Bribery motivates teen drivers to buckle up

Many years ago, stuck on a completely full, four-hour airplane trip with a very noisy toddler, I resorted to bribery.

No more crying, little guy, and you can have a few M&Ms. Still quiet in a few more minutes? More M&Ms. (Sometimes works today for this particular child, by the way.)

I truly didn't bribe my kids often when they were little. Bribery has to be used sparingly, and in desperate situations. Some may disagree with the method, but it's hard to argue with the results: bribery works. (Really, aren't all the rewards programs we sign up for bribery? Give us your e-mail address and personal information and let us track your shopping habits and travel patterns and we'll give you free stuff. Same thing.)

So sometimes, such as when hundreds of people are staring you down on a crowded airplane and your son is shrieking endlessly, bribery is good.

Some police departments are finding that, indeed, bribery and teens do mix. Last week, a Daily Herald story and editorial explained a popular teen-driving program begun in Crystal Lake, which is now being copied throughout the suburbs.

Teen drivers scare us all. Though we've tried scaring them with consequences, their risky behavior is tough to change. This program -- blatant bribery -- is working. Go Operation Click!

It works this way: High school students sign a pledge to drive safely, obey traffic laws and always wear their seat belts. Four times during the year, plainclothes police or school staff survey students driving in and out of the school lot and tally how many are belted.

Students wearing seat belts can win donated prizes such as gift cards on the spot. Students who go the whole year without a traffic ticket get a chance to win a new car -- provided that at the end of the year 90 to 95 percent of students at their school are wearing seat belts.

Shrewd move. Bring peer pressure into it. Even shrewder: If the results of the four tallies show more than 95 percent of students wearing seat belts, two students from that school get a chance at a car.

Making peer pressure work for the greater good.

Naperville would be a great place to try this out … and maybe we will.

I mentioned the idea to Sgt. Lee Martin of the Naperville Police Department. He hadn't heard of it but promised to look into it.

"It's not a program we have in place, but we're always looking for something to help people out," he said. "If we can change behaviors, we will look at any program."

We would be far from alone. According to the Herald story, Operation Click began at three Crystal Lake high schools in 1998. Seat belt compliance began at 65 percent of students and has grown to 95 percent.

Their success has sparked similar programs in Barrington, Cary-Grove, Wauconda, McHenry and Woodstock.

Crystal Lake officials have heard from police in Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Hoffman Estates and Winnetka about starting programs for their towns' high schools.

Naperville could -- and should -- be next. Take it from Nick Pyan, a Crystal Lake South High School senior who was quoted by the Herald saying the kids there love getting random prizes for buckling up.

"It keeps it in their minds that maybe today is the day they'll get a free pizza for wearing their seat belt," he said.

In my mind, now would be a good time for Naperville students to participate in a similar program. Sgt. Martin, I'd be happy to help. Readers: I'm not going to bribe you, but if you like the idea, let the Naperville police know. You can e-mail Martin at martinl@naperville.il.us.

Oh, and buckle up.