Teens asked to make safe driving ad

ST. PAUL – Students in grades 9 through 12 are invited to produce a 30-second TV public service announcement about the importance of buckling up or the dangers of distracted driving. The top commercial will air during the televised MTV Video Music Awards and the producer will be awarded $1,000.
Entries are due April 15.
The contest is sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS), Office of Traffic Safety and AAA. Contest finalists will be selected by DPS and AAA for a public online vote in May. AAA will award first-, second- and third- place winners with $1,000, $600, and $400 prizes.
“Traffic crashes are the leading killer of teens and this contest is one way to steer attention to common problems with teens behind the wheel,” says Gordy Pehrson, DPS teen driving coordinator. “When teens share their creations with peers, it enhances the value and importance of the mes-sage.”
For entry forms and more information visit www.dps.mn.gov and search “commercial challenge.”