An effort to try and prevent traffic fatalities among teens led to a little driving safety education Friday as students at Bishop LeBlond High School got a chance to get hands-on with ER equipment.
Shannon Hutcherson works in the Trauma Department at Mosaic Life Care and said she was on hand Friday to talk to students about being safe behind the wheel.
“We’re providing education to the students regarding wearing their safety belts, distracted driving, driving under the influence and what could happen to them in the instance they choose to do that,” Hutchersons said. “We’ve brought some different education pieces, some equipment we would use in the ER in order to help save their life if something horrible was to happen. Let them get hands-on and see that equipment and ask questions.”
The event was part of an ongoing campaign called “It Only Takes One.” Save Mo Lives said that Traffic Crashes are the leading cause of death for youth age 15 to 20 in Missouri, accounting for nearly 13.2 percent of traffic fatalities during the last three years.
Stephanie Malita is with the St. Joseph Health Department and says for the first time every high school in St. Joseph is taking part in the “It Only Takes One” campaign.
“It used to be known as Battle of the Belt. The focus then was really just on seat belt use and it was a great program but we wanted to expand it in a couple of ways,” Malita said. “We wanted to address more than just seat belt issues and we wanted to make it a longer program. When it was Battle of the Belt it was just a 6 to 8 week long program in the fall. Now that it’s been expanded to ‘It Only Takes One’ it’s throughout the whole school year there are different programs that go on.”
Malita said there are different parts to the program.
“Schools have to sign up through the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety and through MoDOT and part of the program is twice a year. They do a baseline seatbelt check and then after some education has been done go back and do a seatbelt check again,” Malita said. “But in-between you need to do some education and that’s what we’re doing here today.”
Hutcherson said she sees first-hand that the results of individuals who buckle-up and get in a crash are very different then one’s who don’t.
“It is a safety mechanism and it is required to be worn to help save a life,” Hutcherson said. “Make smart decisions, wear your seat belt, don’t text and drive, don’t drink and drive, be smart about it. Driving is a very huge responsibility.”