On Oct. 3, GHS students donned orange vests and manned the school roadways to conduct an unannounced seat belt check.
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The vested students were not surprised to learn that, out of 150 students checked, only 81 of their classmates were wearing their seat belts. Statistics show that only 61% of Missouri teenagers make it a habit to buckle up. Young drivers between the ages of 15 and 18 comprise 5.4% of the state’s 4.2 million licensed drivers and are involved in 15% of all traffic crashes. One person between the ages of 15 and 20 is killed or injured in Missouri traffic crashes every 54 minutes.
At Gallatin High School, only 54% of students were wearing seat belts last Wednesday, the kickoff day for the Battle of the Belt campaign. Two GHS student organizations, HiSTEP and Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), are now working together in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Gallatin Police Department to encourage their classmates to buckle up. The Battle of the Belt is a seat belt competition between Missouri high schools. Schools compete to increase seat belt use among students, thereby saving lives. At the end of the competition, schools that show the biggest gains in seat belt usage will be awarded cash prizes.
GHS seniors Tye Humphrey and Taylor Porter are heading up the local campaign team. For the next five weeks, students will participate in an educational blitz. Graphic posters are on display throughout the school, and students will be reminded daily to buckle up. The parking lot will be painted with "buckle up" logos. High school assemblies are scheduled to include guest speakers from "Think First" and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The GHS video production class will participate in a statewide public service announcement contest and will share their seatbelt awareness videos with the student body. Members of HiSTEP and FCCLA will also include elementary students in their campaign. The younger students will learn about seat belt safety and will write letters to high school students asking them to always buckle up. Other awareness activities are still in the planning stage.
The campaign includes prizes to students who wear their seat belts. Drawings will be held at school for students who sign pledge cards. In addition, the Gallatin Police Department will reward students who are found to be in compliance with the law. Chief of Police Mark Richards is soliciting local businesses for cash and prizes that will be used to reward student drivers.
The Battle of the Belt will culminate with a final seat belt check on an undisclosed date. Campaign organizers are hopeful that the end result will be that their friends will stay alive and be safer on the road. Individuals or businesses who would like to make a contribution to the Battle of the Belt campaign can call Chief Richards at 663-3580 or Joyce Cox at 663-2172.