By Matt Browning
Hesston’s Regan Eilert thinks the school’s SAFE program makes a substantial impact not only on the school, but the community, too.
And they try a variety of ways to make that impact.
“We have so many kids from all the grade levels that enter our monthly drawings and that is a commitment because when they enter the drawings when we pick the winner we watched them and make sure they are wearing their seatbelt, not on their phone, and practicing safe driving,” Eilert said. “Also with the seatbelt surveys we conduct, we stand in the parking lot unannounced and we mark anonymously how many people where or where not wearing a seatbelt.”
Hesston uses a parody of a famous game show to talk about driving safety.
“One main event we put on is a game show like Jeopardy,” Eilert said. “We make teams by grade level and we ask general questions about driving safety. Some questions we ask are what age does a child not have to use a booster seat anymore, what is the seed limit in our parking lot, and how many stops signs does the high school have, and so many more questions.”
Eilert said after she started joining SAFE, she noticed her driving safety improved.
“SAFE has benefited me because when I first joined as a sophomore I wasn’t very good at wearing my seatbelt,” Eilert said. “But when I joined it really made me aware and always think about my seatbelt before I went anywhere in my car or anyone else’s.”
