ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – It only takes one text, one drink, one call, one reach, one distraction to cause one fatal moment but that one clicked seat belt could be the difference between life or death in a car crash. That’s the message teen leaders in 35 northwest Missouri high schools took to their classmates during the 2016-17 school year.
Sponsored by the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, the statewide It Only Takes One program begins at the first of the school year and runs through March. Schools conduct an initial seat belt survey at the beginning of the program to measure how many of their classmates are buckling up. They then begin an education campaign in their school to educate young drivers about safety belt use, help reduce traffic crash injuries, and save teen lives. At the end of the education campaign, they take a second seat belt survey to measure the impact their work had on their classmates’ safe driving habits.
Each school is judged on their school and/or community outreach during the educational campaign. A non-biased group of judges evaluated each school’s activities and awarded three schools in northwest Missouri with grants to help further educate the school and community on safe driving practices.
In addition, schools with 91 percent or more of their students buckling up received statewide recognition and a banner to display at their school.
In northwest Missouri the following schools were recognized for their achievements in the program:
- St. Joseph Christian School – silver banner – 97 percent of students buckled up
- Plattsburg High School – bronze banner – 94 percent of students buckled up
- St. Joseph Central High School – bronze banner – 93 percent of students buckled up
- Bucklin High School – bronze banner – 92 percent of students buckled up
- Jefferson High School – bronze banner – 91 percent of students buckled up
- Bucklin High School – $500 grant – educational campaign winner
- Chillicothe High School – $500 grant – educational campaign winner
- South Nodaway High School – $500 grant – educational campaign winner
Photos of all schools presentations except Plattsburg High may be found at https://flic.kr/s/aHskVZgjKf. Plattsburg High’s banner was given to the school for them to display, but a time was not available for a formal presentation.
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