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Belton High students urge roundabout safety, present data and outreach plan
Summary
Members of the Belton High School Traction Team told the council they surveyed students and community members and used drone footage, simulators and a motivational speaker to educate about roundabouts; they pledged ongoing outreach ahead of their state conference.
Members of the Belton High School Traction Team presented their year-long traffic-safety project to the Belton City Council, saying roundabouts near the high school pose recurring safety and access issues for students, staff and delivery vehicles.
"We're an organization that helps promote traffic safety in high school students and teachers," a team member said as the group described surveying students, staff and community members and collecting data on yielding at local roundabouts. The students said roughly 1,200 students attend Belton High School and they identified up to four roundabouts that students and teachers pass daily.
The team outlined outreach tactics used this year: a school-wide simulator program demonstrating distracted and impaired driving, a "safety traffic garden" for elementary learners, drone footage to measure yielding behavior, post-event surveys and events tied to the AAA 'Buckle Up, Phone Down' challenge. They partnered with Officer Sean Myers to record driver behavior, and they hosted motivational speaker Cara Filler, who spoke about a family member who was injured in a crash.
Team members said they collected two rounds of drone footage and plan to repeat observations after sharing results with the school. They also described a pledge campaign in which students agreed to put phones down and wear seat belts; participants received stickers and signage for vehicles. The group requested council input on topics to pursue for next summer’s project and noted a state traction conference in July where they will present their work.
Why it matters: The student-led program targets a daily safety risk for a large cohort of local young drivers and pedestrians and connects the school, police and civic groups to data-driven outreach efforts. Council members thanked the students and encouraged continued engagement with Officer Myers and community partners.
What's next: Students asked the council and staff to share feedback before July so they can finalize materials for the state conference and expand community events in the coming year.
