Educate and inspire teens to stay safe while driving, cycling or walking in Santa Cruz County!

The Community Traffic Safety Coalition (CTSC) is sponsoring a video contest for teens to create a video public service announcement (PSA) about traffic safety. Have fun, be creative, and read the CTSC’s instructions carefully to ensure that your video meets the contest requirements. All inquiries and contest submissions should be directed to Tara Leonard at (831) 454-5412 or tara.leonard@santacruzcounty.us

Who May Enter?

This contest is open to all middle & high school students in Santa Cruz County. Entrants can be individuals or teams. Click here to download entry form (En Español)

What is a Public Service Announcement (PSA)?

A PSA is a message designed to raise awareness and change public attitudes or behaviors. Think 30 seconds is too short for a video PSA? Check out how these ten videos
get it done in 30 seconds or less! The winning video PSAs will be shared with the public via traditional and social media.

Video PSA Guidelines

• Pick one of the following topics:
  • Texting and driving
  • Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
  • Distracted driving, cycling, skateboarding or walking (for instance, while using a cell phone)
  • Bicycle safety (helmet use, bike lights, riding on handlebars, etc.)
  • Pedestrian safety (crossing at crosswalks, looking both ways, etc.)
  • Seatbelt use
  • Have another idea? Contact the CTSC to make sure it meets contest requirements.
• Videos must have a clear traffic safety message directed at teens.
• Videos must be no longer than 30 seconds.
• Videos must begin and end with 5 seconds of black screen. This does not count towards the 30-second running time.
• Videos can be in English, Spanish or both.
• You must get written permission to use copyrighted images or music.
• Videos must be uploaded to Youtube and the URL shared with CTSC
• Each submission must include an Official Entry Form signed by both the student and his or her parent/guardian. Click here to download entry form En Español.
• All entry materials must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on March 25, 2016.

Failure to comply with these Official Rules and Guidelines will result in disqualification. Rights are reserved by the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency (HSA) to disqualify an entry that is deemed to be offensive, libelous, slanderous, inflammatory or otherwise inappropriate in any way for this contest. Copyright violations will result in disqualification. HSA is not responsible for entries that are lost, late, misdirected, damaged, incomplete, or in violation of copyright laws. Submitted videos remain the property of HSA and may be reproduced to educate the public about traffic safety.

Judging Criteria

Videos will be scored on the following criteria:

• Inclusion of a clear traffic safety message
• Content (depth, breadth, accuracy)
• Creativity
• Audience engagement (does it appeal to teens?)
• Visual impact

Prizes

Students whose entries meet the basic criteria above are eligible for community service hours with approval from their school coordinator. Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 videos.

• 1st Prize: $100 gift card to a local retailer plus a Traffic Safety Survival Kit*
• 2nd Prize: $50 gift card to a local retailer
• 3rd Prize: $25 gift card to a local retailer

The *Traffic Safety Survival Kit may include any or all of the following: a bicycle helmet, a bicycle lock, a bicycle light, a pedometer and/or reflective safety gear. There is only ONE prize package per winning video. Students working as a group are responsible for the distribution of prizes among group members.

Winners will be notified by April 1st by phone.

Winning videos will be publicized during National Public Health Week, April 4 to 10, 2016.

More Information

For ideas about video content, please visit the Community Traffic Safety Coalition (CTSC) website at www.sctrafficsafety.org or Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sctrafficsafety.

If you need access to video equipment or assistance with video editing, please contact The Digital Nest in Watsonville at (831) 722-6378.

For questions about this contest, please contact Tara Leonard at (831) 454-5412 or tara.leonard@santacruzcounty.us.

This contest is made possible through funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.