Gridlock Guy: Grieving father urges teen drivers and parents to check tires

Jackson died three days later, on February 13th, 2023. In the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last October, Alex told Jackson’s story and that of the foundation he and his family founded: Road Ready. Bebiak told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a recent interview that he knew immediately the cause of his son’s crash.

“We all noticed when we went to go inspect the vehicle and gather his belongings that the tires were very, very, very low on tread. They were almost bald.”

Law enforcement confirmed the assessment in their report soon after. But Bebiak decided not to be angry at teens for never checking their tires. Safety culture has not highlighted that very much at all.

As the Bebiak family grieved, Alex made plans to start the Road Ready foundation to advocate for tire safety. Teen safety initiatives rightfully focus on drunk and distracted driving, on seatbelts, and on speeding. Tires are often an afterthought, yet the rubber is the only part of the car that hits the road, Bebiak said.

“I was doing a lot of research and digging and found that (driving on bald tires) is a lot more common than we think. And that those tires were so low on tread that they were actually illegal to be driving on,” Bebiak said. “Did we even know that driving on bald tires is illegal? No, people don’t know that.”

He also is working with other professionals in the auto and tire industry to make tire tread standards tougher. Right now, Georgia law mandates passenger vehicles have 2/32 of an inch of tire tread depth. The state requires 4/32 of an inch on school buses (front and rear tires) and commercial vehicles (front tires only).

But Bebiak wants all autos to have 4/32 inches of tread depth. He said cars with only 2/32 need 380 feet to stop. Cars at 4/32 need 290 feet — or five car-lengths less — to stop, he said.

Bebiak has found that there is plenty of sobering data on tire safety, but it often is not presented in a relatable way. On the other hand, there are also plenty of sad stories of teen driving deaths that draw sympathy, but they often lack data and lead people to believe that the stories are aberrations and would never happen to them.

So Bebiak and Road Ready are setting out to marry the two and teach people this vital lesson.

Bebiak founded the organization about a year ago and has been making appearances at conferences around the nation and at events around Metro Atlanta. He and his family appeared at several Caffeine and Octane events in Kennesaw, putting their message in front of thousands of car gurus. They have been partnering with the Governor’s Office of Highway safety and with AAA on appearances at high schools.

Bebiak also is pushing for parents to do more to check their kids’ tires. He noted that parents are inclined to put their kids in clunker cars because they are new drivers. But Bebiak said that regardless of the look of the vehicle, the tires and other safety features need to be in top shape. Teen drivers and parents alike should regularly check tire pressures and add air as soon as the “low pressure” light comes on.

Air at gas stations is relatively cheap and the pumps usually have pressure gauges built into them.

Bebiak and Road Ready are also working on social media campaigns to suggest that teens check their prom dates’ tires before hopping in - and that anyone do the same for their Uber ride too. Those things may seem extreme, but we have to go no farther than Jackson Bebiak’s story from two years ago to realize this is not overhyped.

Doug Turnbull has covered Atlanta traffic for over 20 years and written “Gridlock Guy” since 2017. Doug also co-hosts the “Five to Go Podcast,” a weekly deep dive on stories in motorsports. Contact him at fireballturnbull@gmail.com.

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed