Following an unannounced seatbelt check on Nov. 13, students at Royal Palm Beach High School attended a seatbelt safety fair. This fair took place five days after the first seatbelt check in the courtyard during all lunches.
During the seatbelt check, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) members were at all of the school entrances to check if all passengers in each car had a seatbelt on. SADD Advisor Maureen Witkowski discovered that 20 percent of passengers were not wearing a seatbelt.
The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office joined in, giving students and their parents warnings for not using seatbelts.
During the campaign, SADD students drove with movable billboards on their cars. One sign was even displayed at J.J. Muggs Stadium Grill. They also created posters containing facts and slogans about the importance of wearing a seatbelt.
At the same time, Saddy, a crash dummy and testament to what can happen when seat belts are not in use, explained daily how important seatbelt safety is.
During the safety fair, there were games and trivia, and students signed pledges that they would wear their seatbelts. Following the fair, SADD held another unannounced seatbelt check on Dec. 11.
Witkowski calculated the results after the second check and discovered that 13 percent of passengers were not wearing seatbelts.
“As a SADD member, I am proud to say that our event had an effect on our school making the percentage improve by seven percent,” SADD Vice President Alexis Borgos said.
ABOVE: SADD’s vice presidents Alexis Borgos and Chelsea Rodriguez.
