Columbia Teens are One of Five Teams to Perform for Country Music Star Taylor Swift...

Columbia Teens are One of Five Teams to Perform for Country Music Star Taylor
Swift at 'Holiday Holla' Smart Driving Event
Raising awareness for a deadly time of year for teen drivers, teens will
compete for $15,000

COLUMBIA, S.C., Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The local team of Christine Shelton
and Gwendolynn Strobel, both 17, has been selected as a finalist in a contest
that challenges teens to rewrite and perform traditional holiday carols with
new, catchy lyrics about smart driving. Keep the Drive -- a teen-led smart
driving movement funded by The Allstate Foundation -- created the "Holiday
Holla" contest in hopes of raising awareness of the No. 1 killer of
teens -- car crashes -- during the holiday season, which is a deadly timeframe
for teen drivers. There were 272 crash deaths involving teen drivers, ages
13-19, in South Carolina in 2005 and 2006, according to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration.
"We're very excited to be going to perform at the Mall. It's been an
amazing experience and it can only get better," said Shelton. "We're extremely
grateful to anyone and everyone who went online to vote for our video, and any
video really, because the videos are raising awareness about such an important
issue in the lives of teens and adults."
Shelton and Strobel will perform their smart driving carol in front of
platinum-selling recording artist and celebrity judge Taylor Swift at an event
at the Mall of America's Rotunda in Bloomington, Minn., on Saturday, Dec. 8,
at noon. Joining four other groups of teen finalists vying for a $15,000 grand
prize, Shelton and Strobel will entertain the crowd with "Jingle Bell Swerve,"
a comical rendition of the holiday classic "Jingle Bells." The top five
finalist videos are posted at www.HolidayHolla.com.
"It's important for teens and their parents to understand how dangerous
the holiday season is for teen drivers," said Swift. "Hopefully this contest
will get teens to put down their cell phones and MP3 players, pay attention
and keep their eyes on the road. There are a lot of little things that we as
teens can do to ensure we're driving smart."
Holiday Driving Tips for Teens:
-- Keep your eyes on the road. According to a national survey of teens
conducted by The Allstate Foundation, 56 percent of teens talk on
their cell phones while driving, and 13 percent read or write text
messages. Driving with distractions is a major cause of crashes. Make
it a goal to celebrate 2008 with your friends instead of the
mortician.
-- Slow down. The survey also found nearly 90 percent of teens admit to
speeding. Speeding is one of the main causes for teen car crashes. Be
a rebel and drive the speed limit this holiday season.
-- "Holla" at your friends. Half of teens from the survey said they
wouldn't speak up if a friend was driving recklessly. Would you speak
up if your life was in danger? If not, make a New Year's resolution to
grow a backbone.
-- Use your buckle. Roughly two-thirds of teens who die in car wrecks are
not buckled up, reports the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
This season, give your friends the gift of life and tell them to
buckle up!

Tips for Parents on How to "Holla" about Smart Driving in the New Year:
-- Practice what you preach. Be a positive role model when you're behind
the wheel. Your teen is more likely to be a calm driver, put down the
phone and MP3 player, wear a seat belt and follow the rules of the
road if they see you do the same.
-- Don't rush the training process. Just because teens have permits or
licenses, doesn't mean they're ready for every driving condition. The
roads are especially dangerous during inclement weather. By easing
into the training process, you'll ensure your teen will be ready for
most situations.
-- Empower your teen. Being a passenger in another teen's car can put
your teen at risk. Make sure your teen knows it's okay to say
something if he/she is uncomfortable while riding with a friend and
help your teen practice what to say in risky situations.
-- Understand your state's laws. Every state has Graduated Driver
Licensing to help new drivers get their initial on-the-road driving
experience under lower-risk conditions, protecting them while they are
learning to drive. Familiarize yourself and your teen with these
requirements, and establish your own rules for when, where, how and
with whom your teen may drive. Consider creating a Parent-Teen
Contract this holiday season.

To learn more about the survey conducted by The Allstate Foundation, and
for additional state-by-state teen driving statistics, visit
here for a press kit. For
detailed rules on Holiday Holla, visit www.HolidayHolla.com. Additional
information on teen driving, including tips for parents on positively
impacting their teen drivers, is available at
www.ProtectTeenDrivers.com.
About Keep the Drive
Keep the Drive is a national teen-led smart driving movement funded by
The Allstate Foundation. It educates teens about the issue, impacts the way
they think and act in the car and empowers them to become smart driving
activists in their schools and communities. For more information, visit
www.KeeptheDrive.com.
About The Allstate Foundation
The Allstate Foundation is an independent, private, non-profit
organization funded by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation. Since 1952,
the Foundation has developed and funded programs in communities across the
United States. Today, the Foundation focuses on three areas: safe and vital
communities; tolerance, inclusion and diversity; and economic empowerment.
Teen driving has been a priority for the Foundation since 2005.
SOURCE Allstate Foundation

Sue Duchak of Allstate Foundation, +1-847-402-7561, cell, +1-708-341-6992,
sduch@allstate.com; or Alison Baker, +1-952-346-6442, cell, +1-612-508-6681,
abaker@webershandwick.com