WILLIAMSBURG — After her son was killed in a car accident, Tammy Guido has been hard at work to bring awareness to distracted driving.
Conner Guido was 16 when he was killed on Oct. 16, 2019 in a distracted driving-related car accident as he was leaving the homecoming dance. He was the varsity soccer goalie at Tabb High School and played club soccer for various Hampton Roads club teams.
With April being National Distracted Driving Month, Guido is attending speaking events and conferences to raise awareness about what people can do to avoid distracted driving. The biggest? Speak up.
“Speak up! People learn best by example. Share your commitment to not driving distracted on social media and challenge others to do the same! Let’s inspire a movement of attentive driving,” Guido said.
The Virginia State Police (VSP) launched a campaign, Operation DISS-rupt, in early April to work on finding distracted drivers throughout the Appomattox, Chesapeake, Richmond, and Salem highways. The initiative focuses on distracted driving, impaired driving, speed compliance, and seat belt safety.
While the VSP campaign’s efforts have concluded in the Hampton Roads area, it will continue throughout the state during the month of April.
Guido offered the following tips to combat distracted driving.
“Put your phone in the trunk, glovebox, or turn it off completely to avoid temptation. If you can’t do that turn on do not disturb so it will respond to texts for you with a note that you are driving and will respond when you are out of the vehicle. Have breakfast planned out the night before so you don’t need to eat while driving. Set music, navigation and climate control before leaving your parking spot, and remind friends and family that you’ll never text while driving and hope they won’t either,” Guido said.
In memory of Conner, Tammy has launched an annual soccer tournament where players from across the region come together with community organizations that work to bring awareness to distracted driving.
“We believe that by coming together as a community we can make a positive impact, not only on the field, but also in promoting safe driving habits and fostering a supportive environment for our young athletes,” Guido said.
For more information on the Virginia State Police efforts, visit its Facebook page. For more information on Tammy’s efforts, visit connergweedo.com.