Driving Safety Art Contest Won By Lakewood Student

LAKEWOOD, OH — A few months ago, State Farm rolled out a new contest. The insurance company wanted to find a way to reach teenagers and convince them of the need to drive safely. To find a way to connect to teenagers, the company turned to the demographic that knows teens best: teenagers.

State Farm created a teen traffic safety billboard contest and worked with local high schools to get submissions. Schools from across Cuyahoga County participated, including Bedford High, Solon High and Lakewood.

The winning submission in the contest came from a Lakewood High School senior, Micah Inak. She said she was excited to take part in the contest.

“I liked the idea that something I had done, that I had created, could directly impact the people where I live on an important topic,” she said.

Inak's winning design focused on how important it is to wear a seat belt. Her message was "Wear A Seatbelt Or End Up Looking Like Roadkill".

“After going through a process of brainstorming and developing several different ideas, I ended up with road kill representing what could happen if you didn’t wear a seat belt," she said. "It’s important to remain conscious of how dangerous cars can be, and that safety measures, like seat belts, are there for a reason.”

Inak's artwork was displayed on five billboards throughout Greater Cleveland during National Teen Driver Safety Awareness Week, which took place from Oct. 15-21. Besides the exposure, Inak will also get a $500 check from State Farm on Tuesday afternoon.

To make the contest work, State Farm partnered with UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention Center and the Cuyahoga County Safe Communities Coalition. Why did the groups want to focus on driver safety for teenagers?

“The sobering statistic is that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens (15 to 18 years old) in the United States – ahead of all other types of injury, disease, or violence,” said Jennifer Walker, Manager of the UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention Center. “Talking to teens regularly about the dangers of driving is an important way to keep the message top of mind with young drivers. And who better to deliver that message than teens themselves.”

Photos from State Farm, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention Center and the Cuyahoga County Safe Communities Coalition