Salisbury Students Among Highest Seat Belt Users in Pennsylvania

Every year on the first day of school, officers stop each car going into the parking lot.

In addition to directing them where to park, officers inform students they can be fined for not wearing their seat belts. Students have gotten the message.

According to a recent state Department of Transportation survey, seat belt use by Salisbury students is among the highest in Pennsylvania: 90 percent of Salisbury students traveling to and from high school are buckling up. This is much higher than many other schools, where compliance is as low as 30 percent, Salisbury Township Police Chief Allen W. Stiles told the board of commissioners at its Thursday meeting.

“I think it’s because we visit them every year, and we have electronic boards inside the school flashing the message,” Stiles said. The police school resource officer also instructs students about proper seat belt use, he said.

The number of accidents involving students has also been declining, Stiles added. “It means that our kids are a little bit safer. They’ve heard the message. It shows programs can work.”

In addition to seat belt use, police also inform the students about the new law that limits young drivers to tranport no more than two passengers under age 18. PennDOT has a new grant that will pay overtime for officers to enforce these new laws, according to Stiles.