Seatbelts Are For Everyone A program of the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office and DCCCA

616 S. Boston Ave. 2nd Floor Tulsa, OK 74119

Phone- 405-698-3901 Ext 202

Fax– 405-217-0183

oksafe@dccca.org - www.seatbeltsareforeveryone.org

Concept

SAFE is a teen run, peer to peer program that focuses on increasing teen restraint compliance through education, positive rewards and enforcement. It is designed to

bring awareness to the importance of wearing a seatbelt, therefore reducing the number of motor vehicle-related injuries and fatalities among Kansas teens.

The SAFE program consists of:

A partnership between

Students - providing peer involvement & input Law enforcement - providing strong enforcement & traffic safety education

Safety Advocates – providing funding & educational support

Seatbelt surveys

An educational/enforcement campaign

Pledge cards & monthly prize drawings

Goal

The goal of SAFE is to increase seatbelt use among students while providing strong traffic safety messages throughout the school year.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths.

-CDC

Participation Guidelines

1. In addition to a county sponsor, it is suggested an administrator, faculty member,

staff member or parent in each school to serve as the school sponsor.

2. Complete the Participation Form and submit to the DCCCA SAFE Coordinator. a. Submit an electronic version of all participating schools mascots.

3. Complete a Check Request and submit to the DCCCA SAFE Coordinator.

a. It is recommended a local bank account be opened for SAFE donations to be deposited.

4. Select a student leadership group to be the SAFE Team at each school.

5. Schedule SAFE seatbelt survey training with the DCCCA SAFE Coordinator.

6. The SAFE team, in conjunction with the sponsors will develop an individual

SAFE program that includes the following: a. Budget b. Educational Campaign Outline

i. The SAFE team should introduce the student body to SAFE with an educational introductory event or assembly.

ii. An educational campaign should be planned and implemented. This campaign should be carried out through the entire school year and may include the use of any resources listed in the Educational Activities or resources and activities created and produced by the school. These activities do not have to be on school property and may include activities at school functions held elsewhere.

c. Unannounced baseline, mid and final observational seatbelt survey: i. The baseline survey of the student body’s seatbelt use is to be

conducted by the SAFE team under the supervision of the SAFE sponsors. The survey should be taken before any educational efforts have started. Results must be submitted to the DCCCA SAFE Coordinator.

ii. Before the enforcement period begins, a ‘mid’ survey is encouraged to monitor progress of the educational campaign as well as increase awareness. Results of the survey should be submitted to the DCCCA SAFE Coordinator.

iii. The final survey should be done after all educational and enforcement programs/activities have been completed. Results of the survey must be submitted to the DCCCA SAFE Coordinator.

d. Enforcement Campaign: i. Law Enforcement Officials should coordinate an enforcement

period where officers are highly visible, targeting the areas and times when there is a high concentration of students. Enforcement will identify violators and also “spread the word” through the community. Local officials can take part in the State Wide Enforcement Period in March. An enforcement campaign is required if a DCCCA funding request has been made.

e. Final Program awards ceremony: i. Program results are shared ii. Final prize drawing

The baseline and final seatbelt surveys are mandatory and must be completed by each school.

Results should reflect only students’ usage of seatbelts, not adults or young children in the car.

*The goal of SAFE is to increase seatbelt usage while delivering strong traffic safety messages. The program can be started earlier or later in the year and/or adapted to a schools individual schedule.

July

Meet with School

Administration, Law Enforcement,

Local Business, & Community

Officials to discuss SAFE program

August

Submit agreement form &

check request to SAFE Coordinator

Solicit Donations

September

Submit agreement form and

check

request to SAFE Coordinator

Choose a bank or method of

obtaining PRIZE gift cards

Email school mascot to SAFE

Coordinator

Choose students for SAFE club

Schedule meeting with student

group to introduce SAFE

Schedule survey training

Solicit Donations

Suggested Timeline

October

Schedule survey training

Complete 1st unannounced

seatbelt survey & send

results to SAFE Coordinator

Schedule 1st school assembly

Solicit Donations

Submit educational campaign

outline

*The goal of SAFE is to increase seatbelt usage while delivering strong traffic safety messages. The program can be started earlier or later in the year and/or adapted to a schools individual schedule.

