Wear the band.
Obey all traffic laws.
Honor.
I will obey all traffic laws and
honor those who have lost their
lives or were seriously injured.

HTS Core Principles

Honor the Stop

Respect, Rights & Courtesy

Honor the Stop (HTS) promotes the safe, courteous and respectful sharing of road ways by all users through the symbolism of a black and red wristband. Wearers pledge to obey “red” all road way laws and honor “black” those who have been seriously injured or have lost their lives.

Like many human characteristics road way behaviors can be affected positively and negatively through an influence of social norms. For example, automobile commercials, TV shows and films frequently portray motor vehicles at dangerously high speeds and extraordinary maneuvers, crashes while actors and “professional” drivers on “closed courses” depict unreasonable situations of vehicle use.

The actor drivers are skilled to be sure, but more often these images demonstrate life-threatening and a dangerous use of vehicles. This conveyance sends a message – a not so subliminal stamp of approval that motor vehicles are meant for recklessness and at dangerously high speeds.

For young children the imagery of speed, power, racing, tailgating, cell phone use, merging in and out of traffic, spectacular crashes, explosions and screeching tires are cognitively immersed and accepted as normal. And for adult's motor vehicles can become even an unintentional weapon from distractions like texting, eating, applying makeup and cell phones having each demonstrated to be equivalent to driving intoxicated.

Teens in particular, are susceptible and immaturely developed and may re-enact these deadly scenes in real-life. Importantly, as adolescents the prefrontal cortex plays a central role in mental processing – and is in a state of development. This development of social cognition (understanding the minds of others), self-regulation, response flexibility (taking in data, pausing, reflecting), and accurate self-awareness are to be sure, needing strong yet, simple reminders of normative behavior. HTS is an effective, simple and unambiguous method to help young people and every individual learn and re-educate how road way use behaviors can be modified.

With this it becomes ever more important to instill positive cognitive behaviors at an early age. And adults are the caregivers and mentors of these beliefs. HTS can help parents and everyone make better choices when using the roadways. Doing so will help individuals make better and the right choices more often.

What Pledging Means

  • Respect for Others

Respecting that others have rights, property and families and that no individual is more or less important than another.

  • Acknowledging Rights of Use

Recognize that ALL roadway users have legitimate rights (motorist, bicyclist, pedestrians).

  • Courtesy when using the Roadway

Persistently adjust your behavior by avoiding aggressiveness and thinking about you’re your actions impact others.

    • Learn to make allowances for others limitations and situations
    • Learn to make allowance for other mistakes
    • Learn to abide by rules and normal social behaviors
    • Learn to have awareness of other roadway users