CHAPEL HILL — The North Carolina High School Athletic Association and Nationwide Mutual Insurance have teamed up to promote smart teen driving through the Buckle-Up for a Successful Season campaign, in conjunction with the start of the fall sports seasons.
“We’re very excited to have Nationwide join us in our continuing efforts to encourage teen drivers to ‘buckle up’. We appreciate their partnership in such an important campaign. There is nothing more important than North Carolina’s youth and we all have a responsibility for their safety,” said Charlie Adams, executive director of the NCHSAA.
“The best way to keep teens safe on the road is by helping them become smart drivers,” said Bill Windsor, associate vice president of safety for Nationwide. “Buckle-Up for a Successful Season reminds teens that being a smart driver starts with fastening your seatbelt.” Nationwide operates www.nationwidesmartride.com, a website dedicated to teen driving.
Vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for teenagers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 7,460 drivers age 15-20 were involved in fatal crashes in 2005. The Buckle-Up for a Successful Season campaign has one simple yet powerful goal – to achieve a safer highway environment. The yearlong campaign commences with this high school football season.
Buckle-Up for a Successful Season is a community-level traffic initiative that involves a large portion of the 375 member schools that are part of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. The objective is to promote a safer highway environment by reminding and encouraging student-athletes, coaches, cheerleaders, band members, and fans to buckle up when going to school, practices, games – everywhere, every time. Signs, program advertising and events are among the techniques used at various high schools.
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About Nationwide:
Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world, with more than $160 billion in assets. Nationwide ranks #104 on the Fortune 500 list. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and health and productivity services. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.
