Pewaukee teen named finalist in Drive Safe Chicago contest

PEWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Reckless driving leads to damage, injuries, and even death, and unfortunately, it's all too common in the state of Wisconsin.

The National Road Safety Foundation and the Chicago Auto Show teamed up to create a contest for teens to submit a 30-second TV advertisement, empowering passengers to speak up when they feel unsafe in a vehicle.

Texas Maki, 16, and his friend Landon Pungarcher, are encouraging others to speak up when they feel unsafe inside a car.

"I see car crashes all the time, and you know, I see how life changing they can be," said Maki.

The teen submitted a script and became one of three finalists in the Drive Safe Chicago PSA Contest -- he's the only finalist from Wisconsin (the other two are from Indiana).

"Apparently it was pretty good, I didn't initially think I was going to win but, you know, being a finalist is really nice," Maki added.

Emmy-winning Director Alan Weiss said his production team was slated to film for six hours Tuesday. Despite subzero temperatures, he told CBS 58 News the message is important.

"What comes across, even if they're not great actors, is that they're real kids, that they're real teens." said Weiss. "You don't want people to learn how to drive safely by trial and error, so we can give them the information while they're still learning to drive."

Both teens say they've seen a lot of reckless driving and have been in scary situations.

"I have seen a lot of car crashes, I've been in a car crash with my dad," recounted Pungarcher. "I remember in 6th grade, one time my grandpa was taking me to school, and we were going to cross the road and just a few seconds before we were actually, like, going to get into the road, these two cars had, like, a head-on collision."

"I've been in very minor car crashes, and my dad was in a vehicle, a snowmobile incident, where he lost his arm and part of his leg and feet, said Maki. "It really does kind of strike home."

The public will be able to vote for their favorite video on the Chicago Auto Show Facebook page, and the winner will receive $2,000 at the show on Feb. 9.

"The passenger has this right to speak up...their life is just as important as the driver," Maki added.