ILLINOIS TEEN WINS DRIVE SAFE CHICAGO PSA CONTEST

Public Voted to Pick Winner via Chicago Auto Show's Facebook Page  

CHICAGO, Feb. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A southern Illinois teen has won the ninth Drive Safe Chicago public service announcement contest, sponsored by the National Road Safety Foundation in partnership with the Chicago Auto Show.  

Kennedy Helmkamp, 15, a student at Gillespie High School in Gillespie, IL won with a script to help get the word out to empower passengers to speak up when in a vehicle being driven dangerously.  She and two other finalists whose scripts for a 30-second PSA were selected worked with an Emmy-winning producer to make their scripts into finished PSAs and the public was invited to vote for their favorite on the Chicago Auto Show's Facebook page.

Voting has been tallied and Helmkamp won with 1,505 online votes.  With 746 online votes, the first runner-up is Brooklin Walker, 17, who attends the Kokomo Area Career Center in Kokomo, IN and with 542 votes, the second runner-up is Taylor Washington, 17, a student at Merrillville High School in Merrillville, IN.

The winner receives $2,000 from the National Road Safety Foundation and has the PSA shown nationally on Teen Kids News, reaching more than 160 TV stations across the country. The first runner-up gets $1,000 and the second runner-up receives $500. 

"We commend all the students who were finalists in the Drive Safe Chicago contest and we congratulate Kennedy in particular for a compelling script that we hope will empower passengers to speak up when in a vehicle being driven dangerously," said Michelle Anderson, director of operations for the National Road Safety Foundation.

The National Road Safety Foundation has been leading a nationwide campaign to encourage passengers to speak up, with a comprehensive website (www.nationalpassengersafety.org) that contains background information, a tool kit on how to start your own campaign and suggestions for how passengers can interact with a dangerous driver.  Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show 24 percent of traffic fatalities nationwide are passengers.

For more information on the Drive Safe Chicago contest, visit: www.nrsf.org/contests/drive-safe-chicago.  For information about the Chicago Auto Show, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com.

About The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc. (NRSF), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization founded 60 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.

About the Chicago Auto Show    First staged in 1901, the Chicago Auto Show is the nation's longest running auto exposition in North America. The show is produced by the Chicagoland's new-car dealer association, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, which has staged the show since 1935. The 2023 public show is Feb. 11-20 at McCormick Place. For information, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com or Facebook.com/ChicagoAutoShow.com.

About the Chicago Automobile Trade Association    Founded in 1904 and located in Oakbrook Terrace, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association is comprised of more than 400 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.

Contact:  David Reich
The National Road Safety Foundation
(914) 325-9997  [email protected]

SOURCE The National Road Safety Foundation