Three local high schools — South Western, Spring Grove Area, and West York — took the top honors in the Second Annual York/Adams High School Seat Belt Challenge, according to a news release.
Sixteen high schools competed in the contest, run by the York Area Highway Safety Council. The three top schools were honored today at West York Ambulance, marking the end of a month-long campaign to increase seat belt usage rates among teens, according to the release.
South Western and Spring Grove had the highest overall usage, 96 percent, during the competition. West York had the largest increase in usage, starting at 48 percent and ending at 86 percent, the release says.
Seat belt usage increased in 14 of the 16 high schools involved in the competition, the release said. Final usage rates ranged from 62 percent to 96 percent.
Unannounced observational seat belt surveys were conducted as teen drivers arrived or departed form school in February to compile baseline data, the release states. Then, participating schools were given incentive ideas to capture student’s attention and encourage involvement. The unannounced challenge surveys were conducted the week of April 8, the release says.
State Farm Insurance awarded $500 mini-grants to the top three high schools, which will also receive a free photo booth for use at their respective proms. The grants must be used to promote traffic safety.
Other schools participating were: Bermudian Springs, Central York, Dallastown, Dover, Eastern, Fairfield, Gettysburg, Littlestown, New Oxford, Northeastern, Susquehannock, York County School of Technology, and York Suburban.
The law: Pennsylvania’s graduated driver licensing law requires every occupant between the ages of 8 and 18 to wear a seat belt. A seat belt violation is now a primary offense, meaning police can pull over a vehicle to issue a citation without the driver first committing a moving violation, according to the news release.