February

Monthly Educational Activity

Pass out & collect Pledge Cards

Prize Card Drawing

Mid-Seatbelt Survey. Send

results to SAFE Coordinator

Schedule Final Unannounced

Seatbelt Survey

Enforcement Campaign

April

Monthly Educational Activity

Pass out & collect Pledge Cards

Complete final unannounced

seatbelt survey & send

results to SAFE Coordinator

Prize Card Drawing

Closing Event/Assembly

Media Attention

January

Solicit Donations

Pass out & collect Pledge Cards

Monthly Educational Activity

Prize Card Drawing

Complete Mid Unannounced

Seatbelt Survey & send results

to SAFE Coordinator

Schedule Final Unannounced

Seatbelt Survey

November

Solicit Donations

Pass out & collect Pledge Cards

Monthly Educational Activity

Kick-off event: communicate

program guidelines, announce

results of baseline survey

Prize Card Drawing

Media attention

December

Solicit Donations

Pass out & collect Pledge

Cards

Monthly Educational Activity

Prize Card Drawing

March

Monthly Educational Activity

Pass out & collect Pledge Cards

Prize Card Drawing

Enforcement Campaign

Schedule Final Unannounced

Seatbelt Survey

The History of SAFE

At one time, Crawford County had one of the lowest teen compliance rates for seatbelts in Kansas. In the

spring of 2008, law enforcement officers in Crawford County joined together to visit all of the schools in the

county. The plan was to spend two weeks educating the students, followed by two weeks of high visibility

seatbelt enforcement. During this process, an idea for a project to increase seatbelt compliance came about.

The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Sandy Horton, in cooperation with the Kansas Highway

Patrol (KHP) and Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), developed a pilot project to increase seatbelt

compliance among high school students in Crawford County.

After the core group met to develop the concept and principles, schools were invited to participate and local

businesses were contacted for financial support. Nominations were made by students as to what name to give

the program. Three different slogans were proposed and by a vote the students selected “Seatbelts Are For

Everyone” (SAFE). This acronym, along with the logo, was then adopted by KDOT’s Traffic Safety Section as a

state-recognized program.

Financial sponsors included the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas State Trooper’s Association,

KDOT’S Traffic Safety Section, Farm Bureau, Labette Bank, and AAA Kansas Traffic Safety Fund.

The first ever SAFE program was started and run very much like it is today. Unannounced observational

seatbelt surveys, pledge cards, prizes, traffic safety education and a spring time enforcement period were all

part of the original program. The year ended with grand prize awards going to Southeast High for having the

highest overall compliance of 94% and Girard High with the largest increase in compliance, 34%.

In April 2009, Sheriff Horton and several students presented the SAFE program and results at a state-wide

traffic safety conference in Wichita. The Sheriff and students received a “People Saving People” award for their

accomplishments.

Dear Donor,

Along with Local Law Enforcement Agencies, EMS, HOSPITAL, & TRAUMA,

students from your local high school(s) will be implementing a program called Seat-

belts Are For Everyone (SAFE). SAFE is a teen traffic safety initiative designed to

prevent

serious injury and save lives in your community.

This program is designed to increase seatbelt usage while promoting addition-

al safety, i.e. underage drinking, distracted driving, speed, etc.

Each month students will be given a pledge card they can sign pledging to

wear their seatbelt. Names will be drawn monthly from the signed pledge cards and

prizes will be awarded.

The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office and State Farm give seed money to

help get the program started. To sustain and fully implement SAFE additional funding

is required.

This is where you come in; we need financial support to implement this pro-

gram. We know economic times are a little difficult, but we cannot continue to lose

our youth to senseless crashes. A city in western Kansas lost four youth in one crash,

another county lost three youth in three separate crashes within six months, all un-

buckled. This is just an example of what occurs within this state on regular basis.

Please donate to this lifesaving program, even a small amount.

Thank You and we hope you will become part of SAFE! Please contact at to get more information or to donate to this program. SIGNED SHERIFF Deputy Chief Officer Doctor EMS Director Safety Advocate

Sponsor Information

Company:________________________

Contact

Address

City

ZIP

County

Phone

Email

Type of donation

Value

Thank you for your generosity! We appreciate your support!

DCCCA is a tax-exempt organization and your donation qualifies as a tax deduction should you care to take it.

To do this, please make checks payable to DCCCA.

SAFE contacts

Cassandra Love  DCCCA

Oklahoma State SAFE Coordinator Office- 405-698-3901 ext 202 Fax- 405-217-0183 clove@dccca.org www.seatbeltsareforeveryone.org

Find SAFE online at www.seatbeltsareforeveryone.org