Middlesex County Honors Student Winners of 2026 “Don’t Drive Dangerously” PSA Contest

The annual public service announcement (PSA) contest invites high school students from public and non-public schools across the county to create powerful messages highlighting the dangers of impaired and distracted driving. Students can submit either a 60-second video PSA or a 30-second audio PSA, encouraging peer-to-peer education on responsible driving.

2026 Contest Winners

Video Category

1st Place – “Don’t Risk It”
East Brunswick High School
• Aiden Hansen
• Evan Balazs

2nd Place – “Braking the Law of Physics”
Monroe Township High School
• Dennis Lewis
• Nakula Harita
• Peter Piccini
• Ritik Thukral
• Thomas Jude Reichel

3rd Place – “Your Phone Can Wait. Life Can’t”
New Brunswick P-TECH High School
• Abdiel Vazquez
• Aiden Achalram
• Eddie Jacobo Zepeda
• Luis Olmedo
• Michael Ruiz

Audio Category

1st Place – “Fears”
Woodbridge Academy Magnet School
• Anushka Patel
• Serena Zhou
• Varsha Madhusudhanan

2nd Place – “Are You Really a Safe Driver?”
South Plainfield High School
• Carter Lodato
• Dylan Nicolay
• Jace Gibson

3rd Place – “Keep Your Cool, Cat”
Monroe Township High School
• Ritik Thukral
• Sophia Verrios

Ronald G. Rios, Commissioner Director of the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners, congratulated the winners and praised students for using their voices to promote road safety.

“Each year we are inspired by the creativity and thoughtfulness students bring to these projects as they help spread awareness about the dangers of impaired and distracted driving,” Rios said.

Commissioner Deputy Director Shanti Narra, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, emphasized the urgency of educating young drivers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teen drivers between ages 16 and 19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be involved in a fatal crash per mile driven.

“Programs like this encourage teenagers to become advocates for safer roads within their schools and communities,” Narra said.

The initiative is supported by several community partners, including the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, Wellspring Center for Prevention, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Through youth-driven storytelling and creative messaging, the program aims to empower young people to influence their peers and reduce risky behaviors such as texting while driving, distracted driving, and driving under the influence.

Residents interested in learning more about the county’s traffic safety initiatives can visit the Middlesex County transportation page.

Editorial Reflection — Adam Rizvi

Programs like the “Don’t Drive Dangerously” contest remind us that education and awareness begin with young people. When students themselves speak about the consequences of distracted or impaired driving, the message often reaches their peers more effectively than any lecture or enforcement campaign.

As communities across New Jersey work toward safer roads, empowering teenagers to become ambassadors for responsible driving is both inspiring and necessary. Their voices today may very well save lives tomorrow.

Read the full story on The India Observer and support youth-driven efforts to make our roads safer.

Please share, comment, and follow The India Observer for more community and civic news that matters.

Have a story, event, or issue to report?
Email your press release or news tip to editor@ TheIndiaObserver@gmail.com — The India Observer covers news that matters