In 2013, 50% of automobile crashes involved a single car. Thirty seven percent of those who died in the crashes were teenage drivers. Thirty one percent of fatalities were passengers of those teenage drivers, according to FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System), a nationwide census that publicly provides data regarding fatalities in motor vehicle accidents. These perturbing numbers are the reason why advocating for safe teen driving is important in today’s society of perpetual distractions.

Teenagers today think it’s cool to discount what their parents tell them to do, even if it pertains to their safety. Recognizing this issue, the Connecticut DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) has created a video contest that allows for an inventive approach to enable young adults to discuss with other young adults the hazards of driving.

This video contest started back in 2008 and has since continued to inform teens about the dangers of driving unsafely. “ I believe due to the participation of the contest over the past few years, we have successfully influenced teens to talk with other teens and even adults about the importance of safe driving,” said Ernie Bertothy, the Assistant Director of Communications for the Connecticut DMV.

The contest is open to students of public schools, private schools or home schools aged 14-18 in the state of Connecticut. This years contest theme is “One Split Second,” and the video must be a maximum 45 seconds in length. More information can be found on the CT Teen Driving twitter page, @teendriving_ct, or at http://www.ct.gov/teendriving/cwp/view.asp?a=3617&q=425144.