Teens Tell Other Teens About the Dangers of Texting and Driving

NORTHBROOK, IL--June 22, 2011: Six U.S. high school students were selected from nearly 300 journalism entries around the country as winners of the national Keep the Drive High School Journalism Awards to curb distracted driving, earning prizes totaling $7,500. The Keep the Drive High School Journalism Awards, sponsored by The Allstate Foundation, encourage high school journalists to educate their peers about the dangers of texting while driving, to raise awareness about youth traffic safety and empower teens to take on the issue locally.

Students were challenged to either write an article and have it published in the school paper, or write and produce a news segment and air it for the entire student body to view. Winners were selected with the help of Quill & Scroll, the International Honorary Society for High School Journalists.

The winners of the 2011 Keep the Drive High School Journalism Awards are:

"Spreading the word about the dangers of texting while driving is important to all of us at Allstate. We couldn't ask for better ambassadors than the student journalists who participated in our program," said Vicky Dinges, vice president of public social responsibility at Allstate. "All of the teen writers who submitted stories should be quite proud of the success they've had in leading the conversation with their peers about safer driving habits."

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens in the U.S. -- more than alcohol, drugs, violence and suicide -- killing 4,000 teens each year. The Allstate Foundation's website Keep The Drive offers a resource for teens to learn more about the issue and interact with one another to raise awareness about smart driving.

Here are five ways everyone can be safer behind the wheel:

1. Wear a seat belt all the time.
2. Drive the speed limit.
3. Limit the number of passengers in your car.
4. Pull over to make a call or text a friend.
5. Never drive after drinking alcohol.

About The Allstate Foundation

Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation . Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country, The Allstate Foundation brings the relationships, reputation and resources of Allstate to support innovative and lasting solutions that enhance people's well-being and prosperity. With a focus on teen safe driving and building financial independence for domestic violence survivors, The Allstate Foundation also promotes safe and vital communities; tolerance, inclusion, and diversity; and economic empowerment. .