NOYS and Ad Council Announce Call for Entries for Distracted Driving Video Contest "Project Yellow Light"

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sixteen percent of all drivers younger than twenty involved in fatal crashes are reported to have been distracted while driving, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). To motivate, educate, and encourage teens to drive safely, the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) and the Ad Council announced today a nationwide scholarship program and video contest on behalf of the Project Yellow Light organization. The announcement was made today at the first National Teen Distracted Driving Summit held in Washington, D.C. The Summit hosted teens from across the country and traffic safety leaders, all focusing on ways to prevent distracted driving.  

"NOYS is honored to partner on this opportunity to empower youth to create peer-to-peer messaging to address the risks of texting while driving," said Sandy Spavone, Executive Director of NOYS. "The courage of the family of Hunter Garner to turn their adversity into action is inspirational."

Project Yellow Light was established in 2007 in memory of Hunter Garner, teenage son of Julie Garner of The Martin Agency, who was killed in a car crash that year. The organization's mission is to encourage teens to be safe when first taking on the road. For the past four years, the Project Yellow Light video contest and scholarship were only open to seniors at Hunter's high school, Riverbend High School in Fredericksburg, Virginia but this year, in an effort to help curb distracted driving behaviors by teenagers nationally, the contest has been opened to all high school seniors.  

"We're so grateful to see Project Yellow Light reach a national audience," said John Adams, Chairman and CEO of The Martin Agency. "The urgency of this cause can't be overstated. By having teens take an active role in preventing car crashes, we know that we can bring about positive change because we've seen it. Julie Garner and her family are shining examples of how unimaginable grief can be forged into unstoppable resolution." 

High school seniors can create and submit 60-second videos at www.projectyellowlight.com. A video can feature an individual, group or an animation. The video should convey the importance of teens developing and embracing safe driving habits, and focus on the dangers of texting while driving. Video submissions will be accepted beginning December 1, 2011. If the senior is under the age of eighteen, the video must be accompanied by a signature from a parent or guardian. All of the videos will be judged by NOYS, the Ad Council, Project Yellow Light and The Martin Agency. The recipient of the scholarship will be announced and their video will be digitally distributed as a PSA by the Ad Council in May 2012 as part of National Youth Traffic Safety Month®. The winner will also receive a $2,000 college scholarship from Project Yellow Light.  

"Research consistently shows that teens feel confident that they can text and drive safely," said Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council. "Through Project Yellow Light, teens get to be in the driver's seat so they can play an active role in educating their peers about the dangers of texting while driving to help curb this dangerous behavior."  

For more information on Project Yellow Light visit www.projectyellowlight.com.

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.

Project Yellow Light

Project Yellow Light is a film competition for high school seniors designed to get teens to create compelling video stories that will convince other teens to develop safe driving habits. The project was created by Julie, Lowell and Alex Garner in memory of their son/brother, Hunter, who died tragically in a car accident 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 teens all over America. The program is designed to give teens a voice and a role in reducing the number of car accidents among young drivers — the number one killer of teenagers in the U.S.

The Advertising Council

The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization that marshals talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to produce, distribute and promote public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies. The Ad Council addresses issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education, community well-being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.

SOURCE The Ad Council