TMA Bucks announced that Council Rock High School North is the overall winner of the 16th Annual Bucks County High School Seatbelt Safety Challenge, while also achieving the greatest percentage increase.
CR North student drivers had the highest overall seatbelt use (97 percent) over 20 other Bucks County high schools that participated in the challenge, while also having the greatest percentage increase in seatbelt use over all schools at four percent (93 percent in fall to 97 percent in spring).
The school’s Students Against Destructive Decisions group was presented with two $500 cash grants and two perpetual trophy plaques at their May 22 meeting. The cash prize is donated by TMA Bucks and is encouraged to be used by the school for safety-related purposes.
“Congrats to the students who really stepped up to be leaders in their school community and stress the importance to their peers about making the right choice to buckle up,” said TMA Bucks executive director Stephen Noll.
The school SADD group promoted the Seatbelt Challenge throughout the entire school year and was led by Cole McCarthy (president), Kathryn McCarthy (co-vice president), Francesca Madden (co-vice president), Reese Reidenbach (secretary) and Emma Townsend (treasurer). These students were under the direction of teacher Danielle Holsey.
“I was so happy to hear that we won this year’s Bucks County High School Seatbelt Safety Challenge,” said Holsey. “SADD has been working toward this for about 10 years now. I’m grateful for the time and focus that this year’s group put into the event.”
In fall 2022, baseline surveys on seatbelt usage by student drivers were conducted at high schools throughout the county without the knowledge of the student body or administration in order to ensure the most accurate data sampling. All schools were then challenged to raise seatbelt usage and participate in the Bucks County High School Seatbelt Safety Challenge. Various student groups at each participating school then promoted the Seatbelt Challenge to all students throughout the school year in a variety of creative ways. Follow-up surveys took place unannounced in April and May and the winning schools were decided.
English department teacher Ben Battiste also helped promote the challenge by having his students create a video for the Teen Driver Safety Video PSA Challenge powered by Comcast portion of the challenge.
Central Bucks High School East was voted the winner of this year’s Teen Driver Safety Video PSA Challenge over 11 other Bucks County high schools. Student groups at all participating high schools for the Bucks County High School Seatbelt Safety Challenge had the opportunity to submit votes to determine the winner.
The winning video was put together by students Emma Schweizer, Jordyn Collins, Tyler Dinn and Christopher Fasano under the direction of technology education teacher John Benedix.
“I’m extremely proud of this group of students,” said Benedix. “Their hard work, creativity and application of media production skills really shined through in this project. It was a blast supervising them throughout the process. They’re a great group of kids and they will be missed after they graduate.”
The Central Bucks High School East technology ed department received a $500 cash grant from TMA Bucks and the PSA will air on Comcast networking in the future. Other schools that submitted videos this year included Neshaminy High School and Holy Ghost Prep, among others.
“The TMA was pleased to see 12 schools submit videos this year which matched the most ever submitted,” said Noll. “The creativity delivered by the students in getting such important messaging across continues to impress us year after year.”
“Comcast is extremely proud to continue to sponsor the TMA Bucks Teen Driver Safety Video PSA Challenge as this outstanding and innovative program continues to see students in Bucks County collaborating together and creatively creating important messaging aimed at their peers that can have such a positive impact,” said Brian Jeter, Comcast’s director of government affairs.
Visit TMAbucks.com for more information.
