September 2004

Colonel Paul McClellan
Superintendent
Ohio State Highway Patrol

Motor vehicle crashes involving Ohio teens are preventable. However, far too many fatal and serious injury crashes are occurring on Ohio roadways. Many of these crashes involve inexperienced teen drivers. Through a concerted and sustained educational commitment to reduce tragedy, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) are partnering with a simple message for the upcoming fall sports season -- Buckle Up For A Successful Season.

The statewide partnership involves all 55 Patrol Posts, and nearly all of the OHSAA’s 833 member high schools in a coordinated community-level traffic safety effort to coincide with high school athletic events. Whether it’s golf, tennis, cross country, field hockey, soccer, volleyball, or football, Buckle Up For A Successful Season is intended to remind and encourage student-athletes, coaches, cheerleaders, band members, and fans to buckle up when going to school, practices, games – everywhere, every time.

We know wearing a safety belt is the best defense against death or serious injury in a motor vehicle crash. All players and fans want their teams to be successful this season both on and off the field. Our message can help everyone be successful - Buckle Up For A Successful Season.

Buckle Up For A Successful Season is important because young people are most at risk of not buckling up. In 2003, nearly 69 percent of the 201 16- to 20-year-olds killed in crashes in Ohio were not wearing a safety belt.

Large Buckle Up For A Successful Season banners have been distributed to all OHSAA member high schools for display throughout the season at stadiums and other appropriate locations. In many instances, student-athletes, coaches, and other student leaders have signed the banners as a pledge to lead by example in wearing their safety belts this season.

The statewide partnership is designed to promote driving safety during the 2004-2005 academic year to coincide with high school athletic events. The effort consists of sustained visual and message elements that bring continuity to the importance of the driving safety message through in-game public address announcements, school announcements, assembly presentations, media events, printed articles and other materials throughout the season.

Buckle Up For A Successful Season also incorporates the successful What’s Holding You Back? safety belt campaign that has contributed to raising safety belt usage significantly statewide. Ohio belt usage reached an all time high of 74.7 percent during the most recent survey.

Across Ohio, student-athletes, coaches, cheerleaders, band members, and other people who realize their example can make a difference have pledged their support of Buckle Up For A Successful Season, and promised to make wearing a safety belt a priority starting this season.