The Ollie Otter® Seat Belt and Booster Seat Safety Program was Developed by the Tennessee Road Builders Association and Tennessee Tech University as a solution to a serious problem: lack of seat belt and booster seat education to our youth at a critical age when good safety habits are formed. This program’s primary objective is to educate children in pre-K through 4th grade with interactive programs in elementary schools through sponsorship with Tennessee Highway Safety Office. The program develops a positive opinion towards seat belt and booster seat use in the minds of children, parents, and communities as a whole. It is the expectation of the Ollie Otter® Program to provide a safer environment for children every time they ride in a vehicle.
Our mission is to instill lifelong safety habits in the youngest members of our communities by providing comprehensive and interactive education on booster seat and seat belt use.
The Ollie Otter® Seat Belt and Booster Seat Safety Program was Developed by the Tennessee Road Builders Association and Tennessee Tech University as a solution to a serious problem: lack of seat belt and booster seat education to our youth at a critical age when good safety habits are formed. This program’s primary objective is to educate children in pre-K through 4th grade with interactive programs in elementary schools through sponsorship with Tennessee Highway Safety Office.
The program develops a positive opinion towards seat belt and booster seat use in the minds of children, parents, and communities as a whole. It is the expectation of the Ollie Otter® Program to provide a safer environment for children every time they ride in a vehicle.
Spurred by the loss of three family members in a year, the wife of the incoming president of the Tennessee Road Builders Association had a passion to “do something” when she became president of the TRBA’s Ladies Auxiliary in 2006. That passion led the TRBA to support an initative to see what might be done. A program was designed based on a character-driven message to school children about seat belts and construction zones. The Ollie Otter school presentations focus on child passenger safety and injury prevention at an age appropriate level so kids can understand the importance of using a booster seat to make the grown up seat belt fit correctly.
For Organizations committed to child passenger safety (CPS) education and injury prevention, the Ollie Otter Program is a great resource for outreach and community interaction. Several groups across the nation have incorporated the program into their CPS programs. Ollie’s materials have been adapted to highlight the NHTSA recommendations for child passenger safety so they can be used to promote best practices for any state or organization. Invite Ollie to your state today. Don’t wait!
The Ollie Otter Seat Belt and Booster Seat Safety Program visits all 95 counties in Tennessee and completes over 350 school presentations and community events annually. Currently there are over 20 Ollie Otter mascots active across the state. Ollie partners include child passenger safety technicians and injury prevention specialists along with approximately 300 trained seat belt safety advocate volunteers to implement the programs in the local community. The program is a perfect fit for service learning opportunities and volunteer organizations. Since 2007, Ollie has handed out over 1.1 Million High Five’s across Tennessee sharing the seat belt and booster seat safety education message.
Percent of Children Restrained in Crashes: 2016-2020
Thank you for supporting the Ollie Otter Program!
There are still many opportunities to support the Ollie Otter Seat Belt and Booster Seat Safety Program in your community to share child passenger safety and injury prevention information.
Community education can be accomplished by sponsoring and installing “Under 4’9″ – Booster Time!” signage in your school or business pick-up lines.
Donate to the Ollie Otter Child Safety Foundation through TRBA
Monetary donations can be made through the Ollie Otter Child Safety Foundation at:
TN Road Builders Association offices
213 5th Ave. N.
Nashville, TN 37219
Partnerships are vital to the success of the Ollie Otter® Program. The program is a public-private partnership supported by several state and local agencies and private businesses. Click the icons to find out more information about the partners.
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Support Ollie
Ollie Otter Child Safety Foundation
c/o TN Road Builders Association
213 Rep John Lewis Way North, suite 100
Nashville, TN 37219
Important Links
iCUBE, Tennessee Tech
P.O. Box 5103
Cookeville, TN 38505
1100 N Peachtree Ave.
Volpe Library, Room 362
Cookeville, TN 38505
EIN: 20-4798272