Members of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) are being challenged to spread the word about the risks teen drivers face when having too many passengers in the vehicle, in the annual #DrivingSkills101 campaign sponsored by The National Road Safety Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes safe driving, and SADD.
The #DrivingSkills101 “Pass on Passengers” contest offers a $2,500 top prize for teens in SADD chapters to create a short video with their creative ideas for a Public Service Announcement about the dangers of driving with too many passengers, with the goal of gaining school involvement, media engagement and community interaction. Entries will be judged on information and messaging, creativity, teen-friendliness and engagement by the school, community and local media. The deadline for entries is Jan. 12, 2019.
In addition to the $2,500 prize, The National Road Safety Foundation will arrange for an Emmy Award-winning TV producer and crew to visit the winning school and work with students to create a professional 30-second PSA that will air on more than 150 TV stations that carry the nationally-syndicated Teen Kids News. The finished PSA will debut at the SADD National Conference in Arizona next June. The top ten finalists will each receive $250.
Studies show that talking with other passengers is the biggest cause of driver distraction —even more than cell phone use. For teens, who have limited driving experience, driving with friends can increase their crash risk, which is why many states have laws restricting the number of passengers allowed in the car with a teen driver.
“We are excited to support SADD’s mission of empowering young people to promote positive decision-making, especially when it comes to driving,” said Michelle Anderson of The National Road Safety Foundation. “Traffic crashes are the leading killer of teens, and that risk increases dramatically when a teen has other young passengers in the car. It’s an important message that needs to be communicated.”
“The National Road Safety Foundation has been an active and caring partner to SADD, supporting programs to engage our young people in creating and sharing important and life-saving teen safe driving messages,” said Rick Birt, President and CEO of SADD.
Contest details for #DrivingSkills101 “Pass on Passengers” can be found on the SADD website at www.sadd.org and at http://nrsf.org/teenlane/contests/driving_skills.
About The National Road Safety Foundation: For more than 55 years, The National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF), a non-profit organization, has created driver education programs for free distribution to teachers, police, traffic safety agencies, youth advocacy groups and others. NRSF has programs on distracted driving, speed and aggression, impaired driving, drowsy driving and other traffic safety issues. NRSF also sponsors national contests for teens in partnership with SADD, NOYS and Scholastic and regional contests partnering with auto shows in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. To view free programs and for more information, visit www.teenlane.org.
About SADD: For almost 40 years, SADD, the nation’s premier youth health & safety organization has worked to empower teens, engage parents, mobilize communities, and change lives around the issues of traffic safety, substance abuse, and personal health and safety. Through a national network of peer-led chapters in middle schools, high schools and colleges, SADD equips our students with the resources they need to advocate for change on their campuses and in their communities. Join the movement by visiting www.sadd.org.