U-Haul Partners with Project Yellow Light to Prevent Distracted Driving

PHOENIX, Feb. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- "It was right then that I knew I had to protect every single one of those young people. Nobody else needed to die needlessly like Hunter."

Julie Garner's stirring revelation, which occurred eight years ago at a high school vigil for her son, sparked the creation of Project Yellow Light – a scholarship competition that targets texting behind the wheel and other forms of distracted driving that claim thousands of American lives each year.

Hunter Garner, 16, and his friend were killed in a car crash in 2007.

U-Haul International Inc. is pleased to announce its new partnership with Project Yellow Light and the Hunter Garner Scholarship, which issues $16,000 annually to high school and college students whose video submissions most effectively promote safe driving and convey the dangers of distracted driving to their peers.

Visit http://myuhaulstory.com to read Julie's emotional tale of her loss and the vigil that inspired Project Yellow Light.

U-Haul, the industry leader in do-it-yourself moving and self-storage, will make a financial donation that covers the current cost of the scholarship prizes and assist on the contest judging panel as part of the partnership.

In addition, U-Haul will gladly provide in-kind moving expenses to both the high school and college winners toward their next moves.

"Our tireless commitment to keeping our customers, our equipment and our roads safe make Project Yellow Light a great match for our organization," U-Haul Executive Vice President Stuart Shoen said. "Our hope is to form a lasting partnership that will continue to advance this life-saving message, particularly to our young people."

Video submissions are accepted each year. This year's submissions are due April 1. Current juniors and seniors are eligible for the high school scholarships. Undergraduates are eligible for the college scholarship. In each category, first place receives $5,000; second place receives $2,000; and third place receives $1,000.

The Ad Council will edit the first-place videos into Public Service Advertisements and distribute them to 1,600 TV stations nationwide.

Videos must be 25 seconds or 55 seconds in length. Once uploaded to YouTube, videos may be submitted through www.projectyellowlight.com (find official rules, information on distracted driving and examples of winning videos here). For a wide selection of past winners, visit www.youtube.com/user/projectyellowlight.

"U-Haul continues to be a corporate leader in spreading awareness on distracted driving and implementing clear initiatives – internally and externally – that guard against this," Stuart Shoen said. "No text or call is important enough to take your eyes off the road."

Joe Shoen, Chairman of Amerco, parent company of U-Haul, recently made a pledge to no longer drive distracted and released a PSA on the dangers of texting behind the wheel: Joe Shoen PSA.

About Project Yellow Light

Project Yellow Light is a film competition designed to give high school and college students a voice and a role in reversing the number of car crashes in the U.S. This non-profit scholarship was created by Julie, Lowell and Alexandra Garner in memory of their son/brother, Hunter who died tragically in a car crash in 2007.  Project Yellow Light proudly partners with the Ad Council, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Mazda Motorsports, the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) and U-Haul.

Contact:

Jeff Lockridge, Public Relations Specialist

Sebastien Reyes, Director of External Communications

Phone: 602-760-4941

Email: [email protected]

Website: uhaul.com

Logo- http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090622/LA34860LOGO-b

SOURCE U-Haul