Coastside teens helped make youth driving safer in San Mateo County while leading Half Moon Bay to the title in the second High School Seat Belt Challenge.

This year, Half Moon Bay, Mills, Sequoia, Peninsula, Hillsdale and South San Francisco high schools competed for cash awards to see which campus could achieve the best overall rate of teen seat-belt use from two surveys done between Sept. 24 and Oct. 19.

Half Moon Bay won with 96.8 percent followed by Mills with 94.9 percent and Sequoia with 93.7 percent. These schools earned $400, $300 and $200, respectively.

Peninsula showed the most-improved rate, going from 79.6 percent to 86.4 percent for an overall mark of 83 percent. The school got $100.  

All six schools received $500 each for participating in the challenge - part of a two-year, $76,000 grant awarded to the county Health Department by the state Office of Traffic Safety. The schools are also getting signs for their parking lots reminding students to buckle up.

During the challenge, students at each school ran activities to encourage their peers to wear seat belts.

This year’s top three also did the best in last year’s challenge. A year ago, Sequoia topped the contest at 95 percent followed by Half Moon Bay at 94 percent and Mills at 92 percent.