PennDOT Looking for High School Students to Create PSAs on Distracted Driving

Local high school students are invited to enter a PennDOT contest aimed at discouraging distracted driving.

Pennsylvania students are eligible to submit a 30-second radio public service announcement, or PSA. The winning announcement will be professionally produced and sent to the student’s local media market.

According to PennDOT, in 2010 there were 14,294 crashes statewide involving drivers who were distracted or were using a hand-held cell phone. About 37 percent of those crashes involved a driver who was 16 to 25 years old.

“We hope students will use this contest as an opportunity to learn about the very real dangers of distracted driving and never take safety for granted,” said PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch. “Developing and recording these PSAs is a great way for students to share this important message with their peers and even their parents.

To enter, high school sophomores, juniors and seniors should submit recorded scripts in MP3 or MP4 format. Students may also submit written scripts.

One finalist will be chosen from each of PennDOT’s 11 engineering districts. The winning students will be invited to travel to Harrisburg to have the PSA professionally recorded and then distributed to their local radio stations. Winning students from each PennDOT district will receive certificates and recorded copies of their PSAs.

Entries may be submitted by email to RA-penndotpress@pa.gov. Students may also mail entries to PennDOT Press Office, c/o Erin Waters, 8th Floor-Keystone Building, 400 North St., Harrisburg, PA, 17120. Entries must be received or postmarked by March 23.

Visit www.DriveSafePA.org for full contest rules.