The National Road Safety Foundation And LA Auto Show® Invite California Teens To Help Spread The Word About Drinking And Driving

"Drive Safe Los Angeles" Contest Winner to Receive $2,000 and Have the Campaign Made into a National Television Ad

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Sep 05, 2018, 11:00 ET

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Teens throughout California are invited to help spread the word about the dangers of drinking and driving by entering the Drive Safe Los Angeles video contest sponsored by The National Road Safety Foundation and promoted by the Los Angeles Auto Show (LA Auto Show®). The winner will receive a $2,000 cash prize and will have the opportunity to work with an Emmy Award-winning TV producer, who will visit the winner's school and work with students to turn the idea into a finished TV ad. The runner-up will receive a $1,000 award.

California teens can submit their ideas for a 30-second public service announcement video about drinking and driving, which remains a leading cause of traffic fatalities nationwide. The winning spot will debut at the 2018 LA Auto Show on Friday, Nov. 30 before being broadcasted on more than 150 TV stations nationwide. The winner's and runner-up's teachers or school advisors will each receive a $100 honorarium.

"According to studies, teen alcohol use kills approximately 4,300 young people each year," said Lisa Kaz, President and CEO of the LA Auto Show and AutoMobility LA. "Drinking and driving continues to be a serious problem and is taking a staggering toll on roads and highways throughout California. Because this is an issue that needs to be addressed at all levels, we are encouraging teens to help develop creative and educational campaigns that communicate the risks of this dangerous behavior to their peers."

"The importance of never mixing alcohol and driving cannot be repeated enough," said Michelle Anderson, Director of Operations at The National Road Safety Foundation, a non-profit group that promotes safe driving. "We look forward to seeing the creative ideas young people will share to help prevent drinking and driving."

"Impaired-driving deaths are 100 percent preventable by planning ahead," said California Office of Traffic Safety Director Rhonda L. Craft said. "Don't put others, and yourself, at risk by driving impaired."

Teens ages 13-19 attending school in California are invited to enter the contest by sending a script or storyboards for a television ad that warns people about drinking and driving. Entries must be postmarked by November 2, 2018 and received by November 8, 2018. The winner will be notified on or about Nov. 12 and announced at the LA Auto Show. All contest entrants will receive a complimentary ticket to attend the Los Angeles Auto Show, courtesy of show management.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 10,497 people died in 2016 in crashes involving a drunk driver, or 28 percent of all traffic fatalities. The estimated economic cost of alcohol-impaired driving crashes is $44 billion, making it not only one of the deadliest traffic issues, but also one of the costliest.

Last year's winning PSA, by Franklin Reitzas of Bell Canyon, Calif., addressed distracted driving. It showed a teen driving home from school as she does every day. She looks down at her phone to respond to a text, because she thinks that she'll arrive home safely, as she does every day. The scene shifts to a week later and she is making the same uneventful drive home. As she nears her house, she looks at her phone to read a text. But on this day, when she looks back up from her phone she sees a boy crossing the street in front of her. As she comes to a screeching stop, the screen goes to black and words come up warning "Distracted Driving Kills."

Information about the Drive Safe L.A. contest is available at http:///www.teenlane.org. For the latest show news and to purchase tickets to attend the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, please visit www.laautoshow.com.

The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc. (NRSF) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit charitable organization that for more than 55 years has been dedicated to reducing crashes, deaths and injuries on our nation's highways by promoting safe driving habits through greater public awareness.

NRSF programs deal with distracted driving, speed and aggression, impaired driving, drowsy driving, driver proficiency and pedestrian safety. The Foundation also works with key youth advocacy groups and sponsors contests to engage teens in promoting safe driving to their peers and in their communities. For more information or to download free programs, visit www.nrsf.org or www.teenlane.org.

About the Los Angeles Auto Show and AutoMobility LA
Founded in 1907, the Los Angeles Auto Show (LA Auto Show®) is the first major North American auto show of the season each year. In 2016, the show's Press & Trade Days merged with the Connected Car Expo (CCE) to become AutoMobility LA™, the industry's first trade show converging the technology and automotive industries to launch new products and technologies and to discuss the most pressing issues surrounding the future of transportation and mobility. AutoMobility LA 2018 will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center Nov. 26-29, with manufacturer vehicle debuts intermixed. LA Auto Show 2018 will be open to the public Nov. 30–Dec. 9. AutoMobility LA is where the new auto industry gets business done, unveils groundbreaking new products and makes strategic announcements in front of media and industry professionals from around the globe. LA Auto Show is endorsed by the Greater L.A. New Car Dealer Association and is operated by ANSA Productions. To receive the latest show news and information, follow LA Auto Show on Twitter at twitter.com/LAAutoShow, via Facebook at facebook.com/LAAutoShow or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/laautoshow/ and sign up for alerts at http://www.laautoshow.com/. Listen to past panels, interviews and keynotes on AutoMobility LA's new podcast at https://automobilityla.com/podcast/. For more information about AutoMobility LA, please visit https://www.automobilityla.com/.