Halftime Presentation Urges Students to Use Traffic Safety

by Evan Skilliter    On Friday, January 20, Bluffton Safety Services, in collaboration with the Allen County Sheriff’s Office, and both Bluffton and Allen East High Schools, gave a presentation at halftime of the Bluffton vs. Allen East high school boys’ basketball game in Bluffton, emphasizing the importance of traffic safety and reducing injuries through the use of safety belts and avoiding impaired driving.
   Bluffton Police Chief, Rick Skilliter, was in charge of the presentation.  Skilliter said, “The idea came from a planning meeting that was held in Lima late last year.  They spoke about Allen County having a goal of 85 percent safety belt usage.  At that point, Bluffton had an 82 percent seat belt usage rate.  In addition to trying to keep our youth safe on the road, we wanted to keep everyone safe on the road.”  After contemplating venues to use for the presentation, Chief Skilliter and the Police Department decided that a basketball game would be the best option.
   Other than Skilliter, presenters included Bluffton’s Fire Chief, Jon Kinn, EMS Chief, Jan Basinger, Allen County Sheriff, Sam Crish, and Bluffton High School Guidance Counselor, Gordon Shively.  During the presentation, Sheriff Crish shared some stats.  “Every fifth person in this room will be involved in some sort of traffic crash this year,” he said.  “While more than 90 percent of all motorists believe safety belts are a good idea, less than 14 percent actually use them every time they drive.”
   After Chief Kinn shared the importance of not texting while driving, Chief Skilliter warned students and parents about teen drinking and driving.  Skilliter said, “An average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before their first arrest… One in three eighth graders drinks alcohol.  One in five teens binge drink, while only 1 in 100 parents believe his or her teen binge drinks.”
   Bluffton Principal Mike Minnig, Allen East Principal Keith Bumgartner, Bluffton SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) member Anna Crisp, and Allen East SADD member Emily Allen demonstrated the effect of alcohol by attempting three-point shots while wearing goggles that simulate a person who has a blood alcohol content ranging from .07 to .15.  Basketballs were shot everywhere but the direction they were intended, as none of the participants shot close to their target.
   Sheriff Crish concluded the presentation, saying, “Please don’t drive drunk or allow another person to drive impaired.  You always know when you’re going to need the safety belt, that’s every time a vehicle is in motion.  We are going to be on our game, so you never know when we’ll be watching you.  It’s likely to be everywhere, every time.”

See full story in The Bluffton News