Ollie Otter teaches kindergarten and 1st  graders to buckle up

JANS – Children at Boyd Elementary School now know about Mississippi’s booster seat law after a visit from delightful, furry mascot Ollie the Otter. 

Recently, Ollie Otter taught students to ride in the back seat because the back seat of a car is the safest place for small bodies. In the event of a crash, if a child is in the front seat, the airbag can damage the spinal cord, causing life-altering injuries or death.

Gene Everitt, children’s safety teacher with Mississippi Safety Services, spoke for Ollie Otter. She taught children how to ride safely in the car, reciting Ollie’s memorable slogans: “Under 4’9” – It’s Booster Time!”, “The Back is Best!”, and “Belts to Bones!”.  

Children need to use booster seats after they outgrow their safety seat at age 5 or 6. Vehicle collision researchers find that young children are too small for standard seat belts and must use booster seats for the belt to fit correctly across the strong bones in the hip and shoulder. 

Mississippi has the highest traffic death rate and one of the lowest child restraint usage rates in the United States. For every 100 child deaths, approximately 75 children could have survived if properly buckled and restrained.  

Counselor Phyllis Ross commented, “Ollie the Otter is a friend of the Boyd Bobcats. Safety is always first, so he reminded us to use our booster seats and seat belts.  He showed us the proper way to wear seatbelts – on shoulder bones and hip bones. Bobcats love Ollie!!”

Instructional Assistant Kevin Jordan says, “Becoming Ollie for the day was an experience. Safety gives you a second chance!”