Montgomery County school wins top prize in teen ‘Buckle Up and Slow Down’ campaign

ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — A local school has won the statewide challenge to increase teen use of seatbelts.

Montgomery County’s Auburn Middle School and Louisa County High School were named statewide winners in the “Save Your Tailgate, Buckle Up and Slow Down” campaign.

The winners received $500 and a congratulatory banner. Cash and prizes came courtesy of donations and a grant from State Farm.

Other winners from the area include Halifax County High School, which won 3rd place in the high school division, and Central Academy Middle School in Botetourt County, the second-place winner in the middle school division.

YOVASO chapters, made of sixty-three schools, youth groups, and traffic safety organizations throughout the Commonwealth, competed in the annual campaign that ran from Sept. 23 through Oct. 25.

YOVASO, which stands for Youth of Virginia Speak Out, is a peer-to-peer education and prevention program for teen drivers and passenger safety run by the Virginia State Police.

Participants hosted activities such as poster and door decorating contests, and produced buckle up awareness video, said Mary S. King, YOVASO program manager.

According to YOVASO, the campaign’s efforts resulted in a 6.6 % increase in belt use among students at participating schools.

Law enforcement has noticed the students’ work, including Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, who posted this on it’s Facebook page.

WFXR has followed YOVASO’s work throughout the years to encourage safe driving by teens.

Check out our story regarding their award-winning after-prom event.