Partners in Prevention, in cooperation with the Missouri Safety Center, presents Campus Battle of the Belts, a seat belt competition between Missouri universities. The campuses compete to increase seat belt usage among students, thereby saving lives. An observational seat belt survey will be conducted before and after the Drive Safe. Drive Smart. educational blitz to determine the change in seat belt usage among the students.
College students are an important target audience as shown in a recent study, conducted by the Missouri Department of Transportation in conjunction with the Missouri Safety Center. Young drivers comprise 11 percent of the licensed drivers and are involved in 29 percent of the traffic crashes in the state. In the past three years, nearly 600 young people died in Missouri traffic crashes and 78 percent were not buckled.
Objective:
The Battle of the Belts program’s main goal is to reduce the number of motor vehicle related injuries and fatalities among Missouri college students by increasing safety belt use in Missouri.
Staffing:
One person at each campus serves as the main contact for correspondence and information.
Two employees from Missouri Safety Center will be performing the safety belt check, while the campus contact will implement the educational aspect of the Battle of the Belts/Drive Safe. Drive Smart. campaign.
2007 Calendar
| September |
First safety belt check |
| September-October |
Drive Safe. Drive Smart. education and media campaign |
| October |
Six weeks following first check, second safety belt check will take place |
Awards
Special recognition and a plaque will be awarded to the campus with the most improved safety belt usage rate and the campus with the highest overall seatbelt usage rate.
The following campuses are participating in Campus Battle of the Belts:
- Lincoln University
- Missouri Southern State University
- Missouri State University
- Missouri Western State University
- Northwest Missouri State University
- Southeast Missouri State University
- Truman State University
- University of Central Missouri
- University of Missouri-Columbia
- University of Missouri-Kansas City
- University of Missouri-Rolla
- University of Missouri-St. Louis
A special thanks to the Missouri Safety Center for providing support for the safety belt checks.
