Kate Voegele Rewards Top Holiday Carolers at Competition to Promote Smart Teen Driving

Kate Voegele Rewards Top Holiday Carolers at Competition to Promote Smart Teen Driving

'Holiday Holla' contest finalists 'shout out' about smart driving to help save teen lives

BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Car crashes are the No. 1 killer of teens, taking more than 5,000 lives a year, and the holiday season is a deadly time for teen drivers. But that hasn't stopped a group of teens from spreading good cheer and smart driving messages. Through one of the first contests of its kind called "Holiday Holla," Dillon Craig, 18, Jeremy Glick, 17, and Sam Feil, 17, from Visalia, Calif., won $10,000 from The Allstate Foundation, and were recognized for their creativity in being smart driving advocates. Craig, Glick and Feil performed, along with four other teams, their version of the holiday carol Jingle Bells with smart driving lyrics in front of recording artist Kate Voegele, widely known for her guest starring role on "One Tree Hill," and hundreds of holiday shoppers at the Mall of America, in Bloomington, Minn., on Dec. 6. The teens' song, "Watch the Road," discusses the dangers of speeding, drinking while driving, talking on cell phones and not wearing a seatbelt.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081208/AQM081)

"It was cool to perform in front of so many people with an important message, but more than anything, we want our friends and family to be safe whenever they're on the road, especially during the holidays," said Sam Feil, one of the grand prize winners. "The fact that our team just won $10,000, and may have helped save some lives at the same time is pretty amazing."

With the goal of saving lives during a deadly time of year for teen drivers, The Allstate Foundation -- through its national teen-to-teen smart driving movement, Keep the Drive -- challenged teens from across the country to rewrite and perform (or "holla") holiday carols with new, catchy lyrics about smart driving. From among the many entries, teens voted on their favorites and the top five most popular performers were selected to belt it out at the finalist event during which a panel of teen and celebrity judges selected the grand prize winner.

"Car crashes are the No. 1 killer of teens," said Voegele. "That's a scary fact, but it's something young drivers have the power to change. It's great for me to have this forum to reach out to teen drivers to promote smart driving in a fun way, especially during the holidays. Hopefully teens will start to think twice before doing something dangerous, like text messaging while driving."

The Holiday Holla event culminated with Voegele presenting the teens with the $10,000 grand prize followed by a performance of four of her songs made famous by "One Tree Hill."

Tomaso DeNoia, 17, Kim Kasten, 17, and Brooke Davenport, 18, of Tom's River, N.J. took second place with a prize of $5,000. Emily Twohig, 14, Sara Sweeney, 14, and Alexa Erickson, 14, from Woodbury, Minn. won $3,000 for third place.

Allstate Insurance agent Jason Frankot from Cottage Grove, Minn., helped kick off the event by welcoming the crowd on behalf of The Allstate Foundation and introducing Voegele.

"The Allstate Foundation's teen driving program is about empowering teens to become smart driving activists in their communities," said Frankot. "It is our hope that the Holiday Holla contest helps positively impact the driving choices of teens across the country this holiday season."

According to a national survey of teens conducted by The Allstate Foundation, more than half (53 percent) of teens say their friends are the most effective influence in getting them to drive more safely. The Holiday Holla contest leveraged the power of the peer-to-peer approach to spread smart driving messages in an unconventional way among teens.

Driving Tips for Teens
1 Keep your eyes on the road. According to a national survey of teens
conducted by The Allstate Foundation, 56 percent of teens talk on their
cell phones while driving, and 13 percent read or write text messages.
Distracted driving is a major cause of crashes. Make it a goal to
celebrate 2009 with your friends instead of the mortician.
2 Slow down. The survey also found nearly 90 percent of teens admit to
speeding. Speeding is one of the main causes for teen car crashes. Be a
rebel and drive the speed limit this holiday season.
3 "Holla" at your friends. Half of teens from the survey said they
wouldn't speak up if a friend were driving recklessly. Would you speak
up if your life were in danger? If not, make a New Year's resolution to
grow a backbone.
4 Use your buckle. Roughly two-thirds of teens who die in car wrecks are
not buckled up, reports the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
This season, give your friends the gift of life and tell them to buckle
up!

Tips for Parents on How to "Holla" about Smart Driving in the New Year
1 Practice what you preach. Be a positive role model when you're behind
the wheel. Your teen is more likely to be a calm driver, put down the
phone and MP3 player, wear a seat belt and follow the rules of the road
if they see you do the same.
2 Don't rush the training process. Just because teens have permits or
licenses doesn't mean they're ready for every driving condition. The
roads are especially dangerous during bad weather. By easing into the
training process, you'll ensure your teen will be ready for most
situations.
3 Empower your teen. Being a passenger in another teen's car can put your
teen at risk. Make sure your teen knows it's okay to say something if
he or she is uncomfortable while riding with a friend, and help your
teen to practice what to say in these situations.
4 Understand your state's laws. Every state has Graduated Driver
Licensing to help new drivers get their initial on-the-road driving
experience under lower-risk conditions, protecting them while they are
learning. Familiarize yourself and your teen with these requirements,
and establish your own rules for when, where, how and with whom your
teen may drive.

For more information on Holiday Holla and to view the finalists' videos, visit http://www.holidayholla.com/. To learn more about the survey, and for state-by-state teen driving statistics, visit http://www.publicaster.com/info/allstate/teendriving/01/ for a press kit. Additional information on teen driving, including tips for parents on positively impacting their teen drivers, is available at http://www.protectteendrivers.com/.

About Keep the Drive

Keep the Drive is a national teen-to-teen smart driving movement funded by The Allstate Foundation. It educates teens about the issue, impacts the way they think and act in the car and empowers them to become smart driving activists in their schools and communities and online. For more information, visit http://www.keepthedrive.com/.

About The Allstate Foundation
-- Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent,
charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate
Corporation. The Allstate Foundation partners with non-profit
organizations on community initiatives that promote "safe and vital
communities," "tolerance, inclusion, and diversity" and "economic
empowerment." Teen driving and empowering victims of domestic violence
have been major initiatives for the Foundation since 2005.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081208/AQM081
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN11
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: The Allstate Foundation

CONTACT: Brianna Gallett, +1-952-346-6028, or cell, +1-715-379-0030,
bgallett@webershandwick.com, for The Allstate Foundation; or Joanna
Augustynski of The Allstate Foundation, +1-847-402-5604, cell,
+1-312-286-6562, jaugc@allstate.com

Web site: http://www.holidayholla.com/
http://www.publicaster.com/info/allstate/teendriving/01
http://www.protectteendrivers.com/
http://www.keepthedrive.com/

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