Indiana Teen Wins $2,000 in Drowsy Driving PSA Contest
MEDIA INFORMATION
Contact: David Reich
Office: (212) 573-6000
Cell: (914) 325-9997
Email: david@nrsf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Indiana Teen Wins $2,000 in Drowsy Driving PSA Contest;
Her TV Spot Debuts at Chicago Auto Show Before Airing Nationally
CHICAGO (Feb. 18, 2019) – Kaitlyn Webber, 16, of Hobart, IN, has been named winner of the fifth annual Drive Safe Chicago PSA Contest. Webber, a student at Porter County Career Center in Valparaiso, won $2,000 from The National Road Safety Foundation for her script for a 30-second TV public service announcement about the dangers of drowsy driving.
Drowsy driving is a factor in crashes that kill more than 5,000 people every year and injure more than 500,000.
The contest, run by The National Road Safety Foundation, a non-profit that promotes safe driving, drew more than 100 entries and three finalists were selected. The National Road Safety Foundation then worked with them to make their scripts into finished TV spots, which were posted on the Chicago Auto Show’s Facebook page, where the public voted online for their favorite PSA. The winning message will debut at the Chicago Auto Show before airing nationwide on more than 160 TV stations.
Logan Conner, 18, of Ft. Wayne, was first-runner-up and won $1,000. Johnathan Dakota Culver, 16, of LaFontaine, IN won $500 as second runner-up.
“We salute Kaitlyn and the other finalists in the Drive Safe Chicago contest,” said Ray Scarpelli Jr., 2019 Chicago Auto Show chairman. “Today’s new cars have technology to warn drivers if they appear to be drowsy, but the ultimate responsibility to be awake and alert is with the driver. It is an important message not only for young people but for all drivers, and we are pleased that our finalists showed such great creativity to communicate it."
Kaitlyn’s video instructor at Porter County Career Center, Robert Phelps, has had students as finalists or winners in each of the previous Drive Safe Chicago contests.
"Young people need more sleep than adults, yet too many of them don’t get enough sleep," said Michelle Anderson of The National Road Safety Foundation. "They think they can function and drive on minimal sleep, but they can’t. Kaitlyn’s PSA uses humor to communicate an important drowsy driving message to her peers and to all drivers.”
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The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc. (NRSF), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization founded more than 55 years ago, produces traffic safety programs on distracted driving, speed and aggression, impaired driving, drowsy driving, driver proficiency, pedestrian safety and a host of other safety issues. It distributes the programs free of charge to schools, police and traffic safety advocates, community groups and individuals. It also sponsors contests to engage teens in promoting safe driving to their peers and in their communities. For more information or to download free programs, visit www.nrsf.org or www.teenlane.org.
About the Chicago Auto Show
The Chicago Auto Show is the largest auto show in North America, spanning more than one million square feet of production, concept and exotic vehicle exhibit space. In addition to hosting multiple world and North American vehicle debuts, the Chicago Auto Show's First Look for Charity raises more than $2.5 million annually for 18 vital Chicago organizations in a single night. The 2019 public show is Feb. 9-18. For more information, visit www.ChicagoAutoShow.com or www.Facebook.com/ChicagoAutoShow.
About the Chicago Automobile Trade Association
Founded in 1904, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association is one of the nation's largest metropolitan dealer organizations. It is comprised of more than 420 franchised new-car dealers and an additional 150 allied members. The group's dealer members employ about 19,000 people in the metropolitan area. The association has produced the world-famous Chicago Auto Show since 1935. For more information please visit www.CATA.info.
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