Makiya Mason, a 16-year-old sophomore at Suitland (MD) High school, was named winner of the first Drive Safe DC public service announcement (PSA) contest at the 2018 Washington Auto Show. The contest, sponsored by the Auto Show and the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF), invites teens from DC, Virginia and Maryland to submit their ideas for a PSA about the dangers of distracted driving.
As part of her prize, the NRSF sent Alan Weiss, an Emmy Award-winning producer, to Makiya’s school to work with her and other students to turn her idea into a 30-second ad. The ad debuted on Media Day at the Auto Show, Jan. 25, and will be aired on more than 150 TV stations nationwide. It can be viewed here.
Makiya’s idea has a driver reaching for his cellphone when it rings. As he goes to grab the phone from the cupholder, a voice comes through the radio saying, “Hey man, are you trying to kill both of us? Are you aware there are, on average, ten texting and driving deaths every day?” As the driver pulls his hand back from the phone, the voice on the radio tells him, “The text can wait. Your life is far more valuable than a text message.”
“More than 3,300 people are killed by distracted drivers every year and we hope Makiya’s PSA will cause drivers to think about the possible consequences of texting and driving,” said Washington Auto Show Chairman John Ourisman.
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