SALEM, VA— Students, schools, and youth groups across Virginia are kicking off a statewide project this week to increase seat belt usage rates among teens and youth.
Youth of Virginia Speak Out About Traffic Safety (YOVASO)’s peer-to-peer project, Drive for Change: Buckle Up and Slow Down, is designed to encourage youth and teens to develop a lifelong buckle up habit by reminding them that seat belts are their best defense against injury and death in a crash.
The project also addresses speed-prevention as 72% of fatal crashes involving a teen driver in Virginia were speed-related in 2023. Additionally, 47% of teens killed in crashes in 2022 were not wearing a seat belt. So far in Virginia this year, teen driver deaths have increased 50% over the prior year (24 vs 16), according to preliminary statistics. Seventy-one percent of those fatalities were speed-related and 47% of the teen drivers were unrestrained.
YOVASO is working hard to bring change to those numbers by offering the Drive for Change: Buckle Up and Slow Down project over a three-month period starting this week (Sept. 15-21) and concluding on November 15, 2024. Participating high schools, middle schools, and youth groups will participate by completing activities to educate and remind teens to buckle up and drive safely. There are two options for participating: non-competing and competing. Schools and youth groups that elect to compete will also be required to complete pre and post seat belt checks and a creative project that aims to reach the majority of students at their school or in their youth group. Non-competing schools and youth groups may register to receive materials and complete any activities of their choice.
“With teen driver deaths on the increase in Virginia this year, we need everyone’s help to keep our teens safe on the roadways,” emphasized Mary King, YOVASO program manager. “Drive for Change provides the free resources for schools, communities, parents, and teens to take on the important role of educating youth to be safer and more responsible in a vehicle. Together, we can work as concerned citizens and role models to create safer communities for our youth.”
In addition to addressing seat belt use and speed-prevention at the high school level, the project also focuses on teaching middle school students about occupant protection safety, their rights in a vehicle, and the importance of developing good safety habits prior to the driving years.
The project also includes a Halloween component to remind all youth and teens to make good choices and celebrate safely during the celebratory weekend. Students will also be encouraged to connect with their local elementary schools to lead traffic safety presentations on trick-or-treat safety and seat belt safety.
At the conclusion of the project, each competing school and youth group will be evaluated on activities completed, the effectiveness and creativity of its seat belt and/or speed educational programs, the percentage of students reached, and the percentage increase in the school’s seat belt usage rate by the end of the project.
A $500 prize funded by State Farm will be awarded to both the top participating school in the high and middle school divisions. Additionally, five high schools and three middle schools will receive a $100 prize for honorable mention. The winners will be announced on January 11, 2025.
“At State Farm, we want to keep drivers and passengers safe on the roadways,” said State Farm spokesperson Dwayne Redd. “This project is a creative reminder to young drivers to always wear seat belts and obey the speed limit. With these actions, the number of accidents, serious injuries and deaths will be reduced.”
For more information or to register your school for this project and free materials, contact Casey Taylor, Program Development Coordinator at 540-739-4392 or email casey.taylor@vsp.virginia.gov. Registration can also be completed at www.yovaso.org/driveforchange.
YOVASO is Virginia’s Peer-to-Peer Young Driver and Passenger Safety Program and is a program of the Virginia State Police with grant funding by the Virginia DMV. YOVASO is free and open to all Virginia high schools, middle schools, and youth groups. YOVASO currently has 140 schools and youth groups that actively participate in the program.
