Rogersville, Halfway, Reeds Spring High Schools Are Southwest Missouri 'Battle of the Belt' Winners
Logan-Rogersville High School and Halfway High School are Southwest Missouri winners in the annual Battle of the Belt Challenge, a high school competition to increase seat belt use among teens.
The statewide contest, put on by the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, drew 155 high schools this school year, including 13 schools in the southwest region of the state.
Logan-Rogersville won the southwest region award for the Highest Overall Seat Belt Use among its students at 91.49 percent.
Halfway won the southwest region award for the Most Improved Seat Belt Use, increasing the number of students using seat belts to 85 percent by the end of the contest, up from 46.67 percent at the beginning.
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Logan-Rogersville and Halfway each won a prize of $1,000 to use for future seat belt educational programs at the schools. The money was donated by American Family Insurance ($500) and the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety/Southwest Region ($500).
Gold, silver or bronze banners are awarded to schools finishing the contest at 91 percent or greater seat belt use. Logan-Rogersville reached the bronze banner level (91 to 94 percent). The banners are donated by the Missouri College of Emergency Physicians.
Each school participating in the Battle of the Belt Challenge launched two surprise surveys to measure seat belt use by students — one before and one after an educational campaign. The measurements produce the results by which schools are judged in the contest.
In addition, the Battle of the Belt Challenge includes a video-production component, and 12 high schools this school year submitted 41 videos. The videos are designed to encourage students to buckle up.
Reeds Spring High School won a southwest region Honorable Mention for its 30-second video, “Seat Belt Check,” put together by senior Dakota Shoemaker and starring Dakota and younger sister Sami Tennison. It was one of six entries submitted from a video production class taught by Aimee Mallard.
Reeds Spring High School will receive $100 from the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety/Southwest Region.
“We’re proud of our schools for showing a commitment to buckling up and wanting to help other teens understand the importance of wearing a seat belt every time they ride in or drive a vehicle,” said Pam Holt, trauma prevent coordinator with St. John’s Health System in Springfield. Holt is regional coordinator for the Battle of the Belt Challenge.
“Seat belts save lives,” Holt said.
Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for people 15 years old to 20 years old, and seven out of 10 teens killed in Missouri traffic crashes are unbuckled, said Joe Rickman, traffic engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Southwest District based in Springfield. He chairs the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety in the southwest region.
“The purpose of the contest is to increase seat belt use by teen drivers. We’d like to see more schools participate,” Rickman said. “The ultimate goal is to change all teens’ behavior and see all teen drivers and passengers wear seat belts all the time when they’re in a car.”
The Battle of the Belt Challenge originally was brought to southwest Missouri by the Missouri Emergency Nurses Association and St. John’s Hospital. In 2006, the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, in conjunction with American Family Insurance, took the competition statewide and continue to sponsor the program with the Missouri College of Emergency Physicians.
Other southwest region high schools participating in the Battle of the Belt Challenge this school year were: Purdy, Diamond, Reeds Spring, Cassville, Billings, Carthage, Stockton, Pierce City, Cole Camp, Seymour and Springfield-Parkview.
To learn more about the Battle of the Belt Challenge and to find other highway safety, go to www.savemolives.com .
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