With a new Virginia law soon allowing anti-speeding devices for reckless drivers, a New Kent County mother hopes they will help keep teen drivers safe.
The Gweedo Memorial Foundation partnered with LifeSafer ISA on Wednesday to showcase the company’s Intelligent Speeding Assistance technology at the Teen Safety and New Technology Showcase in Williamsburg. The event provided information and hands-on driving demonstrations to teens and their families ahead of Virginia’s new ISA technology law, slated to go into effect in July.
The new legislation creates the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program, used for drivers convicted of speeding as an alternative to suspending their licenses. The court-ordered enrollment allows judges to order the installation of anti-speeding devices in the vehicles of reckless drivers convicted of driving over 100 mph.
The law will only target the “most egregious speeders,” said Tammy McGee, foundation executive director. McGee, who helped get the bill signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in April, said it will help everyone on the road be well-educated, licensed and use ISA technology to keep people safe.
Parents can also have the technology installed on their vehicles as teens learn how to drive. McGee said she was thrilled to partner with LifeSafer to have the technology in Hampton Roads.
“As your teen’s getting ready to get their learner’s (permit), let’s get that technology on the vehicle,” McGee said. “Let’s make sure that they know how to respect speed from the very beginning.”
Michael Travars, president of LifeSafer, calls the ISA technology “training wheels” for teenagers when they are on the road for the first time. (James W. Robinson/The Virginia Gazette)
There are two variants of ISA technology, said Michael Travars, president of LifeSafer. Passive ISA, which is pre-installed into vehicles, tells drivers when they’re speeding with vibrations and red signals, but does not stop the speeding.
Active ISA, which LifeSafer uses, takes the vehicle’s location using GPS technology and holds it to the speed limit on that stretch of road. Regardless of how hard the driver presses the pedal, the device prevents them from speeding. Active ISA can be installed into any car and has previously been used for fleet vehicles, such as 18 wheelers, Travars said.
Founded in 1993, LifeSafer has focused on traffic safety by providing tools such as car breathalyzers and alcohol detectors to combat drunken driving. In the past six years, the company shifted focus to distracted driving and speeding, Travars said. In conjunction with Virginia’s new law, he said the company wants to use its technology to teach convicted speeders safe driving habits through a one year program.
For teens, the devices can be used during their first year of driving after completing drivers education to help form a non-speeding expectation, Travars said.
“So, day one, they can’t speed; day 366, they still can’t speed because it created a safe driving habit,” he said.
LifeSafer President Michael Travars and Gweedo Memorial Foundation Executive Director Tammy McGee partnered to showcase the company’s ISA technology to Williamsburg on Wednesday. (James W. Robinson/The Virginia Gazette)
McGee’s took up the mission of boosting teen driving safety after she lost her 16-year-old son, Joseph Connor “Gweedo” Guido, in a York County car crash on October 2019.
That night after leaving a Tabb High School homecoming dance, Guido had plans to go to a party. He went with 16-year-old Nail Tairov, who was driving a 2015 BMW 335i sedan and only had a learners permit. McGee said her son was not supposed to drive with him.
The car had Tairov, who had just turned 16 the day before, Guido in the front passenger seat and his friend, 16-year-old Logan Koontz, in the back seat. Going 75 mph in a 40 mph zone to the party, the driver ran off the road before hitting a tree and flipping the car, with all three boys dying just 500 yards from their destination, McGee said.
A year after her loss and receiving therapy, McGee, 56, started the foundation to educate teens and their families about the dangers of destructive driving decisions. Along with speaking at various schools and organizations, McGee has prodded Virginia legislators to pass five bills focused on teen driving safety.
Joseph Connor Guido was only 16 when he died with two other 16-year-olds in a 2019 York County car crash. The Gweedo Memorial Foundation works to educate teens and families on the dangers of destructive driving decisions. (James W. Robinson/The Virginia Gazette)
She also started the “If You See Something, Say Something” platform for teens and community members to speak up about dangerous behaviors, including reckless driving, bullying and more.
“What happened to my baby shouldn’t have,” McGee said. “If I can use his tragedy to help fuel people and their mission to have zero fatalities on our roadways, then I am going to use my baby.”
“What happened to my baby shouldn’t have,” said Tammy McGee, the mother of Joseph Connor Guido. McGee now advocates for safe driving education amongst teens and their families in Virginia and across the country. (James W. Robinson/The Virginia Gazette)
Atley Wiese, 17, was able to test out the ISA device while driving on both a 25 mph and 45 mph road. Wiese said the speed limiting was seamless and did not district him while driving. A late model stock car driver in southeastern Virginia, Wiese competes in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly series. He previously worked with McGee by serving as an announcer for her Keeper’s Cup Memorial Soccer Tournament.
Wiese said the technology could be a major breakthrough in keeping him and his peers safe on the road. Likewise, he encourages other teenagers to know how important it is to minimize distractions and risk when driving.
“I know in racing, obviously going fast is one of the most important things, but also it’s safety,” Wiese said. “The same thing goes for driving on the roads. I mean, getting to your destination is the most important part, getting to your destination in one piece.”
The event also showcased a car featuring the tip line to the “If You See Something Say Something” platform. (James W. Robinson/The Virginia Gazette)
Travars said his company’s current goal is getting ISA technology to as many teens as possible. The technology is now available in Virginia and across the U.S. The company is also looking for partnerships with driving schools and other teen driver safety organizations to continue promoting lifelong safe driving habits.
For more information about LifeSafer ISA or the Gweedo Memorial Foundation, go to lifesaferisa.com or connergweedo.com. For information on “If You See Something, Say Something,” go to ifyouseesomethingsaysomething.org.
James W. Robinson, 757-799-0621, james.robinson@virginiamedia.com