Vehicle Safety
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The next big idea to get teenage drivers to focus on the road and not their phones may come from teens themselves.
Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 13- to 19-year-olds and General Motors has set out to find ways to reduce the number of crashes among this age group by engaging directly with them as part of the larger vision to reach zero crashes. Since 2017, GM has partnered with DoSomething to move the needle and increase awareness and action in the areas of vehicle and road safety for 13- to 25-year-olds.
“As we work toward a future with zero crashes, GM is investing in nonprofit relationships to increase awareness of safety in and around vehicles,” Hal Garling, GM assistant manager of corporate giving, said.
Members of Team Corvette collaborate with their GM and DoSomething mentors.
As part of GM’s commitment to drive social change through the partnership with DoSomething, 14 high school students came to GM’s Detroit headquarters for a day to participate in the “Not Safe for Wheels” driving-safety challenge. During the competition, they developed campaigns to address five challenges associated with vehicle crashes: distracted driving, speeding, seat belt use, out-of-car awareness and impaired driving. Student teams defined the problem, developed a solution and crafted a call-to-action targeted at their peers. Safety experts from GM and campaign mentors from DoSomething served as a resource throughout the day to help them hone their ideas and presentations.
Participants came from across the country, bringing a wide range of experiences and personal stories about safe driving to the competition.
The students’ diverse perspectives enriched their projects, as they shared experiences they’ve witnessed in their own communities, finetuned their ideas and built upon one another’s suggestions. In the collaborative environment, “no idea is bad,” Anthony Gonzalez, 17, of Crest Hill, Illinois explained as his team batted around different options.
After five working sessions to create their campaigns, the groups went in front of a panel of judges that included senior leaders from GM and Chevrolet Marketing.
John Capp, GM director of global safety technology and strategies, was impressed with the sophistication of the student presentations, telling them, “Your ideas were amazingly insightful. You understood in one day the challenges of safety and the ideas you thought of were practical and doable.”
Every team, each playfully named after a Chevy vehicle, demonstrated an understanding of the risks of car crashes and a passion to address the issue through creative ideas and advocacy. But only one idea could take the trophy.
Team Silverado’s winning campaign to reduce drivers checking their cell phones won the competition. Seventeen-year-olds Jahmaine Griego of Salt Lake City and Ashley Martinez from Coachella, California proposed a campaign to attach sticky notes over cell phone screens to serve as a visual reminder for young people to focus on the road. To launch the campaign, Griego and Martinez recommended a partnership with DMVs across the country; new drivers would receive a pack of sticky notes with their licenses. The campaign would be amplified by social media influencers.
“The value of this day is educating participants on the risks of the road and garnering their support as advocates and leaders, as we move toward a future with zero crashes.” Tricia Morrow, GM global vehicle safety strategy manager, said. “The excitement of this group was extraordinary, and they were also professional and passionate about the project. It was a win for everyone involved and GM learned a lot from having teens think about these issues and present their solutions.”