Get With It And Click It Promotes Seatbelt Usage Among Teens

Drivers in Renton have inched our way along 2nd Avenue S., in front of since the new traffic cameras were installed hoping that we will not get one of those pricey school-zone speeding tickets.

On Friday, the tables will turn, from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Renton High School students are hoping get a ticket — for wearing a seatbelt — in the “Get with it and click it program.”

Sponsored by the Renton Police Department and the Washington State Traffic Commission, the “Get with it and click it program” is designed to make teen drivers more aware of the benefits of seatbelt usage.

Travis Gnehm, a cadet with the , coordinates the program.

“Young people tend to have the lowest seatbelt compliance rates,” Gnehm said.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission reported that from 2004 to 2008 one-third of teen boys involved in traffic fatalities in Washington state were not wearing their seatbelt.  The goal of the program is to show how the simple habit of putting on a seatbelt can save your life.

“We showed a significant increase in seatbelt compliance among high school students after the program was implemented,” he said. 

So what can Renton teens expect on Friday morning?

High school leadership students will “spot” their seatbelt-wearing peers and issue a  ‘ticket" that the students can turn in for a prize and potentially a cash reward. Prizes are sponsored by the State Farm Insurance Agency.

Teachers will use the morning hours in the classroom to share information about the importance of driving with seatbelts, and give some sobering statistics about traffic accidents.

During morning announcements the students who “buckled up” will be named and one student will win a $124 Debit Card from State Farm Bank. The $124 was by design; it is the price of a seat belt citation.

Renton High School Leadership instructor, likes that the program gives students in leadership positions the opportunity to work closely with the Renton Police Department. By helping the entire student body become aware of seatbelt safety, students send a message to their peers.

There were an astonishing 478 teens killed in car crashes in Washington state during a four-year period between 2005 and 2009. Of those, over 2,000 were seriously injured in accidents.

Though teens only make up 6% of drivers, they represent 12% of fatal car crashes.

“Active student participation is a unique characteristic of this program, and one of the reasons it has been so successful,”  Gnehm said.

“Students always come up with new and effective ways to reach-out to their peers.  Last year, students told us to make a Facebook page to promote the program – we did this and it has been an excellent way to communicate traffic safety information with the public," he said. "This year the program is “tweeting” for the first time, because students recommended Twitter as a way of spreading the word.” 

Gnehm hopes officers will issue between 300 and 500 seatbelt 'tickets' on Friday.

students will be “ticketed” on Friday, May 6th, from 8:00 am to 8:40 am.