Buckle Buddy

Through our Buckle Buddy program, MRPC targets pre-kindergarten through second grade students educating them on car seat and booster safety. Buddy, our dragon mascot, accompanies staff to schools where his story extolling the importance of wearing a seatbelt and being in the right protective seat, is shared with the students. Additionally, Buddy and staff share a story and sing a song with the students called “Hear That Click” and reminds kids that if they don’t hear the seatbelt clicking, they are not properly secured in the car and that they should encourage all others in the car to do the same. At the end, each student receives an official Buckle Buddy certificate and is encouraged to continue spreading the message of how important car seat, booster and seatbelt safety is. Students are provided an information bag to take home and share with parents.

Docudrama Planning Assistance

Currently through a grant, MRPC offers assistance with four different docudrama scenarios – the crash simulation, the Grim Reaper, an ER simulation or an alcohol poisoning/drug overdose bonfire simulation. By having four different scenarios, high schoolers can see a different docudrama each year they are in high school, instilling messages of smart driving choices. The goal is that students can view real-life consequences to dangerous choices in a controlled environment and prevent these choices before they become real and life-threatening.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Training

MRPC began investigating a bicycle/pedestrian training program after an area school requested assistance with a bicycle rodeo because it had seen an increase in elementary students riding bicycles to school. As there was an increasing number of pedestrian and bicyclist involved accidents in the state, MRPC expanded its efforts to include a pre-kindergarten through high school training program focused on keeping pedestrians and bicyclists safe, funded by a National Highway Transportation Safety Administration grant through the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. MRPC staff work with students on a two-part program. The first is a 30-minute classroom presentation that explains dos and don’ts of road usage for bicyclists and pedestrians and proper safety measures for bicyclists such as helmets, reflectors, etc. Then the program shifts to a 30-minutes hands on course where students ride bikes and walk along a course and put into practice the skills, they just learned such as rights-of-way and hand signals. A retired school superintendent, now MRPC employee, helped develop curriculum and content and delivers most of the programs.

Outreach Events

MRPC engages in community outreach through participation at back-to-school events, safety fairs and festivals around the region. Promotional incentives along with educational information are distributed at these events, where conversations are had with families, teens and children about safe driving habits. MRPC also works closely with MoDOT state and district coalitions for roadway safety to distribute Buckle Up/Phone Down signage for parking lots. In the spring, MRPC coordinates two small grant programs for docudramas and project graduation events.

Points of Contact:

These efforts are supported by grants from the Missouri and Central District Coalitions for Roadway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.