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    PennDOT, Safety Partners Announce Distracted Driving Billboard Design Contest Winners

    March 25, 2026

    Uniontown, PA – Today the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation partnered with the Highway Safety Network and State Farm to announce Laurel Highlands High School as the winner of the 2026 “No Excuses” Distracted Driving Billboard Design Contest.

    The State Farm sponsored contest was open to all high school students in Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. Students from 11 local schools submitted 19 designs for judging. The first-place winner is from Laurel Highlands High School (Fayette County) and will receive $1,000; Laurel Highlands High School will also receive $1,000. The second-place winner is from Greater Latrobe Senior High School (Westmoreland County) and will receive $500; Greater Latrobe Senior High School will also receive $500. The third-place winner is from Bentworth High School (Washington County) and will receive $250; Bentworth High School will also receive $250. 

    The winning design will be viewed by drivers on a billboard on McClellandtown Road throughout the month of April. The second and third place winners will also be presented their prizes in April. 

    April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. According to PennDOT data, there were 9,982 crashes in Pennsylvania involving a distracted driver in 2024, resulting in 49 deaths.

    “The billboard design contest has provided a unique opportunity for creative minds to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving,” said PennDOT District 12 Safety Press Officer Emily Stambaugh. “The winning design will help us spread an important message – that distracted driving can be deadly.”

    For more information on distracted driving, visit www.pa.gov/dotsafety

    Drivers can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,200 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.

    Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.pa.gov/DOTprojects. Subscribe to PennDOT news and find transportation results in Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties at www.pa.gov/DOTdistrict12.

    Find PennDOT news on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

     MEDIA CONTACT: Emily Stambaugh, emstambaug@pa.gov or 724-425-3018

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