ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - A mother who lost her son in a 2019 car crash is using personal tragedy to push for change in teen driver safety.

Tammy Gweedo McGee lost her son, Connor, in a crash involving teen drivers. McGee says that the crash never should have happened.

Now, through the Gweedo Memorial Foundation, McGee travels the country sharing her story and advocating for safer driving practices among teens.

“Three teenagers lost their lives that night — a completely preventable crash,” McGee said. “While I can’t bring my baby back, we can help other people.”

McGee’s foundation focuses on educating young drivers and their parents about the dangers of distracted and reckless driving, which McGee believes are too often downplayed.

“These crashes are 100% preventable. We need to quit trying to be their friend and start being their parent,” McGee added.

Experts agree that education is key. Debra Storm, the owner of DOCO Driving School, says online driver’s education courses are failing students.

“A lot of the teenagers will take an online course just to meet the regulations for the Department of Driver Services,” Storm said. “Those online courses do not go into the details that they actually need for driving.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 2,600 people died in 2023 in crashes involving teen drivers, with over 170,000 others injured. Safety advocates say simple actions like buckling up and using “Do Not Disturb” mode on smartphones can make the difference between life and death.

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