Toyota And Discovery Education Announce Finalists For Toyota Teen Driver Video Challenge

SILVER SPRING, MD--April 17, 2014: Toyota and Discovery Education announced today the top ten finalists in the annual Toyota Teen Driver Video Challenge, the nation's premier teen safe driving program. Beginning today and continuing for the next two weeks, these top ten inspirational videos will appear online for public voting to not only determine the grand prize winner, but to also send a national reminder about the importance of safe teen driving.

Now in its third year, the Toyota Teen Driver Video Challenge, a key component of an ongoing partnership between Toyota and Discovery Education, invites teens across the country to create short videos to inspire their friends to drive more safely and avoid distractions. Over 1,000 videos were submitted as part of the challenge. The top ten finalists' videos, some humorous in tone or others more poignant in nature, address unsafe driving habits and how distracted driving can change lives forever.

For the next two weeks, the general public can visit www.TeenDrive365.com to view the top ten videos and decide the winner by voting for their favorite. The teen who garners the most votes will win a $15,000 cash prize and be given the opportunity to work with a Discovery film crew to re-create their video as a professional, TV-ready PSA which is eligible to air on Discovery's family of networks. The second place prize is a $10,000 cash prize and a behind-the-scenes trip for two to a Velocity Network show. The third place prize is a $7,500 cash prize.

"For over a decade, Toyota has offered programs and resources that are designed to keep teens safe on the road," said Latondra Newton, Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, Toyota Motor North America, Inc. "The Toyota Teen Driver Video Challenge embodies our philosophy that great, impactful ideas come from anyone, anywhere. We're thrilled with the creative submissions we received from teens across the country and congratulate our teen finalists."

"The Toyota Teen Driver Video Challenge fosters student collaboration, active research, and creative use of social media and Web 2.0 tools as they develop short videos to express their deepest concerns about safer driving and hopes that their peers embrace driving responsibilities more seriously," said Mary McCullagh an educator at Christopher Columbus High in Miami, Fla.

Last year's winning video from Ryan Johnston of Corona, Calif. took a humorous look at what driving distractions may have looked like a hundred years ago, while also sending a serious message to teens about the importance of road safety. His re-created PSA ran across Discovery's family of networks.

Toyota Teen Driver, a partnership between Toyota and Discovery Education that offers free, online resources for teens, parents and teachers, is part of TeenDrive365 (TeenDrive365), Toyota's comprehensive initiative designed to help teens and families navigate their teen's first years behind the wheel. Building on the programs and resources Toyota has offered for more than a decade, the program offers a collection of online tools, events, expert advice and tips as well as social media elements.