WHS most improved in seat belt usage

Woodbury High School won the award for the most improved rate of seat belt use by students in the Safe Communities Coalition’s annual seat belt challenge to Washington County high schools.

The challenge involved a pre-check to count the number of students wearing their seat belts as they enter the school parking lot, four weeks of education about seat belts, impaired driving, road rage, inattention and other teen driving issues, and finally a post-check for seat belt use.

Seat belt activities to increase student awareness in the eight participating schools included Ghost Out, a MADD crash car on school grounds, “I Got Caught” T-shirts, poster campaign, pledge cards from students and parents and a mock car crash.

Student seat belt use rates have continued to climb over the past five years as the Safe Communities Coalition and schools have put more emphasis on this issue.

The average overall rate for student drivers and passengers in 2004 was 77 percent with four schools participating.

This year, eight schools were involved in the challenge, with an average overall rate of 85 percent.