Fundación MAPFRE, MassDOT to produce one school’s public service announcement promoting safer behavior among teens on the roads; to be aired statewide.
BOSTON (April 14, 2023) – Students from seven Massachusetts high schools were chosen as finalists today in the Look Both Ways Road Safety PSA Contest sponsored by Fundación MAPFRE and Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).
High school students statewide were invited to write scripts for a public service announcement aimed at capturing the attention of other teens with important road safety messages. The winning students will work with Boston creative communications agency CTP to produce the spot, and the winning students’ school will receive $3,000 for road safety education, awarded by Fundación MAPFRE.
The PSA from the winning high school team will be broadcast in May, as students prepare for prom and graduation season. Finalists include:
• Agawam High School
• Dighton-Rehoboth High School
• Gloucester High School
• Minuteman High School (Lexington)
• Northbridge High School
• Plymouth North High School
• Westfield High School
“Sharing a message on the vital importance of road safety in a way that will resonate with teen drivers can be challenging” said Jaime Tamayo, Chief Representative of Fundación MAPFRE in the United States and Chief Executive Officer of MAPFRE USA. “The creativity exhibited by students across the state is truly impressive. I am excited to showcase the winning entry and see its impact play out in the form of safer roads for all.”
“We are grateful to all the students across the Commonwealth who participated in the public service announcement contest and for submitting so many creative and impactful entries,” said Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca. “MassDOT is working with many partners, including young people, to reduce the number of crashes and we are always proud to partner with MAPFRE on campaigns such as, ‘Look Both Ways,’ so we can expand public education on how each of us has a role to play when it comes to road safety.”
Look Both Ways aims to eliminate road-related fatalities and serious injury, connecting high schools and colleges with the program’s “React Challenge.” The mobile interactive virtual reality station tests students’ safe driving ability when faced with distractions behind the wheel.
According to the Massachusetts Strategic Highway Safety Plan, roadway deaths in Massachusetts reached a 14-year high in 2021, increasing year-over-year since 2019, with 2022 trending higher. The state experienced 418 traffic fatalities in 2021, compared to 343 in 2020 and 336 in 2019. Nationally, nearly 43,000 people died in traffic crashes in 2021. From 2019 to 2021, the number of U.S. pedestrians killed increased by 18% (7,342 deaths) and the number of bicyclists killed increased by 16% (985 deaths), accounting for 19% of all U.S. traffic fatalities in 2021. In Massachusetts, in the last five years, people walking and biking accounted for almost 22% of deaths on the roadways.
About Fundación MAPFRE’s Road Safety Initiative: Fundación MAPFRE, a non-profit based in Madrid, Spain, and with North American headquarters in Webster, Massachusetts, aims to promote the well-being of society and citizens. Prevention and Road Safety is an action area to which the foundation is dedicated. It models its programs to align with the Vision Zero movement, which seeks to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries among all road users.