March 2005

Colonel Paul McClellan
Superintendent
Ohio State Highway Patrol

Across Ohio this school year, thousands of people have seen the banners in high school stadiums and gymnasiums, heard public address announcements during high school athletic events, and watched proudly as young student-athletes led by example and spoke with their peers about the importance of wearing safety belts. It has all been part of our important message to Buckle Up for a Successful Season.

Now, an unexpected surprise is coming to many high school students across Ohio, who are receiving, not citations while driving onto their school parking lot from Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers, but a coupon for free pizza and a stadium cup for free soft drinks from Pizza Hut.

Buckle Up for a Successful Season will continue to coincide with the start of the spring high school sports season, with the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) and Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) joining forces with Pizza Hut to garner further attention to traffic safety issues, including the life-saving importance of safety belt usage.

Over the next few weeks at over 300 OHSAA high schools, troopers are conducting on-site observational surveys of student safety belt usage before school begins. Students observed to be buckled up while driving onto the high school parking lot (as well as passengers who are buckled up) are being rewarded with a coupon from troopers for a free single item Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pizza, and a stadium cup featuring the Buckle Up for a Successful Season message that can be used for free soft drink refills with an in-store purchase through Sept. 30, 2005, at participating Pizza Hut dine in/carry out locations. High school administrators signed up for this program during the winter; however, students are not being advised in advance of the safety belt observations.

As thoughts turn to warmer temperatures, proms, and end of the school year celebrations, it is our hope the important life-saving message of Buckle Up for a Successful Season resonates with our young people. This entire school year, Buckle Up for a Successful Season sought to convey and sustain our message on the importance of safety belt usage through innovative means. We are extremely encouraged to have Pizza Hut join this cause so we can continue to make a difference on improving the safety in Ohio communities.

Buckle Up for a Successful Season began at the start of the 2004-2005 school year as a community-level traffic safety partnership involving the OSHP, OHSAA, and many of its 833 member high schools. The program has continued to grow as we partner with high school students to address the fact that far too many fatal and serious injury crashes are occurring, involving inexperienced teen drivers.

Across the state, we have seen young student leaders embrace Buckle Up for a Successful Season and lead by example by always buckling up and discussing with others the importance of wearing a safety belt as the best defense against injury or death resulting from a motor vehicle crash.

We want this school year to end on a positive note for everyone, and that starts with making mature decisions to be safe. Let’s keep the positive messages in our schools and remember to Buckle Up for a Successful Season!