Video contest fights distracted driving

The Department of Transportation, Seventeen magazine and AAA have teamed to fight distracted driving.

The groups are co-sponsoring a video challenge intended "to raise awareness among young people about the dangers of talking and texting while driving."

"One in four teen drivers say they've texted behind the wheel, and that's a trend we've got to confront head on," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement earlier this month. "This contest is an innovative and fun way to get teens involved in spreading the word about the importance of keeping their eyes on the road - and off their phones."

LaHood said young people are being asked to shoot PSAs against distracted driving, post them to YouTube, and tell their friends. The best video wins $2,000 and will be posted on seventeen.com, AAAexchange.com and distraction.gov , and will be featured at LaHood's second Distracted Driving Summit in W ashington on Sept. 21.
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The launch video for the campaign says it only takes two seconds to get into a crash, but LaHood urges drivers to not use cellphones in the car and "to take two seconds to turn off your phone before you get in the car so the crash never happens." That message is part of the theme around Seventeen's Two-Second Turnoff Day scheduled for Sept. 17.

The contest opened Aug. 2, but you have until Sept. 10 to enter.

Enter here | Contest rules