New York, Feb. 14, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (http://www.myprgenie.com) -- The SADD Chapter at Scotch Plains -- Fanwood High School in Scotch Plains, NJ, has been named winner of a nationwide contest on traffic safety sponsored by SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and The National Road Safety Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes safe driving.
Six students in the Scotch Plains -- Fanwood H.S. SADD Chapter submitted a storyboard for a public service message in the DrivingSkills101 contest, which asked for ideas to communicate various traffic safety messages. Nick Patel, Lucy Hollander, Amanda Marcus, Rachel Schack, Mia Rossi and Caitlin Flood, all 16, won for their public service message called "Share the Road."
The teens will work with Emmy-winning TV producer Alan Weiss, who will visit the school this month to develop their storyboard concept into a professionally-produced public service announcement that will be seen nationwide. The winners will also receive a grant from the National Road Safety Foundation to help pay their travel expenses to the SADD National Conference this summer in Orlando, where their video will be shown to nearly 1,000 attendees from throughout the U.S.
The students' winning idea encourages drivers to share the road by being aware of other drivers. It shows two football players who say "We don't share the field," as one tackles the other. Then two soccer players fight for the ball and say, "We don't share the ball." One basketball player blocks another as he takes a shot, saying "We don't share the hoop."
Each player is then shown avoiding a dangerous driving situation by keeping his eyes on the road and watching for cars turning, changing lanes and merging into traffic. All the players then say, "When we step onto the field, sharing isn't our thing. But on the road, sharing is our only option."
Chapter advisor is Marjorie Fitzgibbon.
SADD is the nation's leading youth-based, peer-to-peer education, prevention and activism organization dedicated to preventing destructive decisions, particularly underage drinking, other drug use, risky and impaired driving, and teen violence and suicide. For more than 30 years, SADD has empowered youth and families to promote positive decision-making and choose healthy lifestyles. Discover more at sadd.org and parentteenmatters.org.
The National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF), celebrating 50 years, has produced films and teaching materials that have been used to train millions of young drivers about the dangers of drinking and driving, speeding, aggressive driving and distracted driving. All NRSF programs are made available free of charge. The Foundation partners with youth advocacy groups like SADD to encourage young people to be aware of safe driving issues and to educate their peers about them. NRSF sponsors contests for teens, which can be seen at the "Teen Lane" pages of the Foundation's site at www.nrsf.org.