The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Kids score in Safe Driving Video Contest
WINDSOR >> Students from Haddam-Killingworth High School were awarded second place last week in the ninth annual DMVTravelers Teen Safe Driving Video Contest.
Weston High School took home first place for the second straight year, according to a release from the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, which hosts the contest with Travelers. East Lyme High School came in third place.
Students crafted videos with the theme “One Split Second...” Highway safety advocates, state and area officials honored teens from across Connecticut on Thursday evening for their work to promote safe driving.
“Each year we have a new influx of young and inexperienced drivers on the road, and the safety messages from this contest help raise awareness and remind these drivers, their parents and their communities about the importance of safe driving,” Gov. Dannel Malloy said in the release. “I want congratulate and thank all the students and teams who participated.”
Attorney General George Jepsen also congratulated the winners.
“We all play an important part in encouraging and instilling safe driving habits in new, teenage drivers,” Jepsen said. “Thank you to the DMV and to Travelers for again coordinating a successful event.”
DMV Commissioner Michael Bzdyra said this year’s theme provided students with a powerful and concise starting off point to create a clear message about good decision making as a driver or a passenger.
“These students and their videos did a fantastic job of using the contest theme to remind their peers of what can happen in a very short amount time,” Bzdyra said.
This contest encourages teens to appreciate the responsibility that comes with driving and the importance of staying alert and focused, said Henry Edinger, chief customer officer at Travelers.
“We strongly believe in the power of programs that promote safety behind the wheel,” Edinger said in the release.
Travelers this year increased the monetary awards to schools by $1,000 for first, second and third places and offered up to $24,000 in awards to the winning schools and their students. It also donated prizes and gifts to the students and high schools, according to the release.
Haddam-Killingworth High School will receive $5,000 for second place and the winning student team will split $1,000 in Visa Gift cards.
There were more than 150 student-team submissions that involved a total of nearly 400 students statewide representing 37 high schools. Videos of the winners can be viewed on DMV’s YouTube site at: http://w w w.youtube.com/teensafedriving12
The DMV, Travelers and other safety advocates plan to use the videos submitted in a variety of outreach programs that it conducts as well as offer them to schools, businesses, government agencies, advocacy groups and other partners in teen safe driving.