Governor Andy Beshear and officials with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet are calling on teen drivers across the state to participate in the Safe Teen Driving Challenge this year.
Participation comes with the chance to compete for a share of $5,000 in cash prizes, all in the hope of improving highway safety and reduce crashes. Over the past three years, according to a news release, Kentucky roads have seen more than 47,000 crashes involving teen drivers, resulting in over 13,000 injuries and 210 deaths.
The Safe Teen Driving Challenge looks to change those statistics by encouraging young drivers to build better habits and stay focused while they’re behind the wheel.
To join in the challenge—which is open to 16-to-19-year-old drivers with a valid permit or driver’s license and a smartphone—go online to the Kentucky Highway Safety website before January 24. Then, download the DriveWell Go app, create an account and enter the contest code. Then, drive safe while tracking your performance and compete for the chance to win.
The app uses smartphone sensor data to identify risky behaviors such as speeding, hard braking, harsh acceleration and especially phone use.
The top four drivers will be awarded cash prizes—first place will get $2,000, second will get $1,500, third place $1,000 and fourth place $500. Teens can track their progress and see how they rank on the app’s leaderboard, updated every two weeks, to provide valuable data to help young drivers become more aware of their habits behind the wheel.
Driver data will be collected from January 25 through the end of March. Winners will be announced in April, and their accomplishments will be celebrated as part of Kentucky’s ongoing efforts to improve road safety.