Sign, sign, everywhere a sign." The Five Man Electrical Band may have said it best.

Everywhere we look there are signs - big signs, small signs, neon signs, colorful signs, funny signs, meaningful signs. Signs that push products, that express opinions, that deliver ideas, that distract us from our everyday lives.

James Lorenzo came up with an idea for a sign designed to combat distractions. And while it may have been directed at his peer group, the sign contained a message that could be taken to heart by drivers and vehicle operators of all ages.

In May, James, then a sophomore at Manheim Township High School (MTHS), was honored with an award for his entry in the 33rd annual regional No Excuses Youth Traffic Billboard Design contest, which is sponsored by the national agency Center for Traffic Safety and State Farm Insurance. His entry, "Driving isn't a game," was chosen as the top selection from 180 Lancaster County entries.

After the design entries were submitted, a panel of judges picked James' entry as the winner.

A federally funded organization, the Center for Traffic Safety provides driver and traffic safety education in Lancaster, Lebanon, York and Adams counties. A winner was chosen from each of those counties.

"The mission is to reduce crashes and fatalities in all aspects of driving," said Danielle Horan, the Lancaster-Lebanon coordinator at the Center for Traffic Safety. "This contest is directed at aggressive driving."

For his design work, James won $100 and the Manheim Township School District received $1,000. In addition, James' "Driving isn't a game" design was prominently displayed on a billboard along New Holland Pike in Lancaster for more than two months.

To emphasize his message, James' design featured three video-game hearts, which are generally used to represent the level of a player's health in a video game. According to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) statistics, distracted driving is one of the leading causes of crashes in the state.

According to PennDOT statistics, 1,209 people were killed on Pennsylvania roadways in 2023. From the World Health Organization, traffic accident injuries are one of the three leading causes of death among adolescents.

"I think that's a very impactful statement," said Horan. "(James) went at it from a video game perspective. The point is you don't get more than one chance, unlike a video game. His idea was to relate it in a peer-to-peer way. He felt he could relate more to his peers than in any other way."

James completed his project as part of the Environmental Design Unit in Courtney Hauer's Graphics II class at MTHS. In addition to research and identifying key elements for effective billboard communication - like proper spacing, contrasting colors, the use of short simple phrases and legible typography - James employed an Adobe Illustrator program in his work.

When Hauer announced the results of the contest to her class, James was excited and in disbelief that he had won.

James' victory marked the third time in five years that a MTHS student took home top honors in the No Excuses Youth Traffic Billboard Design contest. MTHS students were also victorious in 2023 and 2020.

The timing of the No Excuses Youth Traffic Billboard Design contest is meant to coincide with the 100 deadliest days of summer, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day that is statistically the most dangerous time of the year for teen drivers.

"It's not just because of kids being out of school," said Horan. "It's also when people do a lot of traveling, and there are a lot of holidays as well."

For additional information on the Center for Traffic Safety, search "Center for Traffic Safety" on Facebook.com.