NEW YORK, July 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Young people are
taking to the road this summer to reunite with friends and family,
with many opting to travel via car rather than public
transportation to practice social distancing. To help young people
safely enjoy their summer travel, DoSomething.org and General
Motors have launched the "Road to Self-Care" campaign, which aims
to spread awareness about the inextricable link between mental
health and driving safety.
Motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death
among young people, and since 2015, 43% of teen driver and
passenger fatalities involved speeding. However, young people have
the power to change these statistics. Studies show that adolescents
experiencing psychological distress, like anxiety and depression,
report taking more risks on the road, including speeding. By
practicing self-care, taking steps to improve mental wellbeing, and
encouraging friends to do the same, young people can reduce these
statistics and keep loved ones safe on the road this summer.
"We are excited to deepen our partnership with General Motors
through this campaign to help young people understand how their
mental health impacts driving safety," said DeNora Getachew, CEO at DoSomething.org. "With
more youth on the road using their cars as the safest mode of
transportation during a pandemic, we have to educate young people
about how to avoid unsafe driving practices and activate them to
address their mental health before getting on the road."
"Road to Self-Care" arms young people and their friends with the
tools they need to implement specific, simple self-care practices
before getting behind the wheel. The program is organized around a
three-step call to action: (1) print or create a checklist of
calming self-care practices that can be completed from a parked
vehicle, (2) share the list with a friend to keep in their vehicle,
(3) share DoSomething.org's mental health and safety guide.
After sharing the Road to Self-Care checklist with a friend
digitally, each participant ages 13-25 can upload proof in the form
of a screenshot to be entered for a chance to win a $2,000 scholarship. Three scholarships will be
awarded before September 19, 2021.
Additional details on DoSomething.org's scholarships can be found
here.
"General Motors is working toward a future with zero crashes,
and we are excited to collaborate with DoSomething.org to help
reach Gen Z with 'Road to Self-Care'," said Hal Garling, Assistant Manager, GM Corporate
Giving. "The awareness and practice of safe road behaviors can help
bring us closer to that goal."
Young people can sign up for "Road to Self-Care" by visiting:
https://www.dosomething.org/us/campaigns/road-to-self-care
About DoSomething.org
DoSomething.org is the largest
organization exclusively for young people and social change. We're
activating 5 million young people (and counting!) to make positive
change, online and off, in every US area code and in over 131
countries. When you join DoSomething.org, you join something bigger
than yourself.
About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE: GM) is a global company focused on
advancing an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible
to all. At the heart of this strategy is the Ultium battery
platform, which will power everything from mass-market to
high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its
joint venture entities sell vehicles under
the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands.
More information on the company and its subsidiaries,
including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and
security services, can be found at https://www.gm.com.
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SOURCE DoSomething.org