(PARIS, TX) – Teen safe driving advocates across the country are artistically using their voices to craft safe driving messages in hopes of changing the narrative on the number of teen driver crashes. Car crashes continue to be a leading cause of death for teens 15 to 18 years old in the United States, accounting for nearly one third of all teen deaths each year.
The 15th Annual Driving the Message Contest. sponsored by State Farm® and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and coordinated by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Teens in the Driver Seat® (TDS) program, challenged teens to get creative to convey the importance of practicing safe driving habits. Each year, students across the nation submit posters and videos to compete for cash prizes for their schools ranging from $250 to $1,000.
A team of students from Paris High School received 3rd Place honors in this year’s video category, earning them $250. Team members included: Brenna Mills; Reid England; Brisa Azcue; Daisy Rodriguez; Warren Green; Preston Clark; Brayden Sheppard; Joseph Lassetter; Kerrius Williams; Christian Leon; Jaidyn Fuller; Miguel Rivera; and Hunter Grimes.
“Year after year, the passion of these students only helps magnify the enthusiasm we have for better educated communities and safer road users,” says local State Farm agent Britney Thrash. “Now in its 15th year, we couldn’t be prouder of our continued sponsorship of the annual Driving the Message Contest, which continues to be an impactful way for teens across the nation to be creative and communicate safe driving behaviors to their peers.”
Besides recognition in the contest, entries will be used throughout the TDS program for outreach and education to influence teens to improve unsafe behaviors that contribute to car crashes in their communities.
“Promoting and championing a culture of safety is one of TxDOT’s agency-wide goals and objectives,” notes Director Michael Chacon of TxDOT’s Traffic Safety Division. “This contest is a great example of how empowering others to communicate with their peers can help us work towards that vision.”
“This year’s contest included teen entries representing nine states across the United States,” says Russell Henk, TDS founder and manager of TTI’s Youth Transportation Safety Program. “With entries as far west as California to as east as New York, the Driving the Message Contest is as far reaching as we’ve ever seen it. It’s teens like the winners we’re celebrating today who’ve expanded our program’s reach and will help carry the program’s success forward.”
To see all winners and designs, visit https://www.t-driver.com/dtm/.
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