2004-05 Best of the Best
"In a Flash"
Mooresville High School
Mooresville, Indiana
Project sponsor: Susan Haynes
Because lives can change “In a Flash” as a result of unsafe driving, Mooresville’s Project Ignition effort focused on four areas: seat belt safety, dangerous habits, impaired driving, and cell phone use.
The students wrote and produced videos to impact viewers. They sponsored a Community Safe Driving Day that incorporated safety personnel, students, and community. The team distributed weekly fliers, prizes, and mementos to help drive home their messages. Students signed pledges, made “Remember Them” key chains, interacted, and studied the four focus areas in the classroom. Local newspapers and radio stations covered all events. Survey results confirmed that students and community members made safer choices as a result of “In a Flash.”
Beyond Best of the Best
With its Best of the Best winnings in the '05-'06 school year, Mooresville High School held a one-day forum on teen safe driving for several Indiana high schools. Students and sponsors had an opportunity to share program and event ideas as well as hear from police officers, EMTs, State Farm® insurance agents, service-learning professionals, and representatives of groups such as AAA, MADD and ABATE.
Project Ignition members also continued safe driving promotions within the school and visited other high schools with their safe driving message. They spoke at several state and national conventions and workshops about the importance of using a positive message to keep teen drivers safe.
Today, MHS continues its teen driver safety efforts, combining Project Ignition momentum with the school's SADD club. Project Ignition initially began after two MHS students lost their lives in separate accidents during a single year. In the years since joining Project Ignition, the school has had one student traffic fatality. The student was wearing his seat belt, but it was not enough to save his life.
The group can take comfort in the fact that two other students' lives were saved during a rollover accident a year after Project Ignition started. Those students credit the program with getting them to wear their seat belts regularly.