WYDOT Program Encourages Youth Seat Belt Use

The Wyoming Department of Transportation is looking to encourage teen drivers to wear their seat belt with a photo banner program.

WYDOT Public Affairs is featuring photos of high school students on banners with messages encouraging fellow students to buckle up.

Photographer Rick Carpenter of WYDOT Public Affairs has traveled all across the state creating the banners, often focusing on club and sports involved students.

Students are chosen by administrators and tend to be ones recognized for their achievements.

“These are one of the ways we are engaging with the youth of Wyoming to help spread vital safety messages,” said WYDOT Director Bill Panos in a release. “It’s important to impress upon our kids safe driving habits and these banners are the perfect platform for us to do that. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to work with these Wyoming kids."

“This program enables us to get an important safety message about buckling up in Wyoming schools where there are young drivers,” said Cody Beers, public relations specialist for the northwestern corner of Wyoming. “It’s their friends and classmates who are delivering this message. Peer-to-peer is much more effective because it’s someone their own age delivering this message.”

School officials hang the banners in the schools highly trafficked areas, like a gym or lunch room. Carpenter also creates posters for the students to take and give to family and friends.

WYDOT’s ultimate goal is to work with every school in the state as time, schedules, and weather permit.

Laramie High School has not been a part of the campaign, yet. A WYDOT representative says they expect to visit Laramie in Jan. 2019.

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