FROM TRAGEDY TO CHANGING CULTURE
WHAT if we truly believed that young people were our greatest resource for change? That there’s power in their tenacity.
That, when truly empowered, they are capable of the heavy lifting in shifting culture.
This is Peter and Melissa Mcguinness from You Choose Road Safety. They walk into schools and halls to hold both truth and grace in delivering the brutal reality of poor choices made on our roads.
It is raw. It is emotional and I felt it.
After losing their son Jordan, whose poor choice resulted in the death of himself and four others, they are dedicated to shaping youth culture on our roads:
“After the tragic loss of our son 10 years ago, we’ve now found ourselves on a mission.
“This is not about traditional driver education – the right and wrong, safety and danger.
“No, it’s less of a cautionary tale and more about hitting at the heart of real truth in changing culture.
“We don’t seek sympathy. Sympathy lies with Jordan’s victims.
“We look for change in creating a sense of community ownership and youth-led peer advocacy behind what we do.
“Jordan didn’t have a car accident that night. There are very few ‘accidents’ on our roads.
“It was his victims who experienced an accident that was caused by Jordan’s poor choice.
“Each school we go to, we’re relentless in our ‘own the choice, own the outcome’ message.
“Reckless driving isn’t a rite of passage to growing up. We make choices and they have devastating consequences for the people we love.
“Our vision? To see senior students lead the way, to show young people that they can protect their loved ones, their mates, their
communities by rejecting the passivity of luck and embrace accountability.
“We can plant seeds but the power is with them.
“Some say our youth are entitled, but honestly, never have we seen such an empowered generation.”
Peter and Melissa truly humbled me. Their inability to tie a bow on brokenness and call it a day drives their heartfelt mission forward with every presentation and every interaction with someone’s precious teen.
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