b'The CampaignMust Go OnCHS students enter safe driving competitionBY ELLEN DONKERT he statistics are startling. Every 11 min- Insurance Group. the Champion Schools Programdrivers to slow down at a yellow light. Their cam-utes a teen is involved in a car crash inColumbia High School teacher Anthony Campi- paignincludedanInstagramvideoannouncing New Jersey. In fact, car accidents areglia first presentedthecampaign,alongwithMellow Yellowt-shirts, theleadingcauseofdeathnationallyopportunity to students in his News 1 class in 2011.stickers, and car magnets. In addition, students or-for16-to20-year-olds,accordingtoThey decided to join the challenge and brainstormedganized a yellow day at school, awarding a Mellow the American Driver and Traffic Safetya teen driving safety topic that they messaged out toYellow T-shirt to the student wearing the most yel-Education Association (ADTSEA). fellow students and the SOMA community, using alow. They gave out stickers to students who signed a These seem like important statistics to share withstipend from the Champion Schools Program to off-the public, so Jersey Drives, a resource to make ourset costs. Campiglia (his students call him Mr. Camp) roadssafer,partneredwiththeBrainInjuryAlli- admits that the students didnt do a very good job that ance of New Jersey in establishing the U Got Brainsyear and won no recognition. But after seeing what it Champion Schools Program to involve high schoolstakes to be a contender, students competed the fol-in getting the word out about teen driving dangers.lowing year and placed as runners-up. By the third Participating schools can compete to create a publicyear, the class won first place and received a cash prize awareness campaign highlighting the importance ofthat can be put towards new equipment for the media safe driving that is targeted to their peers and localand technology department. community. Funding is provided by The New Jer- Campiglias class did not enter the competitionIn their video, driver Ogenna Oraedu explains that sey Division of Highway Traffic Safety with supportagainuntilthe2018/19schoolyear.Theybrain- adding a passenger to the car increases the chance from founding sponsor New Jersey ManufacturersstormedaMellowYellowtheme,encouragingof a crash by 50 percent. Add three or more passen-gers and the chance quadruples.32/ matters magazine / summer 2020'