Do your friends want to be Saved by the Belt?

To find out how many students actually wear seatbelts, you can organize a Seat Belt Challenge at your school!

How do I prepare?

Find some classmates who are interested in planning the event. Choose a day for the challenge and don’t let anyone know what you’re planning. Compile some information about teen safe driving and create a brochure. You can even print out this online packet with 20 Tips for Safe Driving.

Then create two sets of notes, one attached to each flyer. One will be a congratulatory note for the students wearing seatbelts; the other will be a note for those students NOT wearing a seatbelt which explains why they should. For each student who is wearing a seatbelt, offer congratulations and encourage them to continue riding with a seatbelt. A great idea is to attach a note to a lollipop that reads, ‘Don’t be a sucker… buckle up.’ If someone isn’t wearing a seatbelt, have a note warning them of the dangers of driving and ask them to wear a seatbelt next time they come to school.

Ready, Set, Go!

Show up to school super early and find a spot where student drivers pull up to park their cars. Make sure you’ve recruited a bunch of volunteers so you can catch all the cars coming in. As students pull up, check to see who is wearing a seatbelt. Hand out the notes that you prepared and offer a piece of candy to those students who were wearing their seatbelt. Remind those students who came to school without a seatbelt that you will hold this event again and if they wear their seatbelt, they are sure to get a sweet reward.

Keep Records

Keep a tally of how many students were wearing seatbelts. Talk to a statistics teacher beforehand and find out how you can use these numbers to create a short report about seatbelt use in high schools. Distribute charts to your principle and so he will be encouraged to work on future initiatives dedicated to teen safe driving.

Follow-up

Hold an assembly or event during the day to continue spreading awareness about teen safe driving. Show a video or engage your school in an open discussion about teen safe driving.

Next semester, organize the same event. Do the numbers improve? Find out if your seatbelt challenge really encouraged students to think about wearing putting on their seatbelts before driving.

For a neat twist

Include the faculty in your challenge and make it into a competition. Find out whether the teachers or students have a higher rate of wearing seatbelts. Announce the event beforehand and see who actually comes to school with their seatbelt. Hold a pizza party after school to award the winning group!

Have an idea for smart driving?