Implementation and early outcomes of a peer-led traffic safety initiative for high school students.
Compared with other age groups, teenagers have the lowest rate of safety belt use. We sought to determine whether an ongoing, student-led initiative would be effective in increasing safety belt use among high school students compared with another school in which the intervention did not take place. At the intervention school, there was a statistically significant increase of 15% in observed safety belt use and evidence of increased knowledge regarding proper safety belt use. High schools can be effective in changing the traffic safety behaviors of its students.
Trauma Program, Grant Medical Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA. awermert@cph.osu.edu
Amy M
AM
Wermert
Ann
A
Mehl
Judy M
JM
Opalek
Lynn E T
LE
Shaffer
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*