2020 Seat Belts Save Challenge
What is the Seat Belts Save Challenge?
The National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) Seat Belts Save Challenge, sponsored by General Motors, is a four-week campaign designed to educate teen drivers about the dangers of riding in a car without wearing a seat belt and increase the number of teens who regularly wear a seat belt while driving or riding in a car. The challenge runs each October 2020 - February 2021. Participating schools can win $500 - $1500 in prizes.
Who can participate?
The NOYS Seat Belts Save Challenge is open to all high school students in the United States.
When is the challenge?
- September 1, 2020: Registration opens (we have two versions of the challenge to accommodate virtual schools)
- October 1, 2020: Challenges start
- February 1, 2021: Registration closes
- March 1, 2021: Challenges end - Results and final reports due to NOYS
Winners will be announced in April 2021.
Why should my school participate?
Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for teenagers in the US. In 2016 alone, 2,040 young drivers died and in 2015, an estimated 195,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes (NHTSA). Data also shows that, compared to other age groups, teens have a lower rate of seat belt use. For young drivers who died in crashes, only 48% were restrained at the time of the crash. Of teens that died as a passenger in a vehicle crash, 45% were not wearing a seat belt. And, of teens that died as a back seat occupant in a vehicle crash, 69% were not wearing a seat belt. Research shows that seat belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about half. Imagine all the lives that could have been saved just by wearing a seat belt!
In 2014, NOYS, with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), developed Seat Belts Save, a national high school challenge to encourage greater seat belt use by teens across the country. The Seat Belts Save Challenge is a fun way to spread the word about a serious subject. Participants that approach the challenge in a creative and engaging way will better reach their peers with these important messages. Prizes will be awarded to the schools that demonstrate the highest seat belt use rate, the greatest increase in seat belt use, and the best overall education campaign. Remember, seat belts are the best defense in a crash but they only work if you wear them. Buckle up every time.
