Release #278-98

Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958
Jennifer Chait (212) 788-8479

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today honored recipients of the 1998 Traffic Safety Calendar Awards during a City Hall ceremony. The Mayor, who was joined by Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Richard A. Malchow and Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association Executive Vice President Mark Schienberg, presented checks for $100 to $300 to the top five recipients.

The annual contest, open to people of all ages, is sponsored by DOT's Safety Unit in partnership with the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, which funds the cash prizes. The goal of the contest is to communicate through artwork and slogans critical transportation safety themes such as the dangers of drinking and driving, the importance of wearing safety belts, pedestrian safety and bicycle, skateboarding and skating safety. This contest complements DOT's Safety Education outreach, including the Safety City program, which operates throughout the five boroughs. Using a classroom and a simulated street and intersection, children learn about traffic safety as well as how to safely cross streets. Classes are taught by instructors from DOT and the Police Department.

"Each year, the City's Department of Transportation and the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association sponsor this traffic safety calendar contest and every year thousands of concerned New Yorkers share their ideas about traffic safety," Mayor Giuliani said. "This year more than 2,000 entries were received and today, we are honoring the winners. Whether it's through a painting, a slogan or a song, the winners have illustrated that traffic safety is an important part of daily life in New York City. I want to congratulate the honorees on their winning entries and thank Commissioner Malchow and the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association for their sponsorship."

Acting Transportation Commissioner Richard A. Malchow said, "The overwhelming response we receive each year to the contest is evidence that New Yorkers of all ages are concerned about traffic safety. Not only is the volume of entries impressive, their high quality and creativity show us that people do care about their own safety and the safety of others."

This year's top winners are:

• Grand Prize ($300) Class 721, the Special Instructional Environment 1 Program at IS 25 in Queens and Instructor Peter Ambolo won top honors for a drawing that portrays the complications of crossing a busy intersection. The class came up with the concept and Mr. Ambolo brought the design to life. Salvatore Minagro accepted the award on behalf of his class.
• 1st Prize ($200) Matthew Agostino, age 10, (Staten Island) won for a design that illustrates what happens to children's dreams when they forget to wear their seatbelts.
• 2nd Prize ($150) Karen DeMartino, age 13, (Bronx) won for depicting the exchange of angry words between drivers and the dangers of "road rage" on our streets.
• 3rd Prize ($100) Robert De Vita, age 12, and Miguel Dela Santa, age 13, (Queens) won for their combined efforts illustrating a rollerblader wisely wearing a helmet.

Also honored at today's ceremony were ten students who received Honorable Mention and five students from IS 93 in Queens who wrote and performed an original song, "Too Much Drinking Stops Your Thinking." Teena Bingert, Robert Castro, Jr., Edward Gonzalez, Jr., May Lam and David Martinez won the Performers and Recipients of the Youth Educating for Safety (YES) Outstanding Achievement Award. Recipients in both categories received $25 checks.

DOT's Safety City program is currently operating at P.S. 92, Manhattan; Woodhull Hospital, Brooklyn; Forest Park, Queens; Lafayette Avenue between Brush Avenue and Westchester Creek, The Bronx; and the Michael J. Petrides Educational Complex, Staten Island. Parents, teachers and interested New Yorkers can call (212) 442-7779 for further information about safety education.

Since the contest's inception in 1988, the DOT Traffic Safety Calendar has been distributed free of charge to schools, libraries, senior centers, daycare centers, homeless shelters, and police precincts throughout the City.

Mayor Giuliani noted that Citywide, pedestrian and vehicular traffic fatalities have declined 35 percent year-to-date compared to last year. Through June 16, there have been 130 fatalities this year as compared to 202 in 1997.