MEMBER SIGN IN
Not a member? Become one today!
         iBerkshires     Berkshire Chamber     Berkshire Community College     City of Pittsfield    
Search
MassDOT High School Video Contest
02:03PM / Friday, September 25, 2020
Print | Email  

BOSTON, Mass. — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced the seventh annual Safe Streets Smart Trips High School Video Contest.
 
The contest serves as an initiative within the Massachusetts Strategic Highway Safety Plan to promote safe walking, bicycling, and driving behaviors within the Commonwealth. The contest, which began in 2014, encourages high school students to showcase their understanding of roadway safety across all travel modes to try to decrease pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities.
 
"We are pleased to provide high school students with the opportunity to participate in this valuable exercise to underscore the need to limit all distractions when driving and especially to put phones and mobile devices away," MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack said. "Every year we have been impressed by some of the powerful educational videos produced by students and I am confident that this year, even as some students learn remotely, they will collaborate and submit entries which will underscore that driving hands-free is really a life or death issue."
 
 The video contest, which is open to all Massachusetts high school students, features a freshman/sophomore category and junior/senior category. Per contest guidelines, students are asked to write and produce a 30-60 second video that focuses on one or several of the guidelines of the "Hands-Free" law.
 
Complete contest guidelines were sent to high schools on September 23, 2020 and are also found at Mass.gov/roadway-safety-video.
 
The contest begins Sept. 28 and applications must be submitted by 5 pm on Nov. 4.
 
Students are required to strictly follow COVID-19 social distancing guidelines and health/safety precautions while making contest videos. Grand prize and runner-up videos in each category will be chosen by a MassDOT panel. The winning videos will be screened during MassDOT’s annual active transportation conference, Moving Together, which is scheduled to take place virtually on Nov. 17, 18 and 19. Top videos may also be used in future safety campaigns.
 
On Feb. 23, 2020, the "Hands-Free" law was enacted throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This law seeks to help reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes involving distracted driving as a result of electronic device usage. Operators of motor vehicles are prohibited from using any electronic devices, including mobile telephones, unless the devices are set to hands-free mode. Drivers under 18 are not allowed to use any electronic devices and all phone use while driving is illegal, including use in hands-free mode.
 
 
 
 
Comments
More Featured Stories
Pittsfield.com is owned and operated by: Boxcar Media 106 Main Sreet, P.O. Box 1787 North Adams, MA 01247 -- T. 413-663-3384
© 2008 Boxcar Media LLC - All rights reserved