|
 Winners of the 13th Annual Safe Driving PSA Contest were announced recently during a luncheon in their honor held at the Middlesex Fire Academy, Sayreville. . To view the winners, click here.
High school students from throughout Middlesex County produced 30-second public service announcements to warn their friends and classmates about the dangers of driving while impaired or distracted.
"This is one of my favorite events every year" said Freeholder H. James Polos, chairman of the County's Public Safety and Health Committee. "The PSAs are incredibly well done, the students have a real sense of accomplishment and we're helping to promote a message that can save lives. Families are shattered and lives are lost because of impaired or distracted driving. This program sends a powerful message to young drivers that we hope will be heard and remembered."
High school students from 14 schools throughout the County produced 21 30-second-long videos and six audio tapings that promote driving safety to their peers and to adults. English- and Spanish-language video and audio submissions were judged on their originality and strength of message.
First place in the video category went to Monroe High School; second place went to East Brunswick Vocational-Technical School; and third place went to North Brunswick High School.
First place in the audio category went to Perth Amboy Vocational-Technical School; second place went to Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies; and third place went to Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences.
Polos said the contest coincides with prom season to remind all students of the seriousness of drinking and driving.
The contest is co-sponsored by the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, the Center for Alcohol Studies at Rutgers University, the Middlesex County Superintendent of Schools, NCADD of Middlesex County, Inc. and the Injury Prevention Program and the Level One Trauma Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
Steve Liga, NCADD's CEO and Executive Director, said that just as it is important for parents and other adults to talk to teens about driving safety, teens, too, have a role to play when crafting prevention messages: "They speak the language of their peers to their peers. They know what they like. They know what they will listen to."
Liga said that while the product of all their work has a big payoff for viewers, it's the process of making the PSAs that has the most lasting effect on the students. "When putting the messages together, students are doing the research, talking to their friends, really thinking about it. That's what sticks. The message is one they internalize."
"In order to ensure the safety of all those who use our roadways, Middlesex County law enforcement has worked tirelessly to educate our citizens on the dangers of distracted or impaired driving," said Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan. "Middlesex County law enforcement also vigilantly and aggressively prosecutes those who, by violating the law, place both themselves and others at risk of harm. We thank all of you here today for your efforts in helping us to stop impaired driving throughout Middlesex County."
During the morning, students engaged in creative group activities, gained a realistic perspective on teenage drinking and experienced everyday activities through "fatal vision" goggles, which simulate elevated blood-alcohol levels.
The winning school in the video category received $1,000, second place received $750, and third place received $500. The winning school in the audio category received $500, second place received $300, and third place received $200. All winnings go to support Project Graduation or other Driver Safety and Awareness Programs. The Highway Traffic Safety Division provided gift certificates to each member of the three winning teams.
|
