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Belted teens are the real heroes and we want to see all teens become a Zero Hero – by always buckling up and putting phones away. This activity strives for Zero risky behaviors!
Before starting, complete our Zero Hero sign-up form so we can provide you with the link to the electronic forms or print forms, along with some helpful information.
Please have all team members watch this instructional video and read the instructions below.
What To Do:
- You will focus on the driver and record their gender and whether or not they are wearing their seat belts.
- High Schools will only observe teen drivers (not adult drivers).
- Junior High Schools will observe adult drivers.
Step 1 – Zero Hero (pre-observations)
- Complete all the pre-observations in one day at one time, setting aside about 30-40 minutes.
- Observe at least 100 cars (or as many as possible), counting each car only once.
- If your school has multiple entrances/exits, recruit additional team members to help make observations at multiple locations at the same time, again making sure to only count each car once. Give each team their own set of observation forms.
- At each location, have one person observe and another record the observations (scribe).
- Find a safe place to do the observations, keeping a safe distance from the cars.
- DO NOT notify students about what you’re doing. DO NOT reward students for correct behavior. You are there to only observe and record observations.
- If you miss a car, that’s okay – just move on to the next car. It’s better to be accurate than to count more cars.
- Don’t guess. If you can’t see well enough, change your location or get an additional person to help.
- Stop signs and intersections can get vehicles to slow down, giving you more time to observe.
- Organize your observation team(s) and coordinate where everyone will be standing, how many cars you will be observing and the time frame the observations will be taken.
- Make sure everyone understands what to do and what to observe. It may be helpful to observe a few cars together, to make sure everyone has a clear understanding of what they are looking for and what information to record.
- If using paper observation forms, either enter them online OR email them to us at tdswebmaster@tti.tamu.edu. If you enter the observations online, please do not return the paper forms to us.
Step 2 – Encourage Zero Behavior
After your pre-observation is complete begin your activities/messaging immediately for a full three weeks.
- After completing the pre-observations, plan and conduct outreach activities that focus on wearing seat belts.
- Do this for 3 weeks in a row.
- Report all your activities to us!
- Know your state’s laws>
- Get the facts on seat belts>
- Take a look at these activities>
- Download resources>
- Show some videos>
- Notify your local media that you are doing the activity using the News Releases and articles>They can come out and film or take photos of the team doing observations and help you get the word out. Be prepared to answer questions with stats and how your team plans to create Heroes in your school!
- Let everyone know the observation results and give them a goal to achieve.
- Hang up posters around the school about the dangers of not wearing a seat belt.
- Make yard signs to post around the school parking lot and driveways.
- Place flyers on cars and place signs or hold up posters around the spot you did the observations.
- Hold a pledge to ask drivers to always buckle up.
- Have a dress like a HERO day to bring awareness to the problem.
- Make announcements over the PA system.
- Set up a table during lunch to talk to students.
- Attend a community event (sports event, after-school activity, etc.) and give out information so parents can be aware of the issue, talk to their teens, and be better examples.
- Get local law enforcement or your school’s campus officer-involved by asking them to make a presentation.
- Make sure your messages target seat belt use and you do consistent activities and messaging. Get creative.
- The more activities, the better. Make sure everyone KNOWS that wearing a seat belt makes you your own Hero.
Step 3 – Zero Hero (post-observations)
- Immediately after your 3 weeks of activities and messaging, conduct your post-observations.
- Do the post-observations at the same location(s) and time of day as the pre-observations, giving each team their own set of observation forms. Be sure to not double-count the same car.
- For consistency, try to have the same team members help.
- Just like the pre-observations, complete all the post-observations in one day at one time (the same time of day as the pre-observations), setting aside 30-40 minutes.
- Observe at least 100 cars (or as many as possible), counting each car only once.
- If using paper observation forms, either enter them online OR email them to us at tdswebmaster@tti.tamu.edu. If you enter the observations online, please do not return the paper forms to us.
Step 4 – Party like a Hero:
- Make sure you’ve returned all your pre- and post-observations to TDS for All-Star credit.
- You’ll receive a summary report from TDS to let you know how your school did.
- Once you receive your report, share the findings and campaign results with your local television stations and newspapers to create a media buzz. We can help with this!
FAQs:
What are field observations?
Field observations are a way to find out how many people are engaging in an activity. In this case, high school teams will be observing teen drivers and passengers and taking count if they are or are not wearing a seat belt and junior high teams will be counting teen passengers. In this activity, you will be performing two field observations – pre-observations before you do messaging and activities, and post-observations after you’ve completed messaging and activities.
Why two field observations?
The idea is to do pre-observations to get a baseline of behavior. This lets you know how many people are not following seat belt laws and how big the problem is with your peers and friends. After your team does some messaging and activities to let your peers know they could be their own Heroes for wearing a seat belt, you’ll want to know if you made a shift in their behavior, so you complete a post-observation to find out.
What happens to the data?
These field observations will help Teens in the Driver Seat® study the problem of seat belt use among teens and find ways to help teens buckle up. We need to know what you see and how you’re helping keep our drive alive by conducting this project right in your own community. When you complete the entire Zero Hero activity, we’ll crunch some numbers, do some comparisons and send you back a report of how your school did. You’ll also get TDS All-Star credit.
What do we get in return?
Not only do you get to be part of a great activity, but you also earn TDS All-Star credit for completing the activity.
Zero Hero Tips!
Be Safe:
- Before you start, get permission from the school administration and school security by letting them know what you are doing, when you will be conducting the observations, and where you and your team members will be standing.
- Wear bright clothes.
- Stand well off the road or driveway.
- Position yourself at a stop sign or where traffic is traveling slowly, like at an entrance or exit point.
- Position yourself a little higher than vehicles by standing on a curb. This allows you to see down into the vehicle.
- Use a partner for safety and to help you with observations. One person can observe and one person marks the observation form.
- Don’t become a distraction. Stay on the curb; don’t approach vehicles; don’t get involved in interaction with drivers and passengers or engage in any behavior that would draw attention to you and away from the driving task. Think of your own safety and how you position yourself in relation to the traffic. Think of traffic safety and how your actions might affect it.
Get an accurate count:
- Don’t guess. If you can’t see well enough change your location, get vehicles to slow down, or get an additional person to help.
- Observations are generally more accurate when made on stopped vehicles. The opportunity for a good view of each driver is better at Stop Signs or intersections with a traffic signal. Take a careful look at the driver.
- If you miss counting a car, it’s okay. It’s better to be accurate than to count more cars.
- It’s important to use the same number of vehicles for both pre-and post-counts. A good number of vehicles is 100 or 90% of your school’s driving population for smaller schools. Too few will not give you a good representation and more than that will not significantly change your count results.
- Use the same location and conduct the pre-and post-count at the same time of day. Use the same team, if possible, for consistency.
- Organize your observation team and coordinate where everyone will be standing, how many cars you will be observing and the time frame the counts will be taken.
- Make sure everyone understands what to do and what to observe. It may be helpful to observe a few cars together, to make sure everyone has a clear understanding of what they are looking for and what information and codes will be recorded on the Observation Form.
Do you need some help or have questions? Contact your Regional Representative>
Disclaimer: Texas A&M Transportation Institute nor Teens in the Driver Seat is responsible for accidents, injuries, deaths, or damages to property as a result of actions by conducting counts or observations. Please make every effort to remain away from moving traffic and always take proper safety precautions. The use of printed and electronic media materials from the Teens in the Driver Seat® website are encouraged for schools and organizations using those materials under the Teens in the Driver Seat® name, but the use of these materials under any other program name is not allowed.