The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is working with Hillsborough County Public Schools to increase safety belt use by our teenage drivers and passengers. This year they are focusing on awareness campaigns and programs before the holiday break to make students aware of how important safety belt use is. The Community Outreach Division is sponsoring a Battle of the Belts competition to promote this seat belt awareness campaign.

The campaign is scheduled for the week of December 12-16, 2011. Awards Ceremony will take place in January, date to be announced. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for American teenagers. In fact, teens have the highest fatality rate in motor vehicle crashes than any other age group. They have the lowest safety belt use rates of all drivers. This rate is even lower when there are multiple teens in the vehicle.

The Battle of the Belts competition was initiated in an effort to change these statistics and increase safety belt use amongst teenagers. Eight Hillsborough County high schools participated in the 2010-2011 school year Battle of the Belts campaign. Bloomingdale High School won the award for “Highest Percent of Overall Seatbelt Use.” Gaither High School won the award for “Most Improved.” The “Best Campaign” award went to Lennard High School.

This year the hope is that all high schools in Hillsborough County will participate. This year's competition is scheduled for the week of December 12-16, 2011. The goal of this campaign is to convince your peers to always wear their safety belts.

Contacts for Battle of the Belts:

For questions pertaining to the campaign guidelines, please contact the Community Outreach Division at 247-8072.

Campaign applications, Survey Sheets, PSAs, and posters need to be e-mailed by January 6th, 2012 or mailed and postmarked by January 6th, 2012 to the School Resource Section, Tina Appoloney, at tappolon@hcso.tampa.fl.us or postmarked by January 6, 2012 to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office,Community Outreach Division, Attn: Senior Secretary Tina Appoloney, 2008 E. 8th Ave., Tampa, Florida 33605

Application Packet