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InTEXTicated? / Illinois Teens Public Service Campaign
By way of introduction, the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists (AAIM) is an independent non-profit organization founded in 1982 by families who lost loved ones in drunk driving crashes. The Mission of AAIM is to prevent deaths and injuries caused by chemically impaired or distracted operators of any motor vehicle or watercraft and to assist victims of these crashes in Illinois.
April is distracted driving awareness month. To help educate the public about the dangers associated with distracted driving, the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists have teamed up with traffic safety partners on awareness campaigns throughout Illinois. Distractions while driving can be separated into there distinct groups: Visual, Manual and Cognitive.
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2017, cell phone distractions resulted in nearly 2800 crashes. And, 7% percent of the people who died in those distracted-affected crashes were teens 15 to 19 years old.
New research released by the AAA Foundation of Traffic Safety finds that even though 97 percent of drivers agree that texting or emailing while driving is a serious problem and a threat to their safety, 39 percent admit to having read a text or email while driving in the last month, and 30 percent admit to having typed one.
Crash numbers have dropped over the past 20 years, but teens continue to have the highest crash rate of any age group in the country. A number of factors contribute to this, but distractions play a heavier role than anything else.
The sobering message makes it clear that the consequences of both impaired driving and texting while driving are the same – deaths and injuries.
A component of the campaign will focus on the use of an electronic device while driving and passenger safety. A traffic safety award will be given to a local Illinois high school, high school student or community group whose 30-second Public Service Announcement (PSA) video creates the greatest social impact.
As part of this PSA, student groups should highlight Traffic Safety research that studied the cause of distracted driver crashes, highlighting teen driver distractions. According to research, the most common forms of distraction leading up to a crash by a teen driver included:
- Interacting with one or more passengers: 15 percent of crashes
- Cell phone use: 12 percent of crashes
- Looking at something in the vehicle: 10 percent of crashes
- Looking at something outside of the vehicle: 9 percent of crashes
- Grooming: 6 percent of crashes
- Reaching for an object: 6 percent of crashes
REQUIRED CRITERIA TO PARTICIPATE
- Video should be no more than 30 seconds in
viewing length and submitted as an MP4 - Only original or royalty-free music can be used
- When filming in the car
- Seat belts must be worn
- Car must be safely parked
- Filming cannot occur in vehicle driving down the road
- Videos with cars in motion will not be considered
- Seat belts must be worn
MESSAGING IN VIDEO (*required)
- *Influences in your driving choices
- Passengers are the number one distraction for teen drivers
- *Drivers are still distracted for 27 seconds after they put the phone down
- *Speak up, say something for your safety
- Utilize or create your own campaign hashtags: #intexticated #aaimtosavelives #dontdrivedistracted …etc.
Video will be uploaded and shared across social media platforms including the use of hashtags.
- Facebook
- Twitter
- YouTube
- You are encouraged to include your school logo, and you may also use the AAIM logo
- Completed Model PhotographRelease Form must be signed by guardian for everyone participating in the project. Release Form must be mailed with your video submission to PSAcontest@aaim1.org
- Final video must have a group name and be emailed to
- PSAcontest@aaim1.org no later than noon on Monday, March 29, 2021
- There is no limit on the number of videos per school/group that can be submitted
- Any submitted videos could be shared through social sites
CANNOT be used or seen in the video
- Clothing containing any logos or words of brand or company
- Illicit drug uses, smoking or vaping
- Nudity
- Foul language
JUDGING CRITERIA
- Most Creative
- Social Media impact
- Three required messages are contained in the video
- All of the required criteria outlined in these guidelines are met
The top five PSA videos will be determined by campaign committee members. The five finalist videos will be uploaded to AAIM’s Facebook page and judged by “LIKES” from your peers - Voting April 5 - April 25, 2021.
The first-place winning group will receive $750.00, second place will receive
$250.00, and third place will receive $100.00. The winning videos will be announced on AAIMs Social Media, displayed on AAIMs website, and featured in AAIMs newsletter.
The video that receives the most "likes” by 11:59 pm on April 25, 2021, will win! Vote early, vote often, and don't forget to SHARE the InTEXTicated message! But please, when you share, make sure to remind your friends and families that all voting must take place on AAIM’s Facebook page original post!
If you have any questions, please contact PSAcontest@aaim1.org or 847-240-0027.
2021 Winners:
More Info
‘InTEXTicated?’
Illinois Teens Public Service Campaign
THE IMPACT ON LIVES
Congratulations to our 2021 “Are you InTEXTicated?” PSA Contest Winners! AAIM challenged Illinois high school students to put together PSA videos highlighting the importance of staying focused on the road and to put down the phone. This challenge was created to get the conversation going with young people and their parents about driving distractions. Particularly the use of cellphones, other people in the vehicle, putting makeup on, eating and various other dangerous driving decisions that can result in tragedy. These students had guidelines and rules set forth by AAIM to maintain the safety of all participants. The videos send a strong public safety message to the community to focus on the road while driving for driver safety and that of your passengers.
We thank everyone who participated in voting and sharing the creative and impactful videos these teens created. We are grateful that these videos brought awareness to the dangers of distracted driving and helped others to think twice before driving InTEXTicated.
2021 “Are You InTEXTicated?” Winners:
• 1st Place: Clara Biela – 9th Grade Rickover Naval Academy
• 2nd Place: Meredith Schleehauf – 9th Grade Schaumburg High School
• 3rd Place: Cristy Alvarez – 11th Grade Peace and Education High School
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THANK YOU TO
OUR SPONSORS
***Distracted driving traffic safety resources
National Safety Council
ThinkFirst | National Injury Prevention Foundation
https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/drivers/traffic_safety/distracted.html
https://www.isp.state.il.us/traffic/distractdrive.cfm
https://www.isp.state.il.us/docs/1-230.pdf
https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_a112.pdf (Page 22)
https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_a169.pdf
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Center of Disease Control and Prevention