Congratulations to the 2014 Williams County “Buckle Up Bowl” winners! Each school improved their seat belt usage percentage during the competition. Edon High School won the “Highest Seatbelt Usage” award with a final seat belt usage rate of 85 percent and North Central High School won the “Most Improved” award with a beginning rate of 65.1 percent and ending rate of 78.2 percent. Williams County Safe Communities would like to thank all seven high schools for their participation in the 2014 Buckle Up Bowl competition.
Overall the Buckle Up Bowl seat belt usage percentage for all seven schools combined increased from 76.1 % to 81.8 % comparing the pre and post surveys which is a 5.7 % point increase change. In Williams County the seat belt usage rate for all vehicle operators is 95.7% which is above the national and state rate. There is still much more to do to keep our roadways safer especially for young adults. Wearing a seat belt is the single most effective way to reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.
The Buckle Up Bowl 2014 with all seven schools in Williams County participating began in February. Through the leadership of each school’s student advisor, student groups from each school worked to promote seat belt use in each of their schools during the Buckle Up Bowl contest. Poster making, raffles, seat belt trivia contests, seat belt checks, public announcements and utilizing educational materials provided by Williams County Safe communities were some ways that seat belt use was promoted.
The goal of the Buckle Up Bowl is to increase seat belt use among high school students. The Buckle Up Bowl provides positive reinforcement through offering prizes and awards for consistent use of seat belts. Area businesses donate gift certificates, coupons and other items to be used as prizes for each school. A pre-contest observational survey of seat belt was conducted in February by members of the Safe Communities Coalition. The Buckle Up Bowl promotion lasted from Feb 18 to May 9, 2014 with a post-contest observational survey of seat belt use by the coalition in May. The schools with the highest average seatbelt use and most improved seat belt use are presented with an award and recognized in the local newspapers.
Funding for the Buckle Up Bowl program is made possible through the Safe Communities grant provided by the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Teen drivers are at increased risk due to inexperience behind the wheel and risk taking behaviors such as speeding and distracted driving. The goal of Williams County Safe Communities is to help save lives by promoting traffic safety throughout the lifespan.
The Buckle Up Bowl seat belt use education awareness program is followed up with enforcement when our young drivers are out on the road. The message is Click It or Ticket. During the May 19–June 1, 2014 Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization, law enforcement officers nationwide enforce seat belt laws by conducting seat belt checkpoints and zero-tolerance seat belt enforcement activities. The goal is to save lives by getting everyone to buckle up.
The Message is simple: Click It or Ticket. The Buckle Up Bowl and the Click It or Ticket campaign work together to promote the life-saving benefits of seat belts to high school students and all drivers out on our roadways.
