AAA Awards $3,000 to Teens for Traffic Safety Messages

Phoenix, AZ. November 9, 2009–14 year-old Kenahn Ghazal captured the $2,000 grand prize from AAA Insurance for producing a 60-second video for AAA’s Teen Driving public service announcement (PSA) contest, a competition designed to build awareness on the biggest issues facing teen drivers.  Elizabeth Vega received the $700 second place prize and Kara Grace Dawson received the $300 third place prize.

The top three winners were determined by an online voting poll, hosted for the past two and a half weeks on www.aaateendriving.com.  Ghazal’s video, with a message focused on the dangers of texting while driving, received the most votes, earning him top prize.    

“We are extremely proud of Kenahn and the other teens that produced a traffic safety PSA for our contest,” said Linda Gorman, AAA Arizona public affairs director. “The contest allowed teens to demonstrate their creative abilities while helping spread the message of traffic safety to their peers.”    

The winning PSAs will be featured on two of AAA’s popular traffic safety Web sites:  www.aaateendriving.com and www.teensatthewheel.com.

Teens are invited to log onto www.aaateendriving.com to share their on-the-road experiences with other teens in discussion forums, keep up-to-date on safe driving tips and resources by reading the Teens on the Road blog and vote in polls to see what other teen drivers are doing.

AAA Arizona, the Arizona affiliate of AAA, provides automotive, insurance and auto travel services to nearly 800,000 Arizona members.  Annually, AAA’s Emergency Road Service responds to more than 450,000 calls for help on the streets and highways of the state as well as providing insurance, travel, and financial services to AAA members and motorists.  Since its founding in 1927, AAA Arizona has been a leading advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.