During the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 school years, Teens in the Driver Seat (TDS) launched the 7th, 8th, and 9th annual Zero Hero activities to increase seat belt use among teen drivers and passengers at TDS schools. The activity, Zero Hero, is in its 9th year and consists of a pre-observation, three weeks of messaging, a post-observation, and a pizza party for schools that completed and returned all observation data. The activity was offered to all program schools.
In the 2019-20 school year, thirty schools completed all requirements. In the 2020-21 school year, fifteen schools completed all requirements. Finally, in the 2021-22 school year, twenty schools completed all requirements.
High school student teams were asked to observe teen drivers and passengers and log if they did or did not have their seat belts fastened. Junior High student teams were asked to observe teen passengers and log seat belt use. Some high schools with a low percentage of teen drivers also chose to count only teen passengers.
Questions regarding data may be directed to Christine Yager at c-yager@tti.tamu.edu.
2019 – 2020 School Year Results
All 2019 – 2020 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 3,870 | 3,849 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 82.51% | 88.20% | +6.89% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 2,717 | 2,611 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 75.89% | 85.08% | +12.12% |
| First Year Schools (i.e. the first year that a school completed this activity) | |||
| Teen Driver Sampling | 723 | 725 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 82.28% | 88.48% | +7.53% |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 549 | 544 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 73.37% | 74.51% | +1.55% |
| Multi-Year Schools (the latest year that a school completed this activity) | |||
| Teen Driver Sampling | 1,751 | 1,947 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 89.03% | 90.59% | +1.75% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 1,402 | 1,425 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 81.13% | 89.13% | +9.87% |
Texas 2019 – 2020 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 1,199 | 1,408 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 88.76% | 90.57% | +2.03% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 1,095 | 1,168 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 80.04% | 87.23% | +8.97% |
| First Year Schools (i.e. the first year that a school completed this activity) | |||
| Teen Driver Sampling | 367 | 349 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 89.73% | 93.43% | +4.12% |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 215 | 214 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 81.60% | 74.39% | -8.84% |
| Multi-Year Schools (the latest year that a school completed this activity) | |||
| Teen Driver Sampling | 900 | 1,132 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 87.79% | 89.49% | +1.93% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 901 | 973 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 79.69% | 89.89% | +12.80% |
Georgia 2019 – 2020 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 1,091 | 910 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 77.08% | 88.47% | +14.78% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 637 | 592 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 66.41% | 79.35% | +19.48% |
| First Year Schools (i.e. the first year that a school completed this activity) | |||
| Teen Driver Sampling | 201 | 204 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 72.00% | 80.00% | +11.11% |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 101 | 106 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 59.00% | 58.00% | -1.69% |
| Multi-Year Schools (the latest year that a school completed this activity) | |||
| Teen Driver Sampling | 890 | 706 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 78.22% | 90.92% | +16.23% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 536 | 486 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 67.81% | 84.01% | +23.89% |
Nebraska 2019 – 2020 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 910 | 846 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 75.92% | 80.54% | +6.08% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 602 | 488 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 73.68% | 85.73% | +16.36% |
| First Year Schools (i.e. the first year that a school completed this activity) | |||
| Teen Driver Sampling | 155 | 172 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 78.00% | 88.51% | +13.47% |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 233 | 224 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 72.01% | 82.44% | +14.48% |
| Multi-Year Schools (the latest year that a school completed this activity) | |||
| Teen Driver Sampling | 755 | 674 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 75.50% | 78.51% | +3.99% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 369 | 264 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 74.73% | 88.52% | +18.45% |
Colorado 2019 – 2020 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 252 | 268 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 85.91% | 94.31% | +9.78% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 185 | 173 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 76.99% | 85.13% | +10.57% |
2020 – 2021 School Year Results
All 2020 – 2021 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 1,592 | 939 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 71.18% | 83.78% | +17.70% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 1,498 | 1,473 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 70.51% | 78.25% | +10.98% |
| First Year Schools (i.e. the first year that a school completed this activity) | |||
| Teen Driver Sampling | 144 | 158 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 78.42% | 91.90% | +17.19% |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 950 | 1,002 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 69.48% | 77.78% | +11.94% |
| Multi-Year Schools (the latest year that a school completed this activity) | |||
| Teen Driver Sampling | 1,448 | 781 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 70.46% | 82.14% | +16.58% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 548 | 471 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 72.28% | 79.25% | +9.64% |
Texas 2020 – 2021 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 0 | 0 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | |||
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 759 | 882 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 68.32% | 76.82% | +12.45% |
Georgia 2020 – 2021 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 486 | 80 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 69.62% | 85.00% | +22.10% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 171 | 67 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 86.91% | 88.00% | +1.25% |
Nebraska 2020 – 2021 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 687 | 670 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 71.74% | 81.71% | +13.89% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 255 | 260 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 67.21% | 71.07% | +5.73% |
Colorado 2020 – 2021 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 71 | 31 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 84.69% | 84.00% | -0.81% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 56 | 14 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 64.13% | 71.00% | +10.72% |
2021 – 2022 School Year Results
All 2021 – 2022 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 2,363 | 2,349 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 82.79% | 88.07% | +6.37% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 1,473 | 1,563 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 75.58% | 84.61% | +11.95% |
| First Year Schools (i.e. the first year that a school completed this activity) | |||
| Teen Driver Sampling | 565 | 271 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 82.95% | 87.52% | +5.50% |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 244 | 203 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 69.76% | 77.76% | +11.47% |
| Multi-Year Schools (the latest year that a school completed this activity) | |||
| Teen Driver Sampling | 1,798 | 2,078 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 82.74% | 88.14% | +6.52% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 1,229 | 1,360 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 76.74% | 85.63% | +11.59% |
Texas 2021 – 2022 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 619 | 719 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 88.59% | 91.64% | +3.44% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 613 | 698 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 78.03% | 88.95% | +14.00% |
| First Year Schools (i.e. the first year that a school completed this activity) | |||
| Teen Driver Sampling | 30 | 30 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 60.00% | 70.00% | +16.67% |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 24 | 6 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 58.00% | 33.00% | -43.10% |
| Multi-Year Schools (the latest year that a school completed this activity) | |||
| Teen Driver Sampling | 589 | 689 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 90.05% | 92.58% | +2.81% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 589 | 692 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 78.84% | 89.44% | +13.44% |
Georgia 2021 – 2022 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 634 | 494 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 71.55% | 85.91% | +20.07% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 180 | 203 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 67.65% | 81.33% | +20.23% |
| Multi-Year Schools (the latest year that a school completed this activity) | |||
| Teen Driver Sampling | 432 | 494 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 68.54% | 85.91% | +20.07% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 128 | 203 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 68.73% | 81.33% | +18.35% |
Nebraska 2021 – 2022 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 549 | 610 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 84.68% | 84.11% | -0.66% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 274 | 318 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 81.05% | 82.54% | +1.83% |
Colorado 2021 – 2022 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 78 | 128 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 76.67% | 87.25% | +13.80% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 96 | 94 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 81.04% | 87.34% | +7.77% |
Washington 2021 – 2022 Schools
| Pre-Counts | Post-Counts | % Change | |
| Teen Driver Sampling | 48 | 22 | |
| Total % of Teen Drivers Wearing a Seat Belt | 83.00% | 82.00% | -1.20% |
| Teen Passenger Sampling | 13 | 1 | |
| Total % of Teen Passengers Wearing a Seat Belt | 85.00% | 100.00% | +17.65% |