Maryland Teen Wins Drive Safe D.C. PSA Contest

NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaylee Franklin, a student at Middletown High School in Middletown MD, has been named winner of the fourth annual Drive Safe D.C. PSA Contest, sponsored by The National Road Safety Foundation in conjunction with the Washington, D.C. Auto Show. 

The contest invited teens from D.C., Virginia and Maryland to submit their ideas for a 30-second public service announcement that warns of the dangers of speeding, which is a factor in 26 percent of fatal crashes nationwide, killing an estimated 9,000 people every year.  

Kaylee, 14, will receive $2,000 and an Emmy Award-winning director will work with her virtually to make her idea into a finished TV public service announcement that will air on more than 160 TV stations nationwide.  It will be featured on the nationally-syndicated TV program "Teen Kids News."   

Kaylee's public service message opens with two cars talking to each other in a parking lot.  A new car brags to an older car about all its new features.  The older car admits it doesn't have all the new features.  The new car talks about how fast it can go.  The spot closes showing a tow truck pulling a smashed car, as a mother and child get into the older car.  As the child buckles herself into the car seat, the older car says to the new one, "I may not be a smart car, but I have a smart driver."  The words "Be a SMART driver, speeding kills" come onto the screen.

"I'll be driving in about a year, and while I'm not nervous about my own driving, I don't want to be afraid of others on the road around me," Kaylee said.  "My message is that you need to be cautious on the road, and that includes not speeding."

"Kaylee's message will help make people think about their behavior when they get behind the wheel," said Michelle Anderson of The National Road Safety Foundation, a non-profit that promotes safe driving.  "It conveys a message that no matter how advanced your car is, you as the driver have to be responsible and speeding can have much more serious consequences than getting a ticket."

"We salute Kaylee for an idea that we think will resonate with teens and, in fact, drivers of all ages," said Washington Auto Show President and CEO John O'Donnell.  "It shows that even as today's cars have many great features to help keep us safe, the ultimate safety feature is a safe driver."

Ryan Corbin, 18, of Stevensville, MD, was named runner-up and will receive a $1,000 prize.  He is a student at Kent Island H.S.

The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc. (NRSF) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that for nearly 60 years has been dedicated to reducing crashes, deaths and injuries on our nation's highways by promoting safe driving habits through greater public awareness.

NRSF produces educational programs for broadcast and for use in safety, educational and enforcement programs by police, teachers, traffic safety agencies, healthcare professionals, youth advocacy groups and other grass-roots related agencies, as well as federal, state and local government agencies. NRSF programs, which are free, address distracted driving, speed and aggression, impaired driving, drowsy driving, driver proficiency and pedestrian safety. The Foundation works with youth advocacy groups and sponsors contests including the national Drive2Life Contest to engage teens in promoting safe driving to their peers and in their communities.  For information or to download free programs, visit www.nrsf.org.

The Washington, D.C. Auto Show is one of the five top auto shows in the nation and is the largest annual indoor consumer event in the District of Columbia.  For more information on The Washington, D.C. Auto Show visit: www.washingtonautoshow.com

SOURCE The National Road Safety Foundation