Pittsburgh, PA – Ahead of the Memorial Day Holiday weekend, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Allegheny County Health Department and Steel Valley High School held a virtual media briefing to discuss their partnership to engage students on seat belt safety as part of the current ‘Click It Or Ticket’ mobilization and Youth Traffic Safety month.

National Youth Traffic Safety month is recognized in May to remind young drivers to practice responsible behavior behind the wheel. Additionally, the current ‘Click It Or Ticket’ enforcement period runs through June 6. The agencies found value in engaging students in a conversation about seat belt safety just ahead of Memorial Day Weekend, a prime time to travel and the unofficial kickoff to the summer travel season.

PennDOT and the Allegheny County Health Department partnered with Steel Valley High School through the Allegheny County Youth Traffic Safety Council to use social media to discuss the current initiatives. The school used their active Instagram account to pose the question “What is one reason why you choose to wear your seat belt?” Students were invited to answer in either a word post or video.

Students displayed a variety of good reasons for wearing their seat belt in the vehicle. One student responded, “One reason I choose to wear a seatbelt is seeing how excited my dog is to see me when I get home,” while two others replied, “I got into a car accident a few years ago and a seatbelt saved my life. I always wear one because you never know what will happen while driving,” and “I choose to wear a seatbelt for safety, no matter who you’re in the car with. Even if they are a good driver, you never know how other drivers are or what could happen.”

Other students kept their families in mind when justifying seat belt usage, “I wear my seatbelt for my parents and family. They’d be the ones dealing with the aftermath if I were to die or get very seriously injured,” said one student while another added “I choose to wear a seatbelt because I have two little sisters who look up to me and wait for me to come home each day.” To see other responses, follow Steel Valley High School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) chapter’s Instagram account @steelvalleysadd.

The Allegheny County Youth Traffic Safety Council is hosted by several organizations, including PennDOT and the Allegheny County Health Department, where open dialog is maintained with local high schools regarding how to promote driving safety among students and young drivers. Each participating school selects student representatives to attend meetings to discuss how the organizations can support students by providing guest speakers, activities, and resources for educational peer-to-peer interactions. Any school interested in joining the committee may contact Yasmeen Manyisha at ymanyisha@pa.gov.

Pennsylvania’s primary seat belt law requires drivers and passengers under 18 years of age to buckle up anywhere in the vehicle. The state’s secondary law requires drivers and passengers 18 years and older wear a seat belt when behind the wheel or in the front passenger seat. If a driver 18 years or older is pulled over for another violation, they can receive a second ticket if they or their front-seat passengers are not wearing seat belts.

PennDOT data shows there were 11,265 crashes in 2020 where at least one occupant was not wearing a seat belt in Pennsylvania, resulting in 348 fatalities.

It is imperative to teach young people the importance of wearing a seat belt at an early age, as these behavior patterns can be life lasting. In the event of a crash, seat belts are the first defense to safety.

For more information on seat belt safety, visit www.PennDOT.gov/Safety.