Mercer County is a predominantly rural area, and youth are exposed to various conditions. Students are faced with unsafe conditions around the home or outside. Most students are unprepared for what to do in an emergency or avoid an accident—the safety day taught them to be aware of their surroundings and what to do in an emergency. Teaching youth safety on the farm or around the home is essential to their development. A safety day was held for sixth-grade youth in Mercer County. 

Over 209 youth participated in eight booths: electric safety, lawn equipment, fire safety, railroad safety, emergency prep, re-think your drink, nature danger, and ATV safety. The program was co-sponsored by Extension Service, Mercer County Health Department, fire department, Inter-County Energy, and Norfolk Southern Railroad. As the co-contact for the program, I coordinated the school schedules, assisted in securing the speakers, and taught ATV safety. During this session, I discussed ATV accident and fatality statistics, the proper gear to wear when riding ATVs, and general driver safety. ATV safety has become a priority as we have had a fatality due to side by side accident that took the life of a youth. Many youths have been exposed to ATVs at home or a friend’s house. Over 89% of the students stated they had ridden an ATV, and 82% said they had ridden with a passenger and no safety gear. The goal of Safety Day was to raise awareness and encourage youth to reflect on situations that should occur and what to do in those situations.