An Arizon teenager won a $1000 scholarship and trip to New York, by showing teens why to stop texting while driving in a PSA context.
16-year old Bethany Brown s won the first annual Drive to Life PSA Competition,
organized by The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc. (NRSF) and
National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS).
Bethany Brown is a junior at Bella Vista Private School in Cave Creek, AZ won frist prze. The nationwide competition, drew entries from Maine to Hawaii.
Young people were invited to submit ideas for TV public service
announcements that address major youth traffic safety issues including
distracted driving, drinking and driving, speeding and aggressive
driving. Judging was done by NRSF staff and its film director, and a
panel of young people from NOYS.
This is probably a good idea American teenagers are using 3,146 messages a month and the problem is so sever Oprah is asked viewers to take a pledge to stop distracted cell phone use while driving.
In addition to receiving a $1,000 scholarship, Brown is invited for an expenses-paid trip to New York City, where she will spend three days assisting award-winning film director Mark Sadan
as he produces a PSA using her idea. The 30-second spot will air on
national television after its debut in May during National Youth
Traffic Safety Month.
Brown's
entry, called "Redo," envisions a teen responding to a text message
while driving, which causes her to crash into an oncoming car. The
scene rewinds and begins again, but this time the driver ignores the
buzzing cell phone as she safely passes the car she had hit in the
first scene. A text message is shown on screen, saying "There are no
redo's in real life."
"We are extremely impressed with the ideas we received from so many creative young people," said NRSF operations director Michelle Anderson. "Clearly, they understand the potentially devastating consequences of bad driving habits like texting while driving."
"Our goal is to engage young people in communicating important safe driving messages in their own voice," added Sandy Spavone,
NOYS executive director. "We want to empower youth to become an
integral part of youth traffic safety education and public awareness
efforts."
"When
you get behind the wheel, your focus should be on the road and safety
should be your number one priority," said U.S. Transportation Secretary
Ray LaHood. "This is especially
important for teens, who are less experienced behind the wheel." The
Department of Transportation says traffic crashes are the leading
killer of teens, with more than 5,000 dying annually.
Four runners-up, each to receive a $500 scholarship, were also announced. In the 13 - 16 age category, runners-up are Ali Nemcovich, 16, of Bishop Brady High School in Franklin, NH; and Samuel Tasseff, 16, of Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis. Runners-up in the 17-21 group are Malarie Wells, 18, of Weslaco High School in Weslaco, TX; and Anna Laura Clements, 19, of the University of Kentucky.
More information about the Drive to Life PSA Competition is available at www.nrsf.org or www.noys.org. The winning PSA will be posted for viewing on both sites.