NHTSA, Project Yellow Light, Mazda Motorsports, NOYS, and the Ad Council Opens Fourth Annual Anti-Distracted Driving Video Competition

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Project Yellow Light, Mazda Motorsports, the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) and the Ad Council opened their Project Yellow Light contest to high school and college students nationwide. The goal is to challenge students to create a short video to convince their peers to not drive distracted. The contest will be judged by musical sensation Aloe Blacc, renowned filmmaker and social activist Kweku Mandela, President, Sparkling Brands and Strategic Marketing, Wendy Clark and Co-Chairman of Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Jeff Goodby.

Established in 2007, Project Yellow Light is a video contest and scholarship program established by Julie Garner, of The Martin Agency, in memory of her teenage son Hunter Garner who was killed in a car crash that year.  Project Yellow Light was developed to encourage young adults to be safe when taking on the road.  The contest allows students to create their own videos with the chance to win a college scholarship and have their short film turned into an Ad Council public service advertisement (PSA) and distributed to over 1,600 TV stations nationwide. Scholarships are made possible by the generosity of Mazda Motorsports.

"Mazda Motorsports is proud to continue our partnership with Project Yellow Light," said John M. Doonan - Director, Mazda Motorsports, "Our young Mazda racers have actively embraced the program and have become local ambassadors for the cause in their hometowns.  It's great to have a young professional racer using their expertise for teen-to-teen mentoring."

The main objective for this scholarship competition is to not only give a creative outlet to high school and college students, but to also educate this group of young drivers on the dangers of distracted driving.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2012, 10% of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted.  Additionally, a survey conducted by DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that 20 percent of young drivers ages 18 to 20 years old said sending text messages or e-mails did not affect how well they drove.

"There's positive momentum and energy building with Project Yellow Light and we're looking forward to a wonderful new batch of films this year," said Julie Garner, founder of Project Yellow Light, "Students have a brilliant way of expressing, connecting and impacting positive change to distracted driving through their videos."

The winners of this year's PSA contest will be announced in May 2015.

"NOYS is honored to partner with Project Yellow Light again this year to encourage creative solutions by of our nation's youth in raising awareness about distracted driving," said Anita Boles, NOYS CEO.

"Distracted driving is a critical issue facing our nation's youngest drivers," said Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council. "Peer to peer communication is one of the most effective ways to reach this particular target, which is what makes the Project Yellow Light PSAs so powerful."

For more details on timing, judging criteria and a full list of rules and regulations, visit www.projectyellowlight.com.

NHTSA

For more than four decades, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has served as the key federal agency charged with improving safety on our nation's roadways.   NHTSA is working to reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries by promoting the use of safety belts and child safety seats; helping states and local communities address the threat of drunk drivers; educating road users about the risks associated with distracted driving; regulating safety standards and investigating safety defects in motor vehicles; establishing and enforcing fuel economy standards; conducting research on driver behavior and traffic safety; and providing consumer information on issues ranging from child passenger safety to impaired driving. For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov.

Mazda Motorsports

Mazda is the number-one brand for road-racers across North America. Thousands of Mazda powered grassroots racers compete in various classes with the SCCA and NASA highlighted by Spec Miata, the world's largest spec class with over 2,500 cars built. In 2006 Mazda established the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder to assist racers in moving up through the ranks. In 2010 this was expanded to include the Mazda Road to Indy. Key to Mazda's success is strategic partnerships with the Skip Barber Racing School and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Mazda Motorsports is managed by Mazda North American Operations (MNAO). MNAO is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers.  Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.

Project Yellow Light

Project Yellow Light is a film competition for high school juniors and seniors and college students designed to create compelling video stories that will convince their peers to develop safe driving habits.  The project was created by Julie, Lowell and Alexandra Garner in memory of their son/brother, Hunter who died tragically in a car crash in 2007. Each year the winner of the film competition receives The Hunter Garner Scholarship.  Project Yellow Light/Hunter Garner Scholarship is a non-profit organization that began in Hunter's school, Riverbend High in Fredericksburg, VA, with aspirations to inspire and motivate youth all over America.  The program is designed to give youth a voice and a role in reversing the number of car crashes — the number one killer of teenagers and young adults in the U.S.

NOYS

National Organizations for Youth Safety™ (NOYS) is a coalition of national organizations, business and industry leaders, and federal agencies who serve youth and focus on youth safety and health. Through this coalition, NOYS influences more than 80 million young people and their adult advisors.  The mission of NOYS is to promote youth empowerment and leadership, and build partnerships that save lives, prevent injuries, and enhance safe and healthy lifestyles among all youth.

The Advertising Council

The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has affected, and continues to affect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action and saving lives. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit www.adcouncil.org,like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our PSAs on YouTube

SOURCE The Ad Council

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