Tammy visited the WDBJ studio to talk about this important initiative. Watch the video here!
In 2026, the Gweedo Memorial Foundation distributed teen driving safety signs to high schools across Virginia, helping make safe driving a daily reminder for students before they ever get behind the wheel.
Launched in partnership with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, the statewide initiative places strategically positioned signs in high school parking lots and student driving areas. The goal is simple: put life-saving messages where young drivers will see them most—before they leave school and hit the road.
The signs feature six straightforward but powerful reminders:
Phones Down. Eyes Up.
Slow Down. Lives Up.
Buckle Up. Every Ride.
No License. No Keys.
Never Drive Impaired.
Always Speak Up.
Available in both English and Spanish, the signs reinforce the same safe driving behaviors taught through the Foundation's teen driver education programs. More importantly, they create opportunities for students to encounter these messages repeatedly, turning everyday moments in the school parking lot into opportunities to make safer decisions.
A Mission That Hits Close to Home
For Tammy McGee, founder of the Gweedo Memorial Foundation, this initiative is about much more than putting signs in parking lots. It's personal.
Her 16-year-old son, Conner, was killed in a 100% preventable crash involving an unlicensed teenage driver. Since then, Tammy has dedicated herself to educating young drivers, empowering teens to make responsible choices, and preventing other families from experiencing the same unimaginable loss.
The parking lot sign initiative is another way to bring that mission directly to teenagers—reaching them in the places where they learn, socialize, and prepare to drive.
Small Reminders. Potentially Life-Saving Decisions.
A sign may take only a few seconds to read. But those few seconds could be enough to remind a student to put down their phone, buckle up, slow down, refuse to ride with an unsafe driver, or find the courage to speak up when something doesn't feel right.
Because safe driving isn't just about knowing the rules. It's about making the right decisions, every time, even when friends are in the car, distractions are everywhere, or taking a risk seems harmless.
Through this statewide initiative, the Gweedo Memorial Foundation hopes to keep those decisions top of mind for young drivers across Virginia.
One reminder. One decision. One voice. One life saved.
That's the power of a message delivered at just the right moment.