Traffic Safety Educational Programs

Traffic crashes remain the leading cause of death for Pennsylvania’s young people and two thirds of those fatally injured each year are unbuckled. It’s a sad and startling fact, but it’s also preventable.

In an attempt to change this tragic statistic, Buckle Up PA offers three innovative safety presentations – "The Back Is Where It’s At" for elementary students, the newly revamped 2010 "Survival 101: A Student’s Guide To Staying Alive" and "Sixteen Minutes In a Fifteen Year Old´s Life." All three programs are presented by trained police officers and are available at no cost as a public service to communities.

Currently there are over many Law Enforcement Officers trained and willing to present to your school or group. Over the past 2 years 1,510 programs have been completed, reaching more than 83,000 PA school students.

The Back Is Where It's At

The Back Is Where It´s At is geared towards addressing the younger student. This presentation focuses not only on the elementary student’s riding behavior, but developing a long term seat belt habit and encouragement for other family members who may not buckle up. Educating younger students about the importance of positioning and proper seat belt use can lay the foundation for a lifetime of good seat belt habits.

Survival 101

Survival 101 is a dynamic and impactful multi-media presentation geared towards the middle and high school students. It covers unsafe driving practices and consequences, crash dynamics, and preventative safety measures. Each session is led by a police officer with first-hand knowledge of how seriously a crash can affect families, schools and communities. While somewhat graphic in nature, the program is a far cry from the gory drivers ed films of the past. 2010 Survival 101 is an officer’s personal recount of investigated youth crashes, tailor made for today’s teenagers, which includes such topics as Distracted Driving (with emphasis on cell phones and texting), Aggressive Driving and fatigue. The entire program lasts approximately 35-45 minutes.

16 Minutes

16 Minutes a targeted program for students approaching their sixteenth birthdays. Held in an informal, small group setting on a monthly basis with a trained police officer, Sixteen Minutes gives students who are preparing to get behind the wheel for the first time a chance to talk personally with law enforcement and hear what older teens have to say about the driving experience. This focused presentation lasts for approximately 16 minutes and can make a life lasting impression.