NJSIAA launches 2024 “Be a Winner Behind the Wheel” campaign

NJSIAA launches 2024 “Be a Winner Behind the Wheel” campaign

Messaging benefits first-time, teen drivers

ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (Dec. 18, 2024) – For the fourth consecutive year, the NJSIAA (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association) is partnering with the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety on the “Be a Winner Behind the Wheel” campaign. This co-branded platform provides safe driving messaging to teens, their families, and the at-large community.

Details on the program, which debuted in 2021, are communicated during NJSIAA championship sporting events through traditional media as well as interactive promotions. Content is also shared via social media channels, as well as print and digital newsletters.

“We are pleased to continue this important partnership with the NJSIAA as its goal is to protect one of our most vulnerable group of road users, young drivers,” said Michael J. Rizol, Jr., Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “By delivering these important traffic safety messages to our new drivers we will help them establish good driving habits and good habits learned early will last a lifetime.”

Colleen Maguire, NJSIAA’s Executive Director, notes: “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Division of Highway Traffic Safety and the ‘Be a Winner Behind the Wheel’ campaign for a fourth consecutive year. This collaboration allows us to extend our commitment to safety beyond the field, equipping teens and their families with life-saving knowledge about responsible driving. Together, we aim to continue to foster a culture of safety that empowers our students to make smart decisions on and off the road."

There are five key areas of focus for keeping new drivers safe on New Jersey’s roadways. Emphasized in “Be a Winner Behind the Wheel,” these are:

  • Prevention of impaired driving
  • The components of the state’s Graduated Driver License, via the “Stick to It” campaign
  • Dangers of speeding
  • Risk of distracted driving, via the related “Take Control of Your Destiny” campaign
  • Seat belt awareness

The need to share this information with young drivers is highlighted by motor vehicle crashes being the leading cause of death for 15- to 18-years-olds in the United States. During 2022 (the most recent year for which statistics are available), 2,514 people in the U.S. were killed in traffic accidents involving a teen driver. Of these, 811 of the fatalities were the teen driver.

 

About NJSIAA

Established in 1918, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is a voluntary, non-profit organization of approximately 435 accredited public and non-public high schools. A member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the NJSIAA conducts tournaments and crowns champions in 33 sports.