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Finalists named in video contest on distracted driving

By Joe Kimball | 05/09/11

Five public service announcements made by teens about the dangers of distracted driving have been named finalists in a state contest.

There were 90 entries in the teen-produced “Don’t Drive Distracted” TV public service announcement contest, designed "to educate their peers about the importance of staying focused behind the wheel."

Viewers can now watch all five and vote for their favorite.

The finalists are:

  • "Don’t Text and Drive"; Producer: Nate Smith from the Perpich Center for Arts Education, Golden Valley
  • "Football"; Producer: Alex Emmons from Stillwater High School
  • "Mom Isn’t Always Watching"; Producer: Jared Arentson from Redwood Valley High
  • "Concentrate, Drive, Get There Alive"; Producer: Andrew Jewell, home schooled in St. Louis Park
  • "Talkative Cell Phone"; Producer: Holly Mickelson from Elk River's Spectrum High School

Prizes, donated by AAA, are:

  • 1st Place — $1,000 and TV premiere of spot on the MTV Video Music Awards this summer.
  • 2nd Place — $600
  • 3rd Place — $400

The contest is sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Office of Traffic Safety.

Last week, Smith, from the Perpich Center, won the "Best Public Service Announcement: Senior Division" award at CineYouth 2011, the Chicago International Film Festival's youth film festival.

Comments (1)

Submitted by Bob Shepard on May 10, 2011 - 10:06am.

While I appreciate the focus on teaching younger drivers, any and every driver would benefit by paying more attention while behind the wheel. Try counting the number of folks you witness in a given day of driving that are looking at their device instead of the road...it's more than a bit disquieting.