FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX News) — Kentucky's annual Safe Teen Driving Challenge winners were announced Tuesday during a ceremony in Frankfort. Five teens were awarded a total of $10,000 from AAA Blue Grass, AAA East Central, and Intoximeters, which sponsored the event, for participating in the 12-week contest.
First Lady Britainy Beshear and state transportation officials handed out the awards. Brianna Frailey placed first in the challenge, winning $3,000. Claire Lodge landed the $2,500 second-place award. Abigail Beckman took home third place with $2,000. Zoey Tyrrell placed fourth with $1,500. The fifth place winner was Haylee Emerson, winning $1,000.
"As the mom of two teenagers, nothing matters more than knowing they are safe — especially when they're behind the wheel. This contest is a positive incentive for new drivers across the commonwealth to be as safe as possible," said First Lady Britainy Beshear. "Congratulations to our winners and thank you to every teen who took part in the challenge. Whether you walked away with a prize or not, thank you for making the choice to help protect yourself and everyone on the roads."
The winners ranged in age from 15 to 19-years-old at the start of the challenge. The Safe Teen Diving Challenge ran from April 24 to July 18. It used smartphone data to measure speeding, hard braking, harsh acceleration, and distracted driving. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Office of Highway Safety oversaw the challenge.
“This challenge is one of many efforts to promote safe driving behaviors that will last a lifetime and make our highways safer for everyone by preventing crashes,” said KYTC Secretary Rebecca Goodman. “Everyone who participated is truly a winner by getting valuable insights to help them become better, more confident drivers.”
Hundreds of teens participated in this year's challenge, logging more than 980,000 miles. Team Kentucky said the program helps equip teen drivers with the tools they need to stay safe on state highways.
In Kentucky, there have been more than 13,000 reported injuries and 197 tragic deaths resulting from crashes involving teenage drivers, over the last three years. The challenge period overlapped with part of the “100 deadliest days” – a term used by AAA and traffic safety organizations to describe the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when teen drivers nationally are statistically more likely to be involved in fatal crashes.
