Fans attending high school football games across the state will once again be the focus of a special initiative designed to increase awareness of the need to wear your seat belt, every trip, every time.

The “Friday Night Lights” initiative is designed to help reduce serious injury and fatality crashes involving teen drivers by providing them with firsthand knowledge of what can happen when you don’t buckle up.

Fans at select high school football games will have the opportunity to experience a ride in the NSP Seat Belt Convincer and/or view a presentation of the Rollover Simulator prior to kick-off.

“Football is a team sport and highway safety is a team effort,” said Colonel David Sankey, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “Far too often teen drivers are seriously injured or killed in crashes in which they aren’t buckled up.  We hope to encourage young drivers to join our team and make safety a priority every time they get behind the wheel.”

During breaks in the football action, troopers will use a T-shirt shooter to catapult shirts with a seat belt safety message to football fans. The shirts were purchased through a $10,000 grant to the Nebraska State Patrol Foundation from the AAA Nebraska/Cornhusker Motor Club Foundation.

Colonel David Sankey said, “We encourage teens to wear their t-shirts and help us promote seat belt safety.”