“Teens for a Safer Community”

Barren County High School and Barren County Middle School
“Teens for a Safer Community”

In 2007-2008 our SADD (Students against Destructive Decisions) Chapter was formed. Our SADD members are students in grades 7-12 that attend Barren County High School and Barren County Middle School. During the past school year traffic safety and especially seatbelt usage has been one of our main focuses. Thus far this school year we have participated in the following “Teens for a Safer Community” activities.
 
Kids are Not Cargo! -- Living in a rural area many individuals depend upon pick up trucks for their mode of transportation. An additional concern of our SADD chapter is the fact that some of these individuals allow children and adults to ride in the cargo areas. According to an article by the American Academy of Pediatrics a recent study found that in “crashes involving fatalities, cargo area passengers were 3 times more likely to die than were occupants in the cab. Compared with restrained cab occupants, the risk of death for those in the cargo area was 8 times higher.” We have children in our community that have lost their lives as a result of riding in the cargo area of pick-up trucks!  In an effort to address these tragedies our students have developed an ad that was ran in both the Glasgow Daily Times and the Barren County Progress in an effort to increase awareness regarding the law and the dangers of individuals being allowed to ride in the cargo areas. This message will also be shared with students and staff when we visit our elementary schools in the spring. (See below)

Battle of the Belts-- Our local high schools held a competition to see who had the largest teen drivers being bulked up as they enter the parking areas for our football game. Drivers were buckled up were given chap sticks with the logo “Buckle Up so you can still Pucker Up” and food coupons donated from local merchants.

Buckle up Barren County High—Students obtained the crash dummies from the Department for Highway Safety and a Buckle Up seat belt sign from the Barren County Health Department and positioned themselves at the parking lot exits of the high school to encourage and remind students to “Buckle Up.” Prior to school being dismissed students placed flyers that they had prepared for our “young drivers” on their cars in the school’s parking lots with the following information: the top five factors that contribute to young driver crashes, information on the primary seatbelt law, the graduated driver licensing laws, underage drinking, and the no pass/no drive law.  

SAC it PAC (Safety and Checklist Information to Prevent Accidental Crashes)— A partnership was formed between our FMD students and our SADD Chapter members to increase young drivers awareness regarding highway safety. These “SACS” will are being given to new student drivers when they pick up their parking permits at Barren County High School. The “SACS” contain a safety and checklist information flyer to prevent accidental crashes along with a “Click it or Ticket” key chain, “Buckle up so you can Pucker Up” chap sticks, and Trojan mascot window clings.

Red Ribbon Week Activities---Students were very active during our Red Ribbon Week activities by setting up informational tables at our High School, Trojan Academy, and our Middle School. They shared with fellow students the message that no one should drink and drive and for younger students the message was shared to never ride with anyone that is drinking and driving. Students prepared messages and these were broadcast over the public announcement system in our high school with reminders each day to “Buckle Up” They also helped with the set up of our assembly “Fearless” which was a multi-screen presentation that addressed issues that are relevant to teens with underage drinking and reckless driving being some. It gave students a vivid image of what can happen when you drink and drive.

Be a Hero Everyday, Be Drug Free Program! -- In the spring a group of our students plan to visit all 6th grade students in our district. Seatbelt safety and the dangers of riding in the cargo area of a pick-up truck will be shared with those students. In addition we empower fellow students to remain DRUG FREE!

Pre-Prom Highway Safety Event--The week prior to our Prom we plan to invite our Transportation Cabinet for Highway Safety and our local Highway Traffic Safety Coordinator to our school to conduct an assembly for our junior and senior students focusing on traffic safety.

We continue to be grateful to be able to help our fellow students by spreading the word on the importance of traffic safety! Working together we do make a DIFFERENCE!

Thank you for your continued support!

TRUCK BEDS ARE FOR CARGO
NOT PASSENGERS!

The AAP reported that there were 161 deaths of passengers riding in the cargo area of pickup trucks, with almost half of these victims under 20 years of age. Other recent statistics show that in one-third of the deaths the vehicle didn’t even crash. A swerve or bump is enough to toss a person out and a young child is even more at risk when that happens

THEY ARE CALLED CARGO AREAS FOR A VERY GOOD REASON—THEY ARE DESIGNED TO TRANSPORT CARGO, NOT PEOPLE!

“Please keep our children safe………   

This message provided by:
TEENS FOR A SAFER COMMUNITY