Local high schools rewarded for increased seat-belt use

Two local high schools -- Saxony Lutheran and Notre Dame Regional -- have gained statewide notice in this year's Battle of the Belt Challenge, a competition to raise seat-belt use among teenagers.

Statewide, 195 schools participated -- 43 of those from Southeast Missouri, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Transportation. Participating schools held two surprise seat-belt checks at each campus to measure student seat-belt use before and after an educational campaign, the release said. Schools also had a chance to submit a 30-second video to encourage fellow students to don seat belts, the release said.

Saxony Lutheran High School won the Southeast Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety's award for the highest overall seat-belt use, reaching 98.9 percent and winning $500, donated by American Family Insurance for use in future seat-belt education programs at the school, the release said.

Notre Dame Regional High School garnered the silver award for achieving 95 to 98 percent seat-belt use -- they were at 98.37 percent, the release said. The school will receive a banner for display, donated by the Missouri College of Emergency Physicians, the release said.

Miranda Brewer, a 17-year-old senior at Saxony Lutheran, said the competition -- and quest to increase the percentage of students wearing seat belts -- is a tradition at the campus.

"Since we're at 99 percent, it's kind of hard to get higher," Brewer said. What's brought it home is some students and a teacher have been involved in accidents, but since they were wearing seat belts, the outcome was not as bad as it could have been, she said.

Principal Mark Ruark said the student council becomes involved and checks students, and even parents, as they come on campus.

"We have 186 students at Saxony," Ruark said. "We had 10 students doing the checking. Every student was checked; we checked 176 students."

Brewer said some people mind if they're late for school, but "most people are pretty excited because we give them a piece of candy" like a Dum Dum lollipop or piece of gum.

Brewer has been involved in the seat belt initiative every year.

"I've always found that to be one of the things that's fun to participate in. I've done it since freshman year, so I figured I'd just keep participating," she said.

She attributes Saxony's success to students getting the facts.

"Because you always see stuff on TV. Since we've had accidents here, it's kind of set in, like, 'Oh that could happen to me,'" Brewer said.

Ruark, whose school won the award last year for the southeast region and made a safe driving commercial on avoiding texting and driving and wearing seat belts, said the award is "quite a tribute to our children."

" ... I think a lot of it's the culture of the school, the student body and the involvement of the parents, as well," he added.

At Notre Dame, Angela Schaefer said a baseline survey is done at the beginning of a campaign, starting the first week in October, and then students educate their peers about the importance of wearing seat belts. After six weeks, a final survey is conducted "to see how much we've improved," Schaefer said.

"At the beginning of the year," Schaefer said, "I get students who volunteer for Battle of the Belt committee. ... Then, the whole SADD [Students Against Destructive Decisions] group helps do whatever it is. We give out Dum Dums and Smarties," along with fortune cookie-style messages that say either "Be a Smartie, Wear Your Seat Belt," or "Don't Be a Dum Dum, Wear Your Seat Belt."

Notre Dame senior Dottie Turner, a SADD member, said she thinks it's "really awesome that we have such a high percentage, because seat-belt usage is very important to me, and hopefully we can keep improving on it."

Turner said she knows some people who won't wear their seat belts that she hasn't been able to convince to do so, but when they're with her, they comply.

Typically, Schaefer said, the baseline survey is about 91 percent seat belt usage. This year, it started out at 93 percent and it was brought up to 98.37 percent at the end of the campaign, Schaefer said.

As with Saxony, she added, the seat-belt campaign has become second nature to the students.

"I think it's just repeating the process every year [that's] really starting to help keep those numbers up," Schaefer said.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Other winners

* Thomas W. Kelly High School in Benton, Mo., 96.55 percent seat belt use, Silver

For the 30-second video competition:

* First place: Washington High School, Washington, Mo., for "Stay in the Picture."

* Second place: Pattonville High School, Maryland Heights, Mo., for "4 Seconds."

* Third place: Washington High School, Washington, Mo., for "Buckle Up, Arrive Alive."

Most improved:

* Clearwater High School in Piedmont, Mo., which won the Southeast Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety's award for the most improved seat-belt use, boosting their use by 32.8 percent, also will receive $500 contributed by American Family Insurance, the release said.