WETHERSFIELD – The Department of Motor Vehicles and Travelers announced today their joint sponsorship of the 11th annual teen safe driving video contest for high school students around the state. This year’s theme focuses on peer-to-peer collaboration to increase driving safety. The teen-to-teen collaborative theme for this year’s video contest is: “Wait – what can WE do?”
“This contest continues to engage high school students and empower them to use their creativity and talents to deliver an important peer safety message through the power of video,” DMV Commissioner Michael Bzdyra said. “We look forward to seeing their videos come to life and spread the word to young drivers about road safety and their responsibility behind the wheel.”
Young drivers account for a disproportionate number of motor vehicle crashes and these crashes are the leading cause of death for this age group. The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16-to 19-year-olds than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
DMV and Travelers partner each year to raise driving safety awareness among the state’s youngest and most inexperienced drivers. The goal is to influence peer-to-peer interactions to promote safer driving habits.
Travelers will award up to $26,000 in cash prizes to the winning students and their high schools. The contest is open to all public, private and home-schooled high school students in Connecticut and the deadline for submissions is December 17, 2018.
“Travelers is committed to educating consumers about the importance of staying focused behind the wheel, and we are proud to continue to sponsor the Connecticut DMV Safe Driving Video Contest,” said Michael Klein, Executive Vice President, and President of Personal Insurance at Travelers. “Through initiatives like this one, teens are empowering each other to speak up when they see a friend driving dangerously, which can help make Connecticut’s roads safer for everyone.”
A group of 13 student advisors to the Connecticut DMV helped create the theme “Wait – what can WE do?” to foster proactive group decision-making. Video submissions should highlight interactions between the driver and other teens to take pause and illustrate ways to practice safer driving habits while obeying Connecticut’s teen driving laws.
Student advisors who worked on the project are Ryan Bair of Newington High School; Anna Bonaiuto, Alanna Rodinone and Alyssa Rodinone all of Mercy High School; Michael Dellaripa and Connor Silbo both of Xavier High School; Samantha Getsie of Berlin High School; Samantha DeFrance, Brandon Parker and David Sands all of Middletown High School; Esha Shrivastav of Kingswood-Oxford in West Hartford; Will Carson of Conard High School in West Hartford; Michael Torres of Northwest Catholic, and Evan Wolkner of Farmington High School.
Since the contest began, nearly 4,000 students across the state have participated, representing more than 100 high schools. More information about the contest can be found at https://ct.gov/teendriving/contest
Past contest winners can be found on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/teensafedriving12
This press release is made possible by:
