Two Las Vegas teens are sending an important message to peers about the dangers of distracted driving. Daniel White and Sean Temple, 17-year old juniors at West Career and Technical Academy (WCTA), are the creators of “Numbers,” the winning 30-second video in the 2017 iChoose to Drive video competition conducted by Cox Communications-Las Vegas and Findlay Automotive Group. The program is designed to raise awareness about the importance of behind-the-wheel safety among drivers, chiefly new drivers.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving is “any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving.” This includes activities such as texting, eating and drinking, smoking, applying makeup, attending to children, reading, watching a video, or adjusting sound or temperature controls.
Among the 72 entries, “Numbers” was selected by a panel of judges as one of five finalists based on criteria like content clarity, memorability, creativity and production. During a second round of judging, “Numbers” received top honors based on a combination of online views, votes from the public and judges’ input.
For their winning video, White and Temple were awarded a check for $1,000 during a surprise in-class presentation at WCTA by representatives from Findlay and Cox. A two-person camera team recorded every moment of the surprise presentation and the reaction by classmates. A $1,000 check was also presented to WCTA.
“Numbers” will serve as the basis for a 30-second Public Service Announcement (PSA) on distracted driving that will air on dozens of Cox cable channels in Southern Nevada through the end of June. In addition, because of its educational value, the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles is showing “Numbers” on its public-facing Motor Vehicle Network screens in waiting areas at 12 of its locations throughout Nevada.
iChoose to Drive is a safe driving campaign for students ages 13 – 18 to get involved in a behind-the-wheel education safety program by challenging them to create a stirring 30-second PSA video message about the adoption of safe driving habits. The program was conceived by Cox and Findlay in 2013.
