Long Island Teens Create Video Campaign on Texting and Driving

Long Island students create a video campaign on the dangers of texting and driving for the NYCM Insurance's Dangers of Distracted Driving contest, placing second overall.

Last month, a team of five students from General Douglas MacArthur High School in Levittown took second place in NYCM Insurance’s Dangers of Distracted Driving video contest, winning $10,000 for their school. The winners of the contest were selected from 48 entries submitted by ninth through 12th graders enrolled in public schools across New York.

The student team from General Douglas MacArthur High School included (from left to right) Sam Soguero, Ryan Walsh, Laura DelPiano, Sammy Johnson, and Alyssa Lerro. The teens were presented with a $10,000 check for their school at an awards ceremony on April 11. Courtesy NYCM Insurance

The Levittown team included Laura DelPiano, Sammy Johnson, Alyssa Lerro, Sam Soguero, and Ryan Walsh. Their 25-second video sends a strong message that driving is a big responsibility, and teens should respect that by giving the task their full attention.

According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 48 percent of all teens between ages 12 and 17 say they have ridden in a car while the driver was texting. And 11 percent of all drivers younger than 20 who were involved in fatal crashes were reported to be distracted at the time of the accident.

“Many people still don’t realize how dangerous distracted driving is, or they may know the risks, but they think the statistics don’t apply to them,” says Tom McDaniel, marketing event director at NYCM Insurance. “Our goal for the video contest was for teens to educate themselves and others about the dangers of distracted driving to bring about real change.”

For more information on the contest, visit facebook.com/nycminsurance.