A group of Rock Island High School students are launching “Buckle Down Rock Town” (www.buckledownrocktown.com) to promote save driving habits to teens. From now through February, the Rock Island High School Key Club members will be asking students to take a pledge to wear a seat belt while driving and to also stay off their cell phones.
Last week, members of the Rock Island High School Key Club’s Operation Teen Safe Driving committee conducted a hidden survey of traffic on 25th Avenue in Rock Island. The survey took place on Dec. 5 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
The students observed 161 vehicles traveling on 25th Avenue during that hour. Of those vehicles observed:
• 85 drivers not wearing a seat belt
• 49 front seat passengers not wearing a seat belt
• 10 rear seat passengers not wearing a seat belt
The team also observed multiple drivers (both students and parents) using an electronic device while driving.
The results sparked the new campaign. The students will be promoting the cause at the RIHS sports events and making visits to area service clubs and taking posters to businesses. The information will also be distributed to the rest of the schools in the district.
Rock Island High School was among 105 statewide to receive a $2,000 grant for the project from an initiative funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Ford Motor Co.'s Ford Driving Skills for Life program and the Allstate Foundation's Keep the Drive.