NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
September 29, 2009
Contact: Michele Nicholson
Public Information Officer
(850) 651-7420
BATTLE OF THE BELTS RESULTS ARE IN
Okaloosa County Sheriff's Deputies today delivered traffic
safety equipment and other prizes to the drivers' education programs at
Choctawhatchee High School and Niceville High School. It was all part of a Teen
Outreach Program spearheaded by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office in an
effort to reduce accidents and save lives.
The agency's Traffic Enforcement Unit was approached
by and received a $15,000 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation to
fund the program. Okaloosa County then ranked fifth in the region in the number
of traffic-related injuries and fatalities involving teens.
The grant helped fund a youth motivational speaker,
traffic safety posters, and a safety belt campaign and survey at Okaloosa high
schools.
On May 13th 2009, deputies conducted seat belt usage
surveys of 200 student drivers at each of the larger schools and of every
student driver at the smaller schools, Baker and Laurel Hill.
Here are the results:
* Niceville High: 103 wearing belts ... 49% usage rate
* Choctawhatchee High: 168 wearing belts ....84% usage rate
* Fort Walton Beach High: 155 wearing belts ...78% usage rate
* Crestview High: 141 wearing belts...70% usage rate
* Baker High: 84 out of 111...76% usage rate
* Laurel Hill: 12 of 36 cars...34% usage rate
On May 19th, a popular youth motivational speaker
visited the schools to promote driving safety, including buckling up. Deputies
returned to the schools on May 27th to do a recount of
the first 200 student drivers at the larger schools and of every car at
Baker and Laurel Hill.
Here are the post-presentation results:
* Niceville High School: 128 wearing belts...64% usage rate
(15% increase)
* Choctawhatchee High: 185 wearing belts...92% usage rate (8%
increase)
* Fort Walton Beach High: 162...81% usage rate
* Crestview High: 167 wearing belts...83% usage rate
* Baker High: 84 of 115...73% usage rate
* Laurel Hill: 16 of 31...52% usage rate
Choctawhatchee High won items such as safety cones,
stop signs, and traffic safety DVD's
for having the largest number of student drivers buckling up. Niceville
High won similar prizes for having the largest rate of increase based on number
of students counted.
Traffic Enforcement Unit Director Sgt. Jay Jones
says Okaloosa County has also now dropped from fifth on the list of teen
traffic-related injuries and fatalities in the region to 11th.
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