Teen Wins Distracted Driving National PSA Contest

PSA conceived by Lauren Daniels of Oswego, NY shows risks of distracted driving; Spot to air nationally during National Youth Traffic Safety Month

News provided by

The National Road Safety Foundation

May 10, 2011, 03:00 ET

NEW YORK, May 10, 2011 (http://www.myprgenie.com) /PRNewswire/ -- A 15-year old high school student from Oswego, NY has won the second annual Drive2Life PSA Competition, sponsored by The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc. with National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS). The 30-second spot by Lauren Daniels that shows the dangers of distracted driving will air nationally during National Youth Traffic Safety Month in May.

Daniels, a freshman at Oswego High School, had her submission selected in the nationwide competition. In addition to receiving a $1,000 scholarship and enrollment in the New Driver Program at the Skip Barber Racing School at Lime Rock, Conn., Daniels traveled to New York City to spend two days working with the producer of the nationally-syndicated TV series "Teen Kids News" as her PSA entry was given sound mixing and editing to make it broadcast-ready. This week she visits Washington, D.C. for the introduction of her PSA to the media as part of National Youth Traffic Safety Month activities. David Strickland, Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will introduce Daniels and her ad.

The spot shows two teens walking and talking. One of the girls is texting, the other is putting on makeup and she walks into a pole, which knocks her down with a loud thud. Her friend laughs and says, "Sarah, that's so funny." The scene shifts to a car driving past, and the viewer hears the same dialogue between the girls. We see the driver texting as she's driving and the screen fades to black as we hear the sounds of a crash and one of the girls keeps repeating her friend's name, with no response. "Distracted driving. Not funny" comes across the screen as the sound of an approaching ambulance siren is heard.

"Distracted driving is an epidemic on America's roadways, and young people are among the most at risk," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. "When you're driving, your attention should always be on the road -- not on a phone. And I applaud Lauren for creating such an effective video to drive this message home to teens."

"We were impressed with the excellent ideas we received from so many creative young people," said Fraydun Manocherian, founder of The National Road Safety Foundation, a non-profit group that creates films and teaching materials on driver safety and distributes them free to schools, police, traffic safety advocates and youth and community groups.

Runners-up in the competition are Joanna Solis, 15, Visalia, Calif.; Paige Creswell, 16, The Woodlands, Tex.; Michelle Emanuelle, 18, Greensburg, Penn.; and William Cherry, 18, Clayton, Del.

For more than 45 years, The National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF), a non-profit organization, has created driver education programs for free distribution to schools, police, traffic safety agencies, youth advocacy groups and others. NRSF has programs on speed and aggression, drinking and driving, and drowsy driving. Its newest program, for release later this year, covers distracted driving. For more information, visit www.nrsf.org.

Media Contact:
David Reich, 914 325-9997, [email protected]

SOURCE The National Road Safety Foundation