Our Driving the Message Contest has been updated giving you more opportunities to showcase your creative talents – three different categories mean three chances to win! Each category has a specific theme for you to focus on so pick one (or two or three) and show us what you’ve got!
2024 Winners!
Category 1: Rail Safety Posters
| First Place Winner – Edwin Gonzalez-Perez Transmountain Early College High School El Paso, TX  |
Second Place Winner – Valeria Fuentes Young Women’s Leadership Academy Fort Worth, TX  |
Third Place Winner – Chloe Semple Young Women’s Leadership Academy Fort Worth, TX  |
| Honorable Mention – Melanie Vazquez Young Women’s Leadership Academy Fort Worth, TX  |
Honorable Mention – Emily Varo Young Women’s Leadership Academy Fort Worth, TX  |
Honorable Mention – Sophia Anahi Nava Transmountain Early College High School El Paso, TX  |
| Honorable Mention – Anisha Reddipalli Frisco ISD Career and Technology Education Center Frisco, TX  |
Honorable Mention – Ayesha Baig MacArthur High School Irving, TX  |
Honorable Mention – Andrea Armas Young Women’s Leadership Academy Fort Worth, TX  |
Category 2: Night Driving Posters
| First Place Winner – Llanah Gonzalez Young Women’s Leadership Academy Fort Worth, TX  |
Second Place Winner – Ella Stiger Transmountain Early College High School El Paso, TX  |
Third Place Winner – Jenna Clark Southeastern High School South Charleston, OH  |
| Honorable Mention – Ashley Martinez Young Women’s Leadership Academy Fort Worth, TX  |
Honorable Mention – Veronica Mitchell Young Women’s Leadership Academy Fort Worth, TX  |
Honorable Mention – Vanessa Chavez Young Women’s Leadership Academy Fort Worth, TX  |
| Honorable Mention – Lilian Doze Young Women’s Leadership Academy Fort Worth, TX  |
Honorable Mention – Breeona Harris Transmountain Early College High School El Paso, TX  |
Category 3: Our Why Videos
| First Place Winner – My Why Lauren Hohnholt, Vivian Hohnholt, Arturo Soto-Rios, Juan Alonzo, Leia Stubbs, Heidi Houck, Quantay Whitten, Keyla Hernandez, Yaretzy Hernandez, David Hohnhold, and Maria Hohnholt Transmountain Early College High School El Paso, TX |
Second Place Winner – Our Why! Gabrielle Al-Ameeri, Ava Darmos, Katelyn Drop, Annamarie Loy, Jaden Orlandi, Kailey Pilarsh, Bradyn Silvasy, Addison Stump, and Gianna Vrooman Amherst Steele High School Amherst, OH |
| Third Place Winner – Drive Safe For Gizmmo and Boss Twyla Tarter Whitewright High School Whitewright, TX |
Honorable Mention – My Why Lucas Rosenthal, Emily Bergen, Bailee Borror, Madilyn Martin, Claire Wallace, Kennedy Helmkamp, and Traegan Madeline Gillespie High School Gillespie, IL |
| Honorable Mention – Drowsy Driving Jayla Cruz, Ainsley Hunker, and Isabella Thomas-Friend Amherst Steele High School Amherst, OH |
Honorable Mention – Race to Safety Alani HIcks, Haley Vo, and Veronica Mitchell Young Women’s Leadership Academy Fort Worth, TX |
DETAILS
The contest opens November 1, 2023, and the deadline for entries is February 16, 2024.
Entries should focus on positive behaviors and not promote illegal activities.
Category 1: Rail Safety Posters
Our Union Pacific Sponsored Track-a-thon contest and Driving the Message have merged! Develop a poster targeting risks related to trains and railroad crossings. Focus on issues like:
- Trespassing on train tracks,
- Correct driver behavior near railroad crossings,
- Never trying to beat a train to a crossing
Prizes:
- First Place: $1,000
- Second Place: $500
- Third Place: $250
Category 2: Night Driving Posters
This year’s focus is driving at night. Submit a poster focusing on things like:
- Dark roads and low visibility
- Issues with oncoming bright headlights
- Pedestrian safety at night
- Driving drowsy at night
Prizes:
- First Place: $1,000
- Second Place: $500
- Third Place: $250
Category 3: What’s your WHY? Videos
Complete a 60-120-second video highlighting your motivation for driving safely or for being a safe passenger. This could be someone or something special to you or an important cause you want to highlight.
Prizes:
- First Place: $1,500
- Second Place: $750
- Third Place: $500
HIGHLIGHTS
- This year’s categories include:
- Night Driving Poster
- Rail Safety Poster
- What’s your WHY? Video
- Enter as many times as you like
- Entry is open to all high school and junior high students in the United States.
- Prize money is payable to the school (sorry, we’re not allowed to award these funds to students)
- Schools that submit at least 3 poster entries or 1 video entry can earn All-Stars Rewards credit.
HELPFUL HINTS
- We are looking for positive safety messaging focused on teens – address what happens when you do the right thing, change risky habits, or convince a friend to be safe.
