FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 22, 2026) – First Lady Britainy Beshear joined state transportation officials and safety advocates today to reward the top five Kentucky Safe Teen Driving Challenge participants for demonstrating safe driving habits during the 12-week contest period aimed at improving driving behaviors and enhancing highway safety. Winners took home cash prizes totaling $10,000 from sponsors AAA Blue Grass, AAA East Central and Intoximeters.

The five teen winners were Brianna Frailey (1st place, $3,000), Claire Lodge (2nd place, $2,500), Abigail Beckman (3rd place, $2,000), Zoey Tyrrell (4th place, $1,500), and Haylee Emerson (5th place, $1,000). The winners’ ages ranged from 15 to 19 at the start of the challenge that ran from April 24 to July 18.

“As the mom of two teenagers, nothing matters more than knowing they are safe – especially when they’re behind the wheel. This contest is a positive incentive for new drivers across the commonwealth to be as safe as possible,” said First Lady Britainy Beshear. “Congratulations to our winners and thank you to every teen who took part in the challenge. Whether you walked away with a prize or not, thank you for making the choice to help protect yourself and everyone on the roads.”

Overseen by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Office of Highway Safety, the challenge was powered by the Cambridge Mobile Telematics DriveWell Go app, which uses smartphone data to measure speeding, hard braking, harsh acceleration, and distracted driving. The app calculates scores and delivers personalized, regular feedback to drivers to help them improve habits along the way. More than 980,000 miles were logged during the challenge, with 580 teen participants who met the thresholds of driving more than 100 miles and taking 30 trips during the contest. During the contest, many drivers reduced risky driving behaviors by at least 10%.

“This challenge is one of many efforts to promote safe driving behaviors that will last a lifetime and make our highways safer for everyone by preventing crashes,” said KYTC Secretary Rebecca Goodman. “Everyone who participated is truly a winner by getting valuable insights to help them become better, more confident drivers.”

Team Kentucky invests in equipping teen drivers and promoting safe highways through infrastructure improvements, multiple teen outreach events, and educational campaigns that promote distraction-free driving, sober driving, and seatbelt use.

Over the past three years in Kentucky, there have been more than 13,000 reported injuries and 197 tragic deaths resulting from crashes involving teenage drivers. The challenge period overlapped with part of the “100 deadliest days” – a term used by AAA and traffic safety organizations to describe the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when teen drivers nationally are statistically more likely to be involved in fatal crashes.

“The safest drivers aren’t simply the ones who know the rules of the road—they’re the ones who make safe choices consistently,” said Lori Weaver Hawkins, public and government affairs manager for AAA Blue Grass. “These young drivers have demonstrated that commitment throughout the challenge, and AAA is proud to recognize and reward their achievement. The habits they’re developing today can help make our roads safer for a lifetime.”