HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CONDUCT SEAT BELT AND ALCOHOL AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS: A STATEWIDE INCENTIVE PROGRAM

This project examined the effects of high-school-based programs in increasing seat belt use and decreasing drinking and driving among teenage motorists. Seat belt incentive/alcohol awareness programs were initiated at 68 high schools across North Carolina during spring 1994. Students and advisors attended training workshops, then applied for program grants for up to $500. Each school was required to conduct periodic seat belt use surveys and submit a final program report. All schools conducted alcohol awareness activities and documented these activities in the final reports. Since measuring the effectiveness of a school's alcohol program is extremely difficult, evaluation of behavioral change was focused on reported belt use only. The findings of this project indicate that the concept of recruiting student groups to conduct seat belt/alcohol awareness programs at the high schools can be effective in increasing belt use among high school students. Briefly summarized, these findings are as follows: (1) Belt-wearing rates increased from an initial rate of 67% to 81% by program end; (2) Eight schools finished with belt use rates greater than 90%, while ten schools reported increases of 25 percentage points or more; and (3) Small amounts of money generated much activity and leveraged substantial additional resources - approximately $34,000 were distributed to 68 schools, whose programs reached nearly 60,000 high school students. A similar project was conducted in 1993 in which programs were focused solely on seat belts. An examination of the data for the two years indicated that the addition of alcohol activities had a positive effect on the programs.

  • Corporate Authors:

    University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

    Highway Safety Research Center
    Chapel Hill, NC  United States  27599

    North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program

    215 East Lane Street
    Raleigh, NC  United States  27601
  • Authors:
    • MARCHETTI, L M
    • Lowrance, J C
    • Tolbert, W G
    • Carmon, T J
  • Publication Date: 1994-12

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 82 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00712934
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: UNC/HSRC-94/12/1
  • Contract Numbers: YP-94-07-02
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Oct 2 1995 12:00AM