Local high schools rewarded for efforts to raise seat-belt use

Notre Dame Regional and Saxony Lutheran high schools were among Southeast Missouri high schools honored by the Missouri Department of Transportation for efforts in the Battle of the Belt Challenge.

Notre Dame won the Southeast District's award for Highest Overall Seat Belt Use, achieving 99.76 percent seat-belt use, according to a MoDOT news release. South Pemiscot High School at Steele, Mo., won an award for Most Improved Seat Belt Use, increasing usage to 99.42 percent from 43.51 percent. Both schools received $500 donated by American Family Insurance to be used for seat-belt educational programs at the schools.

Four Southeast Missouri high schools received statewide recognition for seat-belt use that reached gold (99 to 100 percent) or silver (95 to 98 percent) and received banners to display by the Missouri College of Emergency Physicians. Those schools were Notre Dame, gold; Saxony Lutheran, gold; Richland High at Essex, silver; and South Pemiscot, silver.

Photos of the winning schools are at flickr.com/photos/43000037%40N05/sets/72157633045156620/. To learn more about the Southeast Coalition for Roadway Safety, visit savemolives.com/southeast/index.html.