
stops. These seats face toward the back of the car. This kind of car
seat keeps the baby from sliding forward.

1. According to this article, why do we need to wear seatbelts? How does it relate to the First Law of
Motion?
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Name: ____________________________ Date: __________________ Period : ____________
Part C: ​Data Table #1
 
Data Table #1: ​Number of passengers killed by state 
 
State  Number of Deaths 
Florida   17,862 
Michigan  7,348 
California   23,125 
New York  7, 717 
Hawaii  671 
Maine  1,339 
Maryland  3,829 
Arkansas  4,933 
Pennsylvania  10,355 
 
Team Discussion Questions: 
1. a.​ Claim:​ Which ​state has the highest number​ of deaths and which ​state has the lowest
number of deaths?
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b. Evidence: ​Use data to support your answer

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c​. Reasoning: ​Why do you think this state had the highest number of deaths? Explain.
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2. Graph the data in a bar graph

Source: Center for Disease and Control Prevention  

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/seatbelts/states-data-tables.html​ ​https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/810995 
Name: ____________________________ Date: __________________ Period : ____________
Part D: ​Data Table #2 ​ Deaths By Gender
 
  Male  Female 
California   5,600  2,700 
 
Team Discussion Questions: 
1. Claim:​ Which ​gender has the highest number​ of deaths and which ​gender has the lowest
number of deaths?
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b. Evidence: ​Use data to support your answer

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c​. Reasoning: ​Why do you think this gender group had the highest number of deaths? Explain.
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2. Analyze this data and organize it into a bar graph.

Part E: ​Data Table #3 ​ Deaths By Age Group  

  0-20 years  21-34 years  35-54 years  55+ years old   Unreported 
old  old  old 
California   2,400  6,900  4,,000  4,500  5,325 
 
Team Discussion Questions: 
1. a. ​Claim: ​Which ​age group ​has the ​highest number​ of deaths and ​which age group has the
lowest ​number of deaths?
________________________________________________________________________________
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b. Evidence: ​Use data to support your answer

________________________________________________________________________________
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c​. Reasoning: ​Why do you think this age group had the highest number of deaths? Explain.
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2. Analyze this data and organize it into a bar graph.

 Name: ____________________________ Date: __________________ Period : ____________
Part F: ​Data Table #4​ : Deaths Percentage By Race/Ethnicity 
  Hispanic  White  African  American  Asian  Hawaiian/Other  Other 
American  Indian/Alaskan   Pacific Islander 
California   38%  45%  7%  1%  6%  1%  2% 
Team Discussion Questions: 
1. a.​Claim: ​Which ​race/ethnic group ​has the ​highest number​ of deaths and ​race/ethnic group
has the lowest ​number of deaths?
________________________________________________________________________________
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b. Evidence: ​Use data to support your answer

________________________________________________________________________________
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c​. Reasoning: ​Why do you think this group had the highest number of deaths? Explain.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

2. Analyze this data and organize it into a bar graph.

Source: Center for Disease and Control Prevention  
Part G: S
​ eatbelt Safety Short Response
Directions:​ Summarize in complete sentences your findings from the reading and data tables:
● What is happening to a person inside a car when they are not wearing seatbelts?
● What specific data helps to support your claim? (Look at your data tables to use specific data)
● Why is this happening?
● How does this connect to Newton’s First Law of Motion, also known as the Law of Inertia?
● Why is this important?
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