Public voting has begun in the Bridgestone Americas Safety Scholars video contest, in which students create driver safety videos aimed at saving lives, the company said.
A panel of judges has selected the top 10 most compelling videos, which were chosen from 1,375 entries received by Bridgestone Americas from 16- to 21-year-olds across the United States. Choices were made based on how well the videos compel viewers to be more safety-conscious drivers and how effectively and creatively the message was communicated.
The top 10 videos are posted at safetyscholars.com. The public can vote online through Aug. 5 to determine the three grand prize winners, who will be announced Aug. 17. Finalists’ videos are also available for viewing on social networking sites including Facebook, YouTube and MySpace.
In addition to receiving a $5,000 college scholarship and a free set of Bridgestone brand tires, grand prize winners have the chance to have their video used as a public service announcement on television stations across the country. These PSAs are supported by Bridgestone Americas in cooperation with Driver’s Edge, an independent, non-profit hands-on safe driving course that’s offered free of charge to teens in select U.S. cities. The 2009 Safety Scholars PSAs have aired more than 13,000 times on TV and cable stations across the United States, reaching an audience of more than 51 million viewers, Bridgestone said.
