Nothing is more important than being a safe driver on the road. Distracted driving and drunk driving have enormous consequences not only for you as a driver, but for your family and other people on the road. Because it impacts thousands of Americans every year, particularly teens who account for almost 10 percent of distracted drivers in fatal car crashes, many organizations offer scholarships to help raise awareness of distracted driving and ways to prevent it. If you are a student preparing for college, already in college, or even a family member with a college student, consider checking out a national safe driving scholarship that aims to reduce or prevent distracted driving. We’ve compiled 10 below.

1. Project Yellow Light

About the scholarship

In an effort to put a stop to car crashes caused by distracted driving, Project Yellow Light awards winning applicants scholarships for short film, billboard, and radio ads that encourage safe driving habits among peers. An amount of $8,000 is awarded for the video ad, while $2,000 is awarded for the billboard and radio ads. In addition to a scholarship, winning applicants may also have their work featured nationally through the Ad Council, Clear Channel Outdoor, and iHeart radio. Project Yellow Light was created to honor Hunter Garner, a teen victim of a car crash. It was founded by Julie Garner.

Eligibility requirements/qualifications

  • High school and college students are eligible with categories for both.

How to apply, deadlines

Elephant’s involvement

For three years, Elephant Insurance has been one of many sponsors of Project Yellow Light. To date, it has contributed $65,000 toward the competition — all with the goal to educate teens and adults on safe driving habits.

2. Look Twice, Save a Life

About the scholarship

The Look Twice, Save a Life scholarship is a scholarship of $1,000 that seeks to raise awareness on motorcycle safety. It asks students to create an art or media work of social awareness that inspires other students to focus on looking twice for motorcycle safety. This work can be a video, artwork, essay, or anything that would engage other students to focus on safe driving.

Eligibility requirements/qualifications

  • Students must be a current college student or planning to attend college or other form of higher education.
  • Students must have a valid driver’s license.

How to apply, deadlines

3. The Safe Driving Scholarship

About the scholarship

To help raise awareness on the dangers of distracted driving, especially among young people, the Safe Driving Scholarship offers a $1,000 scholarship to students who want to share their ideas on the texting and driving laws in their state and what could be improved to promote safety on the road. It is sponsored by Springs Law Group.

Eligibility requirements/qualifications

  • Students must be enrolled in any high school, college, or university in the U.S., and high school students must be graduating seniors.
  • Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

How to apply, deadlines

4. Create Real Impact Contest

About the scholarship

To combat reckless and distracted driving, the Create Real Impact Contest offers students the chance to win a $1,500 scholarship by showcasing their solutions and strategies to stop car crashes caused by reckless and distracted driving. Students can submit an entry into one of four categories: creative writing, video, graphic design, or music. It is sponsored by Impact Teen Drivers.

Eligibility requirements/qualifications

  • Students must be citizens or legal residents of the U.S.
  • Open to ages 14 to 22 years
  • Students must be enrolled full-time in an accredited secondary school, trade school, college, or university. High school students in some states are not eligible for the video category.

How to apply, deadlines

5. Getting Real About Distracted Driving

About the scholarship

To combat distracted driving, the Getting Real About Distracted Driving scholarship is a $1,500 safe driving scholarship sponsored by Comedy Defensive Driving, the driving safety and education organization. Students are asked to design an ad that will educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving and include a call to action not to text and drive, drink and drive, eat and drive, or engage in any other distraction while driving. Ads students can create include PSAs, commercials, music, billboards, and other media. Students can focus on distracted driving as a whole or pick a kind of distracted driving.

Eligibility requirements/qualifications

  • Students must plan to attend or already attend an accredited college, university, or continuing education program.
  • Students must take the pledge not to use their phone while driving or drink and drive.

How to apply, deadlines

6. Digital Responsibility’s Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship

About the scholarship

To help young people understand the risks of texting and driving, the Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship offers applicants the chance to win a $1,000 scholarship. Ten finalists will be selected based on the content of a 140-character message about texting and driving, and then asked to submit a 500-1,000-word essay for a chance to win. The scholarship is sponsored by Digital Responsibility.

Eligibility requirements/qualifications

  • Students must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.
  • Students must be a high school freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, or student currently attending or planning to attend college or graduate school. Homeschooled students are also eligible.

How to apply, deadlines

7. In the Driver’s Seat

About the scholarship

To address the topic of being a safe driver, the In the Driver’s Seat safe driving scholarship will reward student applicants a total of $3,000 in scholarships through an essay contest. Students will highlight the importance of being a safe and educated driver by addressing a series of questions in 750 words. Two winners will be chosen in three contest rounds in the categories of Staff Favorite and Most Voted For, allowing six students the opportunity to receive $500 each in scholarships. The scholarship is sponsored by the National Driving and Traffic School.

Eligibility requirements/qualifications

  • The contest is open to students in the U.S., Canada, and abroad.
  • Students must be currently enrolled in high school, college, or university.

How to apply, deadlines

8. Safe Driver Scholarship

About the scholarship

To promote safe driving for students, the Safe Driver Scholarship offers the chance to win $1,000 to a student who has participated in a safe driver program and created social awareness in the form of a video, artwork, essay, or other form that would engage or inspire students to focus on safe driving. It is sponsored by Car Insurance Comparison.

Eligibility requirements/qualifications

  • Students must have a valid driver’s license.
  • Students must currently attend or plan to attend college or other form of higher education.

How to apply, deadlines

9. Drunk Driving Prevention Scholarship

About the scholarship

To get the message out on drunk driving prevention, the Drunk Driving Prevention Scholarship will award a $3,000 scholarship to the winning applicant of a 30–60-minute video PSA on the dangers of drunk driving and how it can be prevented. The scholarship is sponsored by Intoxalock.

Eligibility requirements/qualifications

  • Students must plan to attend or currently attend an accredited two or four year U.S. college or university.

How to apply, deadlines

10. Stand Up to Distracted Driving Scholarship

About the scholarship

To help fight the problem of distracted driving, the Stand Up to Distracted Driving Scholarship offers five scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each. Students must submit a 1,000-word essay that responds to the prompt: How has distracted driving affected your life? What ideas do you have to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving and prevent this behavior among young drivers? The scholarship is sponsored by Kanoski Bresney.

Eligibility requirements/qualifications

  • Students must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited U.S. college or university, or
  • Students must be a high school senior who will be starting college or university in the fall, be a U.S. citizen, and have a current GPA of at least 3.0.

How to apply, deadlines

Distracted driving impacts us all, but teens are especially vulnerable. Through the creation of anti-distracted driving materials for their peers, a safe driving scholarship can discourage distracted driving and help young adults pay for their education.

Elephant offers insurance that rewards you for driving responsibly. Check out our car insurance options or get a quote today!

Article last updated on June 25th, 2023 at 7:03 pm



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