Louisiana High School Video Contest Promotes Safer Driving Habits

(BATON ROUGE, Louisiana) - If you have a teenager driving and you'd like them to win cash, they can shoot a quick video advocating safe driving habits and perhaps win.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) and Destination Zero Deaths (DZD) announced the launch of the “Buckle Up, Phone Down” High School Video and Pledge Contest this week.

High school students in Louisiana can submit a video encouraging others to buckle up and put their phones down while driving, and if their video is selected, they could win cash.

Contest Promoting Safe Driving

The contest runs from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31, and its mission is to eliminate distractions behind the wheel.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the best videos submitted, and AAA has pledged to provide them.

In addition to this contest for high school students, DOTD is asking all drivers to take a pledge on social media to drive better and eliminate distractions in their vehicles, such as using a phone while driving.

Statistics prove that distractions do cause accidents, and unfortunately, some have been fatal in our state. By ignoring a text or phone call while driving, you may save your life or someone else's, and that's what DOTD hopes to convey to drivers in Louisiana.

According to an article on WAFB, distracted or inattentive driving factored into 168 of Louisiana’s 766 traffic fatalities in 2025.

READ MORE: See The Seven Wonders of Acadiana

With that in mind, Louisiana hopes to eliminate distractions, and it appears to be asking high school teens to join the initiative to end distracted driving in the Bayou State.

If your teenager wants to submit a video encouraging safe driving, they can do so by visiting DestinationZeroDeaths.

Hand Free Law in Louisiana

Under Louisiana's Hand-Free Cell Phone Law, drivers cannot physically hold or support a cell phone with any part of their body while operating a vehicle.

Violators may face a $100 fine, and in a school zone, the fine could be as much as $250.

Seven Road Names We Need in South Louisiana

A few days ago, during a traffic report on air, we came across an interesting road name that we had never heard of, and that's what sparked this idea of re-naming roads in Acadiana

We have so much culture in South Louisiana, yet some of the things we say, do, and even eat are often overlooked.

So, with that said, let's honor some of our traditions by naming roads after them, and we'll start with this one.

Gallery Credit: Chris Reed

Source: Louisiana Teens Can Win Cash by Advocating Safe Driving Habits

Filed Under: roads, traffic

Categories: Louisiana News