'Don't Drive Dangerously': See Winners Of 2026 PSA Contest In Middlesex County

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ — Middlesex County has announced the winners of its 2026 “Don’t Drive Dangerously” Public Service Announcement (PSA) contest, which was open to students from public and non-public high schools throughout the county.

This annual contest encourages teens to use their creativity and peer-to-peer messaging to raise awareness about dangerous driving, including impaired and distracted driving.

Each year, high school students across Middlesex County are invited to submit either a 60-second student-produced video or a 30-second audio PSA highlighting the consequences of dangerous driving.

The program is designed to educate teens about making safe driving choices and to empower them to influence their peers through creative storytelling and youth-driven messaging.

“Our annual PSA contest provides an engaging platform for teenage drivers to take an active role in promoting safe and responsible driving habits among their peers,” said Middlesex County Commissioner Deputy Director and Chair of the Public Safety Committee Shanti Narra.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teen drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be involved in a fatal crash per mile driven,” Narra continued. “That statistic underscores why programs like this are so important.”

“I applaud every student who participated and encourage them to continue advocating for safe driving practices in their schools and communities.”

In the Video category, first place was awarded to East Brunswick High School, while Woodbridge Academy Magnet School earned first place in the Audio category.

Additional winners in the Video category included Monroe Township High School in second place and New Brunswick P-TECH High School in third place.

In the Audio category, South Plainfield High School placed second, followed by Monroe Township High School in third place.

The winners were recognized during the 26th Annual 3D “Don’t Drive Dangerously” Traffic Safety Symposium and PSA Contest Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 13, at the Middlesex County Fire Academy.

“On behalf of the entire Board of County Commissioners, we congratulate this year’s PSA contest winners and commend every student who participated,” said Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios.

“This contest demonstrates that traffic safety is a Countywide responsibility that includes empowering our youngest drivers to make smart decisions behind the wheel,” Rios continued.

“Each year, we are inspired by the creativity and thoughtfulness students bring to these projects as they help spread awareness about the dangers of impaired and distracted driving.”

The 2026 PSA Contest winners by category are as follows:

VIDEO

• 1st Place: Don’t Risk It (East Brunswick High School)
  • Aiden Hansen
  • Evan Balazs
• 2nd Place: Braking the Law of Physics (Monroe Township High School)
  • Dennis Lewis
  • Nakula Harita
  • Peter Piccini
  • Ritik Thukral
  • Thomas Jude Reichel
• 3rd Place: Your Phone Can Wait. Life Can’t (New Brunswick P-TECH High School)
  • Abdiel Vazquez
  • Aiden Achalram
  • Eddie Jacobo Zepeda
  • Luis Olmedo
  • Michael Ruiz

AUDIO

• 1st Place: Fears (Woodbridge Academy Magnet School)
  • Anushka Patel
  • Serena Zhou
  • Varsha Madhusudhanan
• 2nd Place: Are You Really a Safe Driver? (South Plainfield High School)
  • Carter Lodato
  • Dylan Nicolay
  • Jace Gibson
• 3rd Place: Keep Your Cool, Cat (Monroe Township High School)
  • Ritik Thukral
  • Sophia Verrios

The event is co-sponsored by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners, the Middlesex County Superintendent of Schools, NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety, Wellspring Center for Prevention, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and MADD-NJ.

To learn more about Middlesex County’s efforts to eliminate traffic-related deaths and accidents to make their roads safer for all, you can click here.