Local high schools compete against each other in safe driving competition

Throughout Distracted Driving Awareness Month, students, parents, and faculty at Bryan and Rudder High Schools have been competing in a SAFE 2 SAVE competition.

"We believe that one life lost is one too many," said SAFE 2 SAVE's Director of Competitions Meagan Kamra. "At SAFE 2 SAVE we want to spread awareness about distracted driving.

During the competition, the participants earn points on the SAFE 2 SAVE app, while they're driving. The driver wins two points for each minute they go without touching their phone. They can then redeem those points for discounted and free items at local businesses.

"They're rival schools in just about every sport and it's a fun competition with them, it's keeping all of us safe," said Bryan High School student, Chance Henton.

The school that earns the most points will win $300 for their school's National Honor Society program, and the top-two scoring drivers from each school will win a $100 gift card.

"It's a really good incentive, but the end of the day the ultimate prize is making Bryan-College Station a safer place," Kamra added.

"It makes me really happy when students are like 'I'm beating you right now Ms. Guin,' and 'I have more points than you do,' because then I know that, that is all time that they have spent being safer drivers, and if I can make that impact, that is worth it to me.

Justin Pollock, a senior at Rudder High School says the real reward of the competition is improving safety on the roads.

"It gives me a scare every time I see someone on their phone, so putting the phone away, doing it for a good cause and getting rewarded for it, is a good idea," Pollock said.

For Pollock, his family and friends come first, and the notifications can wait.

"They'll be impacted if my mistakes happen and I love them and don't want anything to happen to them just like they wouldn't want anything to happen to me," Pollock added.

Spherion is sponsoring this competition and making the prizes possible. Baylor Scott and White Health is the SAFE 2 SAVE’s title sponsor in the Bryan-College Station area.

The competition began April 1. and ends on Tuesday, April 30. Visit the SAFE 2 SAVE website for more information on joining or signing up for future competitions: https://safe2save.org/