INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Bright and early Monday morning, police greeted students at Independence High School.
As students rolled into the high school parking lot, Independence police officers stopped cars and checked seatbelts.
“Hi, y’all wearing your seatbelts?” asked one officer.
“Everybody in law enforcement will tell you the same thing: seat belts save lives,” said Chief Robert Butler, Independence Police Department.
That’s why if teenagers buckled up before hitting the road this morning, they were handed a scrumptious surprise.
“If we can find a way to connect with somebody without negative enforcement and we can instead use positive reinforcement to get our students, especially to wear their seat belts, we’re going to sleep better,” said Butler.
The Independence Police Department partnered with McDonald’s to buckle up for safety. If students clicked it, they were given a coupon for a free sandwich.
Most teenage drivers seen were buckled up. Police hope they were able to teach a lesson on Monday that might save a life. McDonald’s donated the coupons; police had about a hundred to give out.
