Great Valley High Wins $15K For Distracted Driving PSA

MALVERN, PA — Great Valley High School recently took home the top prize in a statewide anti-district driving contest.

Great Valley students put together a 30-second video for the first ever “Just Drive” public service announcement (PSA) video contest from the Pennsylvania DUI Association (PA DUI).

Their efforts led them to earn first place, which comes with a hefty $15,000 prize. That money will be put toward a post-prom, post-graduation, or safe driving program.

The shows that a one-second decision to check your phone or tune the radio while driving can have devastating lifelong consequences.

The contest is held in partnership with NJM Insurance Group.

Students from 34 Pennsylvania high schools created 30-second videos on the dangers of distracted driving, an epidemic that continues to plague our nation’s roadways.

"For more than 100 years, NJM has been promoting safety in the communities we serve and insure," said Tracy McManimon, NJM senior vice president and chief underwriting officer. "The goal of our Teen Driver Safety Program is to help teens keep safety top of mind, and educate them early on about good behaviors behind the wheel, before they have the chance to develop habits that can lead to accidents, injury and more serious consequences. Our PSA contest empowers teens to work together to develop compelling safety campaigns and encourage each other and their peers to ‘just drive.’"

The winners were announced in conjunction with Distracted Driving Awareness Month and celebrated with a screening party at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

Attendees had the opportunity to view all three winning entries, alongside a montage of all 34 entries.

"Keeping teens safe on the roadways has been a long-standing goal of ours, and we’re proud to partner with NJM to discourage distracted driving," said Felicity DeBacco Erni, project director at PA DUI. "The PSA contest offers students an opportunity to get creative while spreading awareness about the importance of establishing safe driving habits."