Summersville High School students will participate in a program to encourage developing the habit of buckling up.
The program, known as 21 Days, is based on the psychology theory a habit can be established in 21 days and focuses on teens already behind, or about to join their peers behind, the wheel. Members of the south central region of the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety developed the 21 Days program. The group formed in 2005 as part of a statewide effort to reduce the number of fatalities occurring on Missouri’s roadways. Members include law enforcement officials, engineers, emergency services personnel and other interested individuals. After studying statistics, the group determined young drivers are an important target.
According to South Central Regional Coordinator Kelly Martin, the teen population in rural areas is among the least likely to buckle up.
“Taking time to put on a safety belt can increase a person’s chances of surviving a car accident by 40 to 50 percent,” Martin said. “We have all heard teenagers make excuses about not buckling up because it is not cool. The goal of this program is to introduce the idea in a way accepted by teens, using the peer pressure factor to our advantage as we turn that excuse around.”
The program begins with an unannounced initial safety belt usage survey, conducted by coalition members. The results of that survey will be shared with students, faculty and administration during the all-school assembly where the program is introduced. This is followed by 21 days worth of classroom curriculum designed to present the facts to students. At the same time, radio messages voiced by students and featuring safety belt statistics will air to drive home the message. Posters, banners and other items also will line the school hallways to remind students of the message, “Buckle up to Arrive Alive.”
After 21 days, south central region members will return to the high schools for a final survey to determine if safety belt usage has increased. Those caught buckling up will be presented with special 21 Days T-shirts.
“The goal, of course, is to increase the number of students and faculty who buckle up,” Martin said. “The more people buckling up, the greater our chances of saving lives on Missouri’s roadways.”