Seconds to Buckle Up Could Save Your Life: Loudonville Students Witness Dangers of Rollover Ejections
LOUDONVILLE, Ohio — The vehicle began to roll, and within seconds, the unbuckled crash dummy flew through a window.
For students at Loudonville High School, the demonstration delivered a powerful message: Failing to buckle up can turn a crash into a deadly ejection before a person has time to react.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol brought its rollover simulator to the school for a safety program coordinated with the Loudonville Police Department and the school’s Leo Club. Troopers described the demonstration as simulating a rollover crash at approximately 35 mph.
Inside the simulator, a crash dummy was left unbuckled. During the first roll, its body was ejected from the vehicle, surprising students with how quickly it happened.
Troopers then secured the dummy with a seat belt and repeated the demonstration. It remained inside, but students could see its arms flailing during the rollover a reminder that seat belts help prevent ejection, though injuries can still occur.
The difference was clear: A few seconds spent fastening a seat belt can help keep a person inside the vehicle during a violent crash.
Loudonville Police Sgt. Ben Kick, the school resource officer, helped arrange the program after learning that the Patrol’s simulator was available for educational events. Kick contacted the school and the Patrol’s Ashland Post to bring the demonstration to students.
“We just appreciate the cooperation with OSP and the school district trying to get this information out,” Kick said, adding that the simulator helps students think about driving safety and the importance of seat belts.
Kick, who joined the Loudonville Police Department in 2018 and has served as school resource officer since 2021, said students may not understand how dangerous an unbelted rollover can be until they see it demonstrated.
Jeff Frankford, the school’s physical education, strength and conditioning, and health education teacher and Leo Club adviser, said seeing the simulator in person gave students a lesson that could be difficult to convey in a classroom.
“I think it was an eye-opening experience,” Frankford said.
He said Kick proposed making the demonstration a Leo Club community service project, and he welcomed the opportunity.
During the demonstration, troopers explained that an unbuckled person can strike surfaces inside a rolling vehicle before being thrown through a window. Once outside, that person also faces the danger of the vehicle rolling over them.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warns that complete ejection from a vehicle is almost always deadly. Seat belts help keep occupants secure inside the vehicle, and airbags are designed to work with seat belts. They do not replace them.
The demonstration also showed why a short trip is no reason to skip buckling up. Troopers reminded students to wear a seat belt whether they are driving or riding with friends or family.
A seat belt cannot guarantee that someone will escape a crash without injury. But keeping an occupant restrained can prevent the additional danger of being thrown out.
In an October 1, 2026, safety reminder published on its website, the Ohio State Highway Patrol reported that 2,741 people who were not wearing an available seat belt had been killed in Ohio crashes since 2021.
The Patrol also reported that 72% of occupants ages 21 to 40 who were killed in crashes during that period were not wearing an available seat belt. Troopers issued more than 332,000 seat belt and child safety seat citations over the same timeframe.
Those numbers represent families and communities left dealing with the consequences of fatal crashes. The Loudonville program aimed to reach young drivers and passengers before they become part of those statistics.
Students also received a brochure with a safety pledge they could sign and return for a prize drawing, reinforcing the message after the demonstration ended.
Frankford encouraged other schools and community organizations interested in the program to contact their local Highway Patrol post.
For Loudonville students, the lesson came down to one simple action before every trip: Click the seat belt into place.
As Frankford put it, taking a few seconds to buckle up could save a life.
A special, Thank You! To Ashland Post Commander Lieutenant Brian Beal and Assistant Post Commander Sergeant Daniel Kumor of the Ashland of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
