Watch the Video: Battle of the Belts

In August, we told you about Battle of the Belts, a campaign to rally seat belt use in Hillsborough County.  Eighteen high schools competed this year and last week, I sat in on the award ceremony to honor 1st place Newsome High School.  Their seniors and juniors truly buckled down to spread the message of buckle up.  97.3% of their students wear their seatbelts.  Congratulations!!!

Increasing seatbelt use among teens is literally a life or death effort.  Motor vehicle crashes are the leading killer of young people.  Yet seat belt use for this group lags behind other drivers… and that reality has killed too many teens.  In 2006, 12 of the 15 teens killed in car crashes in Hillsborough County were not wearing their seatbelts. 

Education and awareness is key in battling this scary statistic.  Laura Marchetti, whose daughter Katie was killed in a single car crash while not wearing her seatbelt, created the Katie Marchetti Foundation to help bring awareness to this issue.  She believes young drivers are part of the solution to this problem… and feels teens talking to teens about buckling up is critical.

LM: “When they take care of each other, it’s more powerful.”

Bucs linebacker Ryan Nece also advocates seatbelts, after surviving a severe car crash while in high school.

RN: “I thought I was invincible, and just like that my life completely changed.”

Event organizers know the battle for seatbelt use happens every time teens get behind the wheel.  They plan to continue Battle of the Belts next year to keep this message strong. 

For more information on the Katie Marchetti Memorial Foundation, visit http://www.katiesstory.com.

Safe travels.
Alicia