This study was designed to examine the issue of the safety of children's formal play environments. Safety was defined in terms of morbidity and mortality data. Protection and safety education were considered the prime factors in accident prevention while the goal of a safety program was considered to be the minimizing of injuries. Several data…

This report describes the current state of the art in recreational boating for physically disabled persons. It contains information on safety, independence afloat, emergency procedures, and access to and from boating facilities and boats. Areas in need of further study and research are suggested and an annotated bibliography is provided. (JD)

The playground safety movement has made great strides since the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued its "Handbook for Public Playground Safety." The movement has been helped by compliance with American Society for Testing and Materials standards. Improvements in supervision, equipment, and surfacing have significantly reduced…

The history of playground safety standards since the 1890s is reviewed and the lack of improvements in safety made since that time is demonstrated. The first formal effort to develop standards for playground apparatus was made by the National Recreation Association (NRA) in 1929. A major concern in this and a 1938 NRA report was the choice of safe…

This paper begins by presenting three tests, which are included in the appendix, of one's awareness of physical risks. This exercise leads to a discussion of the differences between actual and perceived risk, why people participate in outdoor activities, and the inaccurate perception of actual risks. Complicating the issue of accurately perceiving…

Summarizes what current research on head and spinal cord injuries sustained during participation in recreation has to offer practitioners in terms of awareness and possible preventive strategies. It noted that by addressing injury prevention through the health-belief model paradigm, recreation practitioners move a step beyond simply providing…

Reports on patterns of risk among teenage drivers through a review and synthesis of the literature. Varying patterns of risk form the basis for graduated licensing systems designed to promote low-risk and discourage high-risk driving. (Contains 6 tables, 13 figures, and 29 references.) (AUTHOR/WFA)

While school buses transport more passengers per trip, the rate of occupant fatalities per mile driven for school buses is one-quarter that for passenger cars. Nevertheless, the public expects school districts and other school bus operators to take all reasonable precautions to protect children as they travel to and from school. Although a variety…

Makes a case for four key elements of the provisional license phase of a graduated driver-licensing program: (1) extended learning; (2) early intervention; (3) contingent advancement; and (4) two-stage instruction. (Contains 1 table and 19 references.) (WFA)

Discusses strategies to guide the parents of newly licensed young drivers. Describes some of the effects of the Checkpoints program in Connecticut and Maryland on traffic citations, motor-vehicle crashes, and family management of teenage driving. (Contains 1 figure and 42 references.) (WFA)

Science teachers often have two different curricula--the ideal framework on paper and the real, day-to-day instructional program that occurs in the classroom. A number of factors can affect how much of that ideal framework is accomplished. For example, how a facility is designed and how space is used can affect student achievement, classroom…

This literature review contrasts those studies that emphasize changes in knowledge or behavior to prevent childhood injuries with studies that report actual reductions in injuries. The most successful programs are those based on social learning principles and those that combine education with legislative change or modifications in regulations. (VM)

Discusses the origins of biological risks and their potential consequences for prepregnancy, prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal periods. Presents epidemiological data. Addresses issues of assessment of infant development and interventions provided for infants whose development is at risk. Highlights goals for prevention. A nationally derived data…

An examination was made of five major campus fires between 1971 and 1983 in an attempt to better understand the fire hazards associated with the operation of a modern U.S. college or university campus. Overall research revealed a general lack of interest in campus fire safety by colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Analysis…

A special report on school transportation covers the following topics: (1) a school bus safety update; (2) equipping school buses with motion detectors; (3) state training requirements for school bus drivers; (4) recruiting and retaining drivers; (5) regulations covering underground fuel-storage tanks; and (6) a transportation directory. (MLF)