THREE TEENS NAMED FINALISTS IN DRIVE SAFE CHICAGO PSA CONTEST

CHICAGO, March 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Three teens from Illinois and Indiana have been selected as finalists in the seventh annual Drive Safe Chicago PSA Contest. They worked with an Emmy-winning producer to make their entry ideas into 30-second TV public service announcements that will be posted today on the Chicago Auto Show Facebook page, where the public will have the chance to vote to pick the winner.

The finalists are Theodore Biela, 18, a student at Rickover Naval Academy in Chicago, Brynn Baker, 17, who attends Gillespie High School in Gillespie, IL, and Ransom True, 17, a student at FWCS Career Academy in Ft. Wayne, IN.

The winner will receive $2,000 and will be profiled on the nationally-syndicated TV show "Teen Kids News." The first runner-up will get $1,000 and the second runner-up will get $500. The public can vote for their favorite through March 14 by clicking here.

The contest is sponsored by The National Road Safety Foundation, (NRSF), a non-profit that promotes safe driving behavior, in conjunction with the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA), the new-car dealer association for the Chicagoland area and producers of the Chicago Auto Show. Teens from Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Indiana were invited to submit ideas for a TV public service announcement to help educate drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists about risks on the road, which resulted in more than 7,500 pedestrian and bicyclist deaths nationwide in 2020, an increase of nearly 5 percent.

"We thank the students who are finalists in the Drive Safe Chicago contest for their compelling scripts that we hope will alert drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists to travel safely as they share the roads," said Michelle Anderson, Director of Operations at The National Road Safety Foundation.

"We appreciate the ongoing partnership with the National Road Safety Foundation," said CATA Chairman Kevin Keefe. "Through this program, these young finalists may change behavior as they communicate the risks to all who use our roads, including pedestrians and bicyclists as well as drivers."

The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc. (NRSF), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization founded 60 years ago, produces traffic safety programs on distracted driving, speed and aggression, impaired driving, drowsy driving, driver proficiency, pedestrian safety and a host of other safety issues. It distributes the programs free of charge to schools, police and traffic safety advocates, community groups and individuals. It also 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.

About the Chicago Automobile Trade Association
Founded in 1904, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association is one of the nation's largest metropolitan dealer organizations. It is comprised of more than 420 franchised new-car dealers and an additional 150 allied members. The group's dealer members employ about 19,000 people in the metropolitan area. The association has produced the world-famous Chicago Auto Show since 1935. For more information visit www.CATA.info.

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

SOURCE The National Road Safety Foundation