NEW YORK — The National Road Safety Foundation and Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, are looking for ideas from young people to help convince their peers of the dangers of distracted driving.
Entries are now open for the 4th annual Drive2Life PSA Contest. The winner will receive a $1,000 prize and an all expenses-paid trip to New York to work with an Emmy Award-winning TV director to turn his or her idea into a public service message that will be broadcast nationwide next May during Global Youth Traffic Safety Month.
“Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among U.S. teens, killing 5,000 every year and injuring tens of thousands more,” said Michelle Anderson of The National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF), a non-profit group that creates driver safety programs distributed free to schools, police and traffic safety advocates. “Distraction is a major factor in teen crashes, so we are encouraging young people to help us get the word out to their peers.”
“The Drive2Life PSA Contest is a great way for students to get creative and let their voices be heard in the dialogue about the dangers of distracted driving,” said Ann Amstutz-Hayes, Senior Vice President, Scholastic National Partnerships. “We know from our years of working with teachers and listening to kids that they thrive when given projects connected to solving real world problems.”
Students in grades 6 to 12 are invited to submit a PSA concept that addresses in 30 seconds the ways to help prevent distracted driving. Ideas may be in the form of scripts, storyboards or written treatments. No video will be accepted, and group entries are not accepted. For more information and the entry form and complete rules, visit www.nrsf.org/teenlane or www.scholastic.com/Drive2Life. Deadline for entries is Feb. 28, 2013. No purchase necessary and void where prohibited.
The creator of the winning PSA concept, judged by a panel of education and traffic safety experts and an award-winning film director, will receive a $1,000 prize and an all expenses-paid trip to New York City to work with the director to film and edit the idea into a professional PSA. Two runners-up in each grade category (grades 6-8, 9-12) will each receive $500.
The winning PSA will be broadcast in May on more than 220 TV stations nationwide on the nationally-syndicated weekly program “Teen Kids News.” It will also receive widespread airings on newscasts and online. The winner will be profiled in Scholastic classroom magazines, which reach nearly 5 million students and 46,000 teachers.
“Distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic on our nation’s roadways, and teens are among the most at risk,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. “It’s critically important for young drivers to get the message that even one text or call could have devastating consequences. This PSA contest is a creative opportunity for young people to promote safe driving in their communities and encourage their peers to put down their cell phones when they’re behind the wheel.”
Last year, more than 700 entries were received from students in 41 states. Rebecca Rapin, a 17-year old high school student from Hudsonville, Mich., won for her 30-second spot titled “Just Because You Can.” It uses comedy to depict a young driver texting, eating, checking a map and even snapping a picture as she drives.
For 50 years, The National Road Safety Foundation has created driver education programs for use in schools and by police, traffic safety agencies, youth advocacy groups and others. NRSF has programs on distracted driving, speed and aggression, drinking and driving, and drowsy driving. For more information or to download free programs, visit www.nrsf.org.
