Young filmmakers are being asked to bring their skills to bear in a new competition to promote safety on Irish roads.
The Road Safety Authority and Setanta Insurance today launched a national road safety film competition entitled Keep Drama off the Roads.
The competition, which is open to 15- to 24-year-olds, aims to generate awareness and understanding among young people of the dangers of excessive and inappropriate speed. Entrants are invited to submit an innovative concept for a short film under the theme Breaking the Culture of Speed.
“What we’re hoping to do is empower young people and do it in a medium which they develop so they actually create the message to their peers,” the authority’s director of road safety, research and driver education, Michael Rowland, said.
Mr Rowland said he hoped that this peer-on-peer approach will spread through websites such as Facebook and YouTube.
“We’re hoping that by doing something like this young people can say something if they are in an uncomfortable situation like if they’re in a car that’s being driven too fast, if they are in a car in which the driver is behaving dangerously that they feel empowered to actually say something, to say, ‘I’m not happy with this. Stop, I want to get out’.”
He noted that people in the 17 to 25 age group are three times more likely to be killed on Irish roads than any other age group. Young men are particularly at risk, he said.
The winner of the competition will receive €3,000 and the opportunity to work with a team of professional film producers to turn their short film concept into a reality, while runner-up prizes will also be awarded.
The closing date for entries is November 12th, 2010 at 6pm. Entries can be submitted online at www.keepdramaofftheroads.ie