NEBRASKA
Holt County Citizens for Safe Driving

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

The baseline safety belt use in Holt County is 52 percent (youth – 46.8 percent) compared to the state average of 66.7 percent. The speed crash rate for Holt County is 7.41 (per 100M miles traveled) compared to the state average of 6.52.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The Holt County Citizens for Safe Driving project was designed to:

• increase by 10 percent the number of drivers and front seat passengers who use seat belts as evidenced through two seat belt surveys;
• reduce by 30 percent the number of children in improperly secured or unsafe car seats by conducting a minimum of two child safety seat clinics;
• increase by five percent the number of student drivers and passengers who arrive at the high school parking lot properly restrained with seat belts; and
• increase by five percent the number of parents and children who arrive at preschools properly restrained with seat belts and child car seats.

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES

• The project coordinator met with the local Family Career Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) chapter to plan the Valentine’s Day promotion and future activities.
• Ordered and distributed Highway Safety educational and informational materials and promotional items, as well as, developed four signs about safe driving.
• Completed two seat belt surveys.
• Held a pledge card drive held at O’Neill Elementary School (2^nd & 3^rd Grades).
• Conducted a Friday Night Safety Belt checkpoint at McDonalds.
• KBRX radio conducted traffic safety interviews and public service announcements for the project; the Holt County Independent newspaper featured project activities more than 10 times throughout the grant year.
• Encouraged 11 businesses and organizations in O’Neill and Atkinson counties to implement business seat belt policies.
• Presented child seats to the first babies that were born at Avera St. Anthony’s and West Holt Memorial Hospital.
• On the day before the school prom, the FCCLA hung “Operation Trash Bags” containing traffic safety items on car door handles in the high school parking lot.
• Displayed the wreckage of a car involved in a high-speed chase on the first day of school near an intersection between the high school and grade school.
• Participated in a traffic safety booth at the O’Neill Summerfest.
• Sponsored two Child Safety Seat Clinics in O’Neill and Atkinson.
• Set up the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety radar trailer south of O’Neill on Highway 281 from June 28 through July 4, 2001.
• Conducted a four-hour training session on the proper installation and use of child safety seats for health professionals.

RESULTS

All objectives were met with the exception of improving restraint use for all ages by 10 percentage points was not met (see chart below).

      Holt County          Dec. ’00          Aug. ‘01

      Driver Seat Belt          26%                31%

      Passenger Seat Belt   26%                31%