Bridgestone Video Contest Driving Safety Message Across the US

Taking their cue from an eclectic range of inspirations, including rap videos, emotional personal stories and important topical issues, students from across the United States grabbed their video cameras and got behind the lens to produce creative and compelling messages in the hope of saving lives. Three of the more talented of these teenagers have been granted college scholarships for their efforts.

These generous rewards have been handed to the Grand Prize winners in the Bridgestone Americas ‘Safety Scholars’ video contest. Now in its third year, the national competition forms part of the company’s overall youth auto safety education efforts. In the competition, entrants between 16 and 21 years old are invited to create short videos about automotive safety and, new for this year, how to be more environmentally conscious when using a vehicle.

A team of judges narrowed down the more than 800 videos to select the top ten finalists for online judging. More than 12,000 votes on www.safetyscholars.com were tallied to determine the three Grand Prize winners, whose videos can be views at the website; it can only be hoped that some of the less polished entrants will one day make it onto YouTube.

“For the past three years, Safety Scholars has proven to be one of the most effective ways for us to communicate our automotive safety message to teens,” said Christine Karbowiak, Bridgestone Americas’ executive vice president, Community and Corporate Relations. “These videos are so impactful. Last year’s Safety Scholars’ videos were used as public service announcements, airing more than 9,000 times and reaching more than 53 million people. This year we hope to reach even more viewers with the ultimate goal of making the roads safer for everyone.”

Each of the three Grand Prize winners receives a $5,000 college scholarship and a set of Bridgestone-or Firestone-brand tyres. Additionally, the teens’ videos may be used on television stations across America as part of a public service announcement campaign. These public service announcements are supported by Bridgestone Americas in cooperation with Driver’s Edge, a national non-profit organisation that provides free classroom and behind-the-wheel defensive driving instruction for teenagers in cities across the United States.

About the winners:

Christopher Baugh, an 18-year-old from of Glen Allen, Virginia, created a humorous piece reminiscent of a typical hip-hop music video. Instead of the usual bragging about how much bling one can cram into one’s otherwise vacant life, the rapper focuses on safety tips such as buckling seat belts and reading road signs. Baugh is an incoming freshman at Syracuse University.

Eric Dachman, an 18-year-old from Scottsdale, Arizona, and freshman at Arizona State, warns of texting while driving. His video shows the windscreen of a moving car, and as the driver sends more and more texts, it becomes covered with them, impairing his driving ability. The video ends with the simple message: “Use a designated texter.”

Juliana Hinojosa, a 19-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, is a sophomore at Texas State University. Her emotional video is inspired by her 22-year-old brother Ryan, who was killed in a car accident at the hands of a drunk driver. The video depicts various family members and friends who were impacted by Ryan’s death. Hinojosa summarizes her message to other drivers with, “Don’t drive drunk…you never know who you’ll wind up hurting.”