A video contest aimed at raising awareness about road safety and reducing collisions and deaths is being launched by Manitoba Public Insurance. In total, more than $28,000 in prizes will be awarded in the ‘Rethink Road Safety’ video contest.
Young Manitobans, 16-25, are invited to create a road safety video on one of three categories: Impaired driving, speeding/aggressive driving or distracted driving.
“The ‘Rethink Road Safety’ video contest is aimed at raising awareness within this specific age group,” said Ted Hlynsky, Vice-President, Claims Control & Safety Operations, Manitoba Public Insurance.
“It’s an opportunity for young people to use their imaginations in creating videos about the dangers of unsafe driving and, in doing so, send the message to their peers that speeding, driving while impaired and distracted driving are not acceptable.”
Young drivers (ages 16 to 25) are involved in nearly one-quarter of all collisions on Manitoba roads each year. In addition, nearly 43 per cent of alcohol-related fatal collisions involve young drivers. Young male drivers (age 16-24) are also involved in the most speed-related crashes.
“It’s the year of road safety in Canada. Our goal is to raise awareness throughout the year and help lower the rates of road collisions, deaths and injuries in Manitoba.”
The contest will run from December 1 to April 1, 2012. First prize in each category is $5,000. (Prizes will be awarded as gift cards for electronics, educational products or scholarships.)
Winning videos will be announced and shown at the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) annual conference being held in Winnipeg next spring. The winning videos will also be hosted on both the Manitoba Public Insurance and CCMTA websites.
To enter, contestants will upload their respective videos to their YouTube channel and provide a link on their entry form. All entries will be reviewed by Manitoba Public Insurance staff prior to posting on the official contest website.
Those interested in entering can go to www.mpi.mb.ca for more information regarding rules and eligibility.
In addition to individual prizes, schools that assist in the production of winning entries will also be eligible for a $2,000 honorarium. This honorarium will be available to high schools, universities, colleges or specialized film schools that are named by entrants.
