PennDOT Invites High School Students to Enter Distracted Driving PSA Contest

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania high school students are invited to enter a PennDOT contest aimed at discouraging distracted driving. Students can submit a 30-second radio public service announcement, or PSA, and the winning announcement will be professionally produced and sent to the student's local media market.

"We hope students will use this contest as an opportunity to learn about the very real dangers of distracted driving and never take safety for granted," said PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch. "Developing and recording these PSAs is a great way for students to share this important message with their peers and even their parents."

Distracted driving poses a serious safety risk to drivers of all ages, and particularly to relatively inexperienced drivers. According to PennDOT, in 2010 there were 14,294 crashes statewide involving drivers who were distracted or were using a hand-held cell phone. Approximately 37 percent of those crashes involved a driver who was 16 to 25 years old.

To enter the contest, high school sophomores, juniors and seniors should submit recorded scripts in MP3 or MP4 format. Students may also submit written scripts.

One finalist will be chosen from each of PennDOT's 11 engineering districts. The winning students will be invited to travel to Harrisburg to have the PSA professionally recorded and then distributed to their local radio stations. Winning students from each PennDOT district will receive certificates and recorded copies of their PSAs.

Entries may be submitted by email to [email protected]. Students can also submit entries by mail to: PennDOT Press Office, c/o Erin Waters, 8th Floor-Keystone Building, 400 North St., Harrisburg, PA, 17120. Entries must be received or postmarked by March 23.

Visit www.DriveSafePA.org for full contest rules.

Media contact: Erin Waters, 717-783-8800

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Transportation