Thermopolis wins 2016 belt battle

The results are in, and Injury Prevention Resources was the first to congratulate Hot Springs County High School on being this year’s Battle of the Belts champions.

The Battle was renewed by IPR, pitting HSC High School against Worland High School. The challenge focuses on making communities safer places to live, not just for students but also staff and everyone on the road. Much as high school sports teams have rivalries, the Battle of the Belts can be thought of as two schools going for the championship.

The first and last rounds of competition include Seat Belt Observational Surveys that show who buckles up the most. These surveys were conducted by IPR, and included a sample of 100 vehicles to measure how safe drivers are at their respective schools. Percentages of buckled up drivers from the initial and final Thermopolis surveys are as follows:

Total: Initial — 67 percent; Final — 91 percent

Adults: Initial — 50 percent; Final — 85 percent

Students: Initial — 72 percent; Final — 96 percent

Tom Cunningham, safety education coordinator for IPR and Safe Communities coordinator for WYDOT District 5, said Thermopolis did phenomenal with the Battle, and the results are the best he’s seen. He added presentation of the official Belt award is scheduled for the first home football game in October.

But just because Worland doesn’t get the championship belt and bragging rights for the next two years — the next Battle is slated for 2018 — is no reason to think they were lax. Their results were:

Total: Initial — 54 percent; Final — 78 percent

Adults: Initial — 65 percent; Final — 89 percent

Students: Initial — 51 percent; Final — 69 percent

Injury Prevention Resources specifically noted the increase by students at both schools. They obviously put in the effort to #buckleup and make this a competition.

Noel Cooper, executive director for IPR, said, “I ask that parents really take a minute to see if their kid is buckling up and to remember that they likely won’t buckle up if you are not buckling up every time. We are four times more likely to survive a roll over crash when buckled. Add that to the fact that a rollover crash is the most common type of crash in Wyoming and you realize that we are all on our roads constantly at risk of death and serious injury.“

Cooper further added, “If you are between the ages of 5 and 35 years old, the most likely way you can lose your life is in a vehicle. There is no bigger problem than roadway safety facing our community. The good news is that this is something we can turn around with dedication from law enforcement, parents, teens and kids to help assure we are protecting ourselves, our passengers and other drivers on the road.”