New York, March 31, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (http://www.myprgenie.com) -- Emily Mochel, a senior at Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Florida, hopes to pursue a career in advertising. Her career dreams got a big boost when she was named grand prize winner of the 5th annual Drive2Life PSA Competition, sponsored by The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc. (NRSF) with support from Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company.
Her idea, titled "Ordering Your Death," was chosen from more than 900 entries received from teens nationwide. Emily won a $1,000 prize and a trip to New York City this week, where she will work with the producers of the nationally-syndicated TV series "Teen Kids News" to film and edit her winning idea.
This year's contest asked teens to be creative with messages that caution people about impaired driving and suggest ways to avoid being in a car with someone who may be driving while impaired.
Emily's idea shows a group of teens relaxing at a friend's home and the host asks what they want to drink. As one asks for a beer, the voiceover changes the words to say, "I'll have a fender-bender." The next teen also asks for a beer, as the voiceover says, "I'll have a head-on collision with a twist of concussion." The third asks for a margarita as the voice we hear says, "I'll have a fatal crash with no survivors." Finally, the last friend asks for a bottle of water, as the voiceover says, "A designated driver, with a shot of responsibility."
"I was looking for a way to tell an old story differently," Emily said. "Instead of showing a crash, I wanted to convince people to have a plan in advance for who will be sober and able to drive."
The winning PSA will be aired in May on "Teen Kids News" on 220 TV stations throughout the U.S. and will be featured in fall issues of Scholastic classroom magazines. In mid-April, it will be viewable on The National Road Safety Foundation's website at www.nrsf.org
Four runners-up were also selected in the nationwide competition, each winning a $500 prize. Runners-up are Gabrielle Sexton of Seeley Lake, Montana, Emily Recinos of Palmdale, Calif., BriAnna Evans from Scranton, Pa., and Anna Carmolli of Holland, Mich.
The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization founded more than 50 years ago, produces traffic safety programs on distracted driving, speed and aggression, impaired driving, drowsy driving, driver proficiency, pedestrian safety and a host of other safety issues. It distributes the programs free of charge to schools, police and traffic safety advocates, community groups and individuals. It also sponsors contests to engage teens in promoting safe driving to their peers and in their communities. For more information or to download free programs, visit www.nrsf.org or www.teenlane.org.