Quizzical vehicles
You’ll need
- Pens or pencils
- Access to a printer
Chat about vehicles
- Everyone should chat about how vehicle owners can improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.
We’ve included some suggestions below to get you going.
Get quizzical
- Everyone should split into teams of three or four.
- The person leading the activity should introduce the quiz sheets using the information below. Everyone should listen carefully, as they’ll need some of the information for the quiz.
- The person leading the activity should give each group a ‘Road worthy quiz' sheet, a ‘Fix-it quiz' sheet, and some pens or pencils.
- Each team should work to answer all questions. The person leading the activity should help everyone keep track of time by letting them know when they’re halfway through. They may want to give everyone a five-minute warning, too.
- When the quiz has finished, each team should swap their answers with another team. The person leading the activity should go through the answers.
- Everyone should look back at their quiz sheets. Did they make any mistakes? Were any questions especially tricky? Why?
- Drive less – use public transport or walk if you can.
- Drive at a constant speed – cruise control can make this easier.
- Switch off air conditioning.
- Make sure your tyres are inflated correctly.
- Get your vehicle serviced regularly.
- Remove bike racks or roof boxes when you’re not using them.
- Make sure the fuel cap’s on tightly.
- Close windows to improve aerodynamics.
- Remove unnecessary luggage to reduce weight.
Road worthy
Road vehicles are the UK’s largest source of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide harms the planet because it traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. The average global temperature is rising: in 2017, NASA found that 17 of the 18 warmest years on record had occurred since 2001 –2016 was the hottest year on record. The effects of global warming include glaciers melting, sea levels rising, weather patterns changing, and wildlife habitats becoming threatened.
The good news is that car manufacturers are working on ways to make vehicles more environmentally friendly. In the meantime, vehicle owners can take simple actions to reduce emissions.
Fix-it
Regular checks and servicing help to make sure that vehicles run efficiently and safety. The British Army, for example, look after their equipment carefully so it works when they need it most, even in the most demanding conditions.
Road worthy
- b
- c
- c
- a
- c
- b
- a
- b
- a
Fix-it
- a
- b
- a
- a
- b
- a
- b
- d
- b
- a) The boot’s open b) The fog lamps are on c) You need to check the fan d) The brake fluid’s low e) You need to check the engine f) You need to check the battery
Reflection
This activity was all about developing skills. Lots of people travel in a vehicle every day. How many people really know how they work? Why is it useful to know how things work? It can help people use them more easily and effectively. Knowing how things work might also mean people can fix and maintain them too – this keeps everyone safe, and can even save money!
This activity was also about being responsible. What can people do to make sure vehicles are less damaging to the environment? People might think about removing unnecessary weight (like items in the boot or roof or bike racks), keeping windows closed, or making sure tyres are properly inflated. Why is it important that people make sure their vehicles damage the environment less?
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
You could play as a live quiz, rather than asking people to write their answers down. The quiz master (perhaps the person leading the game, but players could take it in turns too) should read out each question, then teams could buzz in or take it in turns to give their answers.
If it’s easier, someone could read the questions out loud for everyone.
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.