SAN ANTONIO – The City of San Antonio, Vision Zero and USAA are hosting a contest this summer that will reward safe drivers with cash prizes totaling more than $60,000.

The competition to find San Antonio’s Safest Driver starts June 11 and runs through Sept. 3. The contest is open to residents of Bexar, Comal, Kendall, and Guadalupe counties who drive in San Antonio.

You can read more about eligibility requirements here.

To be a contestant, you must download the San Antonio’s Safest Driver app which will run in the background of your device. As you drive, it will score each trip based on your speed, acceleration, braking, cornering and phone distraction. The safer you drive, the higher your score.

The overall winner will receive a $10,000 prize. There will also be cash rewards of $500 given out every two weeks. In addition, anyone who downloads the app is eligible to win a randomly drawn $150 prize every two weeks or a grand prize of $2,000.

“This contest is an excellent example of addressing a serious problem in a fun way,” said San
Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.

Similar contests were held recently in  Boston and Seattle, and organizers say the top users showed improved driving behavior throughout the course of the contest.

The  app was developed in partnership with San Antonio’s Vision Zero initiative and
Cambridge Mobile Telematics of Boston. Vision Zero is an international program aimed at eliminating all traffic fatalities and serious injuries on the road.

“The app truly changes driving behaviors, so the contest is a great way to actually shift behavior behind the wheel, helping make San Antonio’s streets safer, and a friendly way to compete with family and friends,” said Art Reinhardt, assistant director of the city’s Transportation and Capital Improvements Department.

USAA is the corporate sponsor of the contest. The San Antonio-based financial services company offers banking, insurance and other services to current and former members of the military and their families.

For more information on the contest, go to www.sasafestdriver.com.

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