State holding public safety student video contest

LYNN-Massachusetts is encouraging its high school students to stay safe during prom season by offering prom-related prizes for the winners of its safe driving video contest.The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security announced the third annual Dance. Don’t Chance. video contest on Wednesday, and is encouraging all Massachusetts juniors and seniors to participate. Contestants are asked to write and produce one-minute videos that promote safe driving by discouraging speeding, drag racing, distracted driving (such as texting or iPod use) and underage drinking.According to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, teenagers aged 16 to 19 account for a disproportionate number of motor vehicle fatalities, and the months of May and June, during prom season, show ever higher crash and injury rates in Massachusetts. According to the Center for Disease Control, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers.”Keeping our roads and our teenage drivers safe is a top priority for those involved with highway safety in Massachusetts, especially during the prom and graduation season,” said Sheila Burgess, Director of Highway Safety for EOPSS. “This is a great opportunity for students to use their creativity to inform their peers about the dangers of unsafe driving and underage drinking.”The winner’s school will receive a cash prize for its prom plus DJ entertainment and non-alcoholic beverages provided for the event, while individual winners will receive prizes ranging from electronics, free prom transportation, free tuxedo rentals, hair styling and cosmetics and corsage/boutonniere gift cards. The winning video will also be aired as a public service announcement to discourage dangerous driving.The contest runs through March 12, with the top videos from participating schools to be judged by JAM’N 94.5 radio personalities. For more information, entry guidelines and safe driving tips, visit the contest Web site at www.mass.gov/safety/promshorts.