News Releases

Awards totaling $22,500 presented to Maryland schools during Global Youth Traffic Safety Month

May 24, 2022

Contest awards totaling $25,500 presented to winning schools during Global Youth Traffic Safety Month

WEST TRENTON, NJ — NJM Insurance Group (NJM), in partnership with Impact Teen Drivers (ITD), is awarding a total of $25,500 to the winning Maryland high schools for their "Just Drive" public service announcement (PSA) videos and social media campaign contests.

Students representing high schools in Maryland created 30-second video PSAs and developed social media campaigns highlighting the dangers of distracted driving. According to the National Safety Council, car crashes are the number one cause of preventable deaths for teens.

The three winning PSA videos are:

  • First Place: Alyssa Davies of Urbana High School (Ijamsville, MD) won $5,000 for the PSA "Blink of an Eye," which emphasized how much can change when the driver's eyes leave the road, even if it's just for an instant.

  • Second Place: Jay Symonette of Baltimore School for the Arts (Baltimore, MD) won $2,500 for the PSA "Look Up and Look Out," which asked drivers to be on the lookout for distractions such as receiving texts, phone calls, or doing makeup. Distractions can keep you from staying focused on the road.

  • Third Place: Thi Le of Catonsville High School (Catonsville, MD) won $1,000 for the PSA, "Be Like Us, Be Better," which stressed that teen drivers are in control of avoiding distracted driving and keeping their passengers.

The two winning social media campaigns are:

  • First Place: Quince Orchard High School (Gaithersburg, MD) won $10,000. Their campaign included writing press releases about distracted driving, posting daily on Instagram, producing PSA videos, and reaching out to the community to educate residents about distracted driving.

  • Second Place: Catonsville High School (Catonsville, MD) won $7,000. Their campaign included PSA videos, social media posts, student and staff interviews, and display posters to help prevent distracted driving.

The competition presents a creative opportunity for teens to express safe driving practices. The winning schools put their prize money towards a post-prom, post-graduation, or safe driving program.

"Our partner — Impact Teen Drivers — does a great job engaging students in creating a culture of safety within their schools," said Violet Marrero, NJM's consumer safety director. "This contest serves as a reminder each year that teens are our greatest ambassadors. Their collaborative work to raise awareness and end distracted driving gives us promise that safer roads are achievable."

"The ITD team is proud to work with NJM in Maryland to help save lives and reduce injuries," said Kelly Browning, Ph.D., executive director of Impact Teen Drivers. "The Maryland Just Drive contests invite the young people to take an active role in the health and safety of drivers. We are grateful for NJM's generous support that allows us to provide our evidence-based programs to engage, educate, and empower Maryland teens and their influencers to make lifesaving decisions in the car."

NJM announced the winners in special virtual showcases on Facebook and Instagram on May 24, 2022. They also shared the news on TikTok. During the virtual events, participants viewed clips from the submissions.

About NJM Insurance Group

Founded in 1913, NJM is among the Mid-Atlantic's region leading property and casualty insurers. The Company operates in a mutual fashion for the exclusive benefit of its policyholders and is consistently recognized for its award-winning customer service, superior claims handling procedures, and overall customer satisfaction. NJM's personal insurance products are available direct to consumers in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The Company also works with a preferred network of independent agents to deliver business insurance in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Visit njm.com to learn more.

About NJM's Teen Driver Safety Program

NJM's Teen Driver Safety Programs are offered at no cost to high schools in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. NJM's research-based programs empower parents and teens with the information and resources they need to build safe driving skills. The Programs have reached more than 205,000 parents and teens since their launch in 2013 and were recognized in 2016 by the National Safety Council for their demonstrated results in reducing behaviors among teens that lead to crashes. For more information about NJM's Teen Driver Safety Programs, or to schedule a program in your area please visit njm.com/teen-driver-safety.