Sample Editorial

An Easy Way to Beat the Odds

By [insert your name and title]

When I walk through the hallways here at [insert name of school], I'm always impressed by you, the students I see and work with. You're bright, energetic, creative, and so uniquely yourselves.

I also know you're smart. That’s why I'm going to suggest to you a smart way to stay healthy: wear a seat belt. Every time you get in a car. It's easy, it's cheap, and it's effective.

If you get in a crash, wearing a seat belt can reduce your chance of being disabled, scarred, or killed by 45-60 percent. Those are pretty good odds. Unfortunately, many teenagers don't take advantage of these odds. Two-thirds of the 16- to 18-year-olds killed in car crashes in the year 2000 weren't buckled up. [Author: For the number of unbelted teens killed and injured in your State, refer to the "16- to 18-Year-Olds" chart enclosed in this insert.]

I’m not the only one who cares about your safety. The police hate having to tell parents that their son or daughter was injured or killed in a crash—just as much as doctors and nurses hate delivering this information. The police would rather pull you over for a ticket than pull you out of a wreck. So during the month of May, the police will be participating in a special law enforcement effort to make sure everyone wears seat belts, even teenagers.

So choose now to start getting in the habit of buckling up. Beat the odds. Show how smart you are. Remind your friends to do the same thing. Because we all want to see each other in the hallway tomorrow morning.