2008-09 Best of the Best

"Drive Safe"
New Castle Jr./Sr. High School
New Castle, Pennsylvania

The New Castle Jr./Sr. High School Project Ignition Team expanded on the “Drive Safe” message from last year. Although they continued to promote overall safe driving habits, their message content focused mainly on increasing seat-belt use, increasing adherence to traffic controls and obeying laws, decreasing driving distractions and stressing the dangers of drinking and driving. The death of a student over Christmas break and another that remains in a coma from an accident in October has impacted their community. None of the injured or killed was wearing seat belts. In both accidents, students were speeding and distracted.

Although they focused on their own school and surrounding community, they expanded the program across Pennsylvania into as many high schools as possible. They also targeted community events that had large crowds such as football and basketball games, Election Day at the polls and the Light-up Night Parade. New Castle hosted a Safety Summit as well, where they invited schools from four counties.