- Fear-based messaging such as crashes, blood, and bodies is strongly discouraged. Entries that display illegal or dangerous activities such as a video showing teens driving on a street while texting or not wearing a seat belt will be disqualified. Closed courses, with appropriate safety precautions, are allowed – closed parking lots, private land with no traffic, being in a vehicle while parked.
- Submit entries in the highest quality possible. Begin with high quality to end with high quality. Low-quality phone pictures and videos are not the best material to start with.
- For information on copyright, go to http://www.copyright.com/learn/about-copyright/
- Send all questions to Christy Thomas at c-thomas@tti.tamu.edu. Type CONTEST in the subject line. Do not use this email for entry submission. Please allow 3 days for a reply.
RULES
- Entries must be time-stamped no later than February 16, 2024, to be eligible for the Driving the Message contest.
- Entry is open to high school and junior high students in the United States.
- Students may submit more than one entry.
- Entries must address one of the three categories: night driving, rail safety, or what’s your why (video only).
- Entries that display dangerous or illegal activities will be disqualified, i.e. a video showing teens driving on a street while texting or not wearing a seat belt. Closed courses, with appropriate safety precautions, are allowed – closed parking lots, private land with no traffic, and being in a vehicle while parked. Be safe, be smart.
- Entries submitted with evidence of illegal use of copyrighted material will be disqualified. The use of company logos and other product names (for cars, beverages, etc.) is also prohibited.
- Each student who submits an entry must submit appropriate forms (see forms in steps below). If you are part of a group/class submission, each student involved must have a release form. Complete, signed entry forms must accompany entries.
- All person(s) whose photo appears in a poster entry must complete a video/photo release form. Complete signed video/photo release forms must accompany entry.
- Software or online programs may be used to assemble/edit your entry, however, at least 90% of your entry must be generated by your own creativity and concept.
- Judging is based on originality, creativity, and how well you follow the messages that are central to the Teens in the Driver Seat® program.
- Entry must follow the specs listed below.
- Awards will be given, payable to the school the student attends, in all categories.
- All entries become the property of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and all or part of your entry can be used to advance and support the Youth Transportation Safety Program or the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.
- The Texas A&M Transportation Institute is not responsible for lost, damaged, misdirected, or delayed entries.
- The Texas A&M Transportation Institute reserves the right to withdraw, terminate, suspend, cancel, or modify all or part of the contest at any time without notice.
- The Youth Transportation Safety Program reserves the right to change any of these rules and/or prizes.
- All decisions are final.
POSTER SPECS
- Posters can be any size, up to 11-by-17 inches.
- Do not add logos, names of students, social media handles, or school names to your entry.
- Posters must address the current year’s risk topics.
- Posters should not include any copyrighted material (such as copyrighted images, photos or characters).
- Poster graphics must be original work. Posters that include downloaded, copied or printed graphics from other sources will be disqualified.
- Posters must be submitted electronically, in PDF or JPG format.
- Hand-drawn posters must be scanned and submitted.
- Entry and release forms must be submitted with each entry.
- Posters will be printed or electronically displayed, in color, for judging. The Youth Transportation Safety Program is not responsible for the quality of print. Electronic files will be printed as is.
VIDEO SPECS
- Develop a video message that is 60-120 seconds long.
- Do not add logos, names of students, social media handles, or school names to your entry.
- Videos must address the current year’s theme.
- Do not include any copyrighted material (such as copyrighted music, video clips, or copyrighted logos and brands).
- High-quality formats are preferred, .avi, .mov, .mp4, and similar formats are all accepted.
- Additional specs, 852 x 480, 1280 x 720, 1920 x 1080, 192kpbs MPEG audio, 29fps and 1640kbps video is ideal.
- Video entries must be submitted electronically.
What Happens After You Enter?
- Once the contest has closed, judging is completed by our student advisory boards and program sponsors, who independently review each entry. No school or student names are displayed with the entry.
- Judging is based on originality, creativity, and how well the safety message is portrayed.
- Winning entry teachers/sponsors will be contacted immediately after judging.
- Your school will need to submit a W-9 for payment to be processed.
HOW TO SUBMIT
Step 1 Entry Form:
Complete the ENTRY FORM below. 1 per entry.
Step 2 Release Form:
Each student involved in the production of the entry must submit a Driving the Message release form. If you are under 18 years of age, please send this page URL to your parent or guardian to complete. You may not sign in place of your parent. https://www.t-driver.com/driving-the-message-release-form/
OR, complete and return the paper release form.
Step 3 Release Form for Others:
Anyone who appears in the entry but is NOT involved in its production must submit a Photo and Video Release Form. If the person is under 18 years of age, their parent or guardian must complete the form. They may not sign in place of their parent/guardian. https://www.t-driver.com/releaseform/
OR, complete and return the paper release form.
Step 4 Submit Your Entry:
Name your file in this format – TitleOfEntry_LastName_FirstInitial – and upload your entry to the TDS Dropbox account (https://www.dropbox.com/request/HMrl1zcIrR2JulGLgYxl).
Past Winners: