HANNA AWARDS
Drive Safe Hampton Roads presented the
31st Annual John T. Hanna Awards for Excellence in Traffic Safety
March 1, 2022 (Hampton Roads, VA) – The annual John T. Hanna Awards, presented by Drive Safe Hampton Roads, recognized five local individuals and groups for outstanding performance in the area of traffic safety. This year’s recipients included Sandbridge Traffic Safety Group, Michael Goodove, Christy King, Riverside Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health (Riverside CEALH) Jane D. McKinney Driver Rehabilitation Program, and John Vaughter.
Drive Safe Hampton Roads is a regional coalition comprised of safety advocates from local law enforcement and fire safety divisions, corporations, the military, state, city and county government, and other individuals. For 34 years, Drive Safe Hampton Roads has been dedicated to preventing crashes, injuries, and fatalities on the region’s roadways.
The awards were given in the following categories: Traffic Safety Activism, Impaired Driving Prevention, Occupant Protection, Transportation Safety, and Lifetime Achievement.
The 2021 John T. Hanna Award Recipients are as follows:
Martin H. Schlosser Award for Traffic Safety Activism award is presented for outstanding efforts in educating citizens and changing attitudes and behavior regarding transportation safety.
The winner of this award is the Sandbridge Traffic Safety Group. In early 2021, after advancing concerns about traffic safety issues in their neighborhood, a group of Sandbridge homeowners convened to provide the City with a comprehensive look at factors affecting traffic safety. This study points out the uniqueness of Sandbridge, where a small number of summer beach cottages have been replaced by a growing number of full-time residents and numerous large beach rental properties. It also points out characteristics that negatively impact traffic safety. The study reviews current conditions, adding recommendations in many areas, i.e., crosswalk pavement parking and signage, traffic calming, speed limits/signage, passing, blind corners, beach access paths, and parking. Because many of the City’s actions are planned for 2022, the final results of the effort will not be known until later in 2022. All activities associated with this project were done by resident volunteers who researched data, walked the community to photograph and
document traffic safety issues, and contributed to the written report, The Sandbridge Traffic Safety Group. For additional information, please refer to the website link: https://www.drivesafehr.org/get-involved/john-t-hanna-awards/ or contact Drive Safe HR.
Impaired Driving Prevention award is presented to individuals and/or organizations who encourage the prevention of drunk, drowsy, drugged and/or distracted driving.
The winner of this award is Michael Goodove. Mike Goodove has been a volunteer for the MADD Southside Chapter in the Tidewater region since 1993. In his time as a MADD volunteer, he has served as the President and media spokesperson for the MADD
Southside Chapter, serving as a champion for safer roads and lending a voice to the victims and families of victims of impaired driving crashes in the region. Throughout his tenure with MADD Southside, Mr. Goodove has provided financial support for the MADD Southside Candlelight Vigil so that victims in the area would have a venue to remember and honor their loved ones each year. He has organized and conducted monthly meetings for MADD, organized and conducted monthly support group meetings for victims, organized “Tie One On For Safety” Campaigns, and worked pro-bono with victims and prosecutors. Mike says he volunteers because he believes in supporting victims and deterring impaired driving.
Occupant Protection award is presented for promoting and encouraging the use of safety belts and/or child safety seats through creative and innovative programs and activities.
The winner of this award is Christy King. Christy King is the mother of Christopher King who tragically lost his life in a traffic accident because he was not wearing his seat belt. Christopher King and three other friends were leaving a party in the Williamsburg-
Jamestown Airport area. The driver was driving at a dangerously high speed and crashed. Christopher King died in that car accident on July 4, 2020, the only fatality because he was not wearing his seatbelt. Christopher was 18 years old. To commemorate the one-year anniversary of her son’s death, Christy King teamed up with family and friends to hold several events in honor of Christopher’s memory. Christy focused on promoting the Buckle Up message and safe driving at her “Cruise-In and Curls for Chris” events over the July 2021 July 4th holiday weekend. Christy plans on hosting these Buckle Up and safe driving events every year so that “not another mother, not another family, will have to go through what we have gone through.”
Transportation Safety awards are presented to individuals or organizations who develop educational approaches to the public and/or private sector to promote traffic safety for drivers and riders.
This award goes to Riverside Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health (Riverside CEALH)
Jane D. McKinney Driver Rehabilitation Program. The Jane D. McKinney Driver Rehabilitation Program, led by a Certified Driving Rehabilitation Specialist, is one of a few in the Hampton Roads region with a focus on evaluating the skills and abilities of drivers, particularly older drivers. The program includes Senior Driver Safety Assessments, Adaptive Driver Assessment and Training, and Driver Training for Teenagers with Disabilities. In addition to driver safety assessments, this Riverside program provides training in modified vehicle equipment and adapted driving strategies for those with physical or cognitive disabilities. The Jane D. McKinney Driver Rehabilitation Program is a DMV-licensed Commercial Driving School. A sliding scale to cover the cost of a driving assessment is offered to individuals who qualify.
Presentation of the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award to John Vaughter.
John Vaughter has been actively educating the veteran and medical community on driving safety for over 40 years. John Vaughter’s career began in driver rehabilitation as a Program Manager of the Driving Rehabilitation Program with the Department of Veterans Affairs and later as Adjunct Faculty for the Department’s Driver Rehabilitation Instructors Training Course. John is recognized for establishing the Driver Rehabilitation Program, which is a collaboration between the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Medical \Center and the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department at the Medical College of Virginia to evaluate and train private clients. He provided in-service training for physicians, nursing staff, and allied health professionals on the importance of re-training veterans whose driving status had been compromised due to injury or illness. Later, he was the Program Manager for the Metropolitan Driving School in Richmond, VA. John is a Certified Driving Rehabilitation Specialist (CDRS) and a licensed Commercial Driving Training
School Instructor for over twenty years. Currently, John Vaughter is the Driver Rehabilitation Coordinator for The Riverside Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health (CEALTH). He evaluates driving potential impacted by cognitive, congenital, or functional deficits, employing adaptive aids if applicable to further enhance independence and quality of life. In addition, John works with younger adults with disabilities to obtain their license through the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services. John Vaughter has dedicated his life to ensure drivers have the best education and training in driver safety.
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About Drive Safe Hampton Roads: Drive Safe Hampton Roads (DSHR) is a non-profit regional coalition whose mission is to improve highway safety and reduce injuries and deaths from vehicle crashes for over 34 years. Using various initiatives including community events and public outreach, we work with partners in both the private sector and governmental agencies to promote citizen involvement and community awareness as we strive toward zero deaths on our roads.
John T. Hanna, the namesake of the awards, is widely known in the Commonwealth for his years of service dedicated to improving traffic safety in Virginia. Hanna served as the Deputy Commissioner for Transportation Safety at the state Department of Motor Vehicles and worked in the traffic safety field for more than 60 years.
Media Contact:
Kathy Raymond, Administrative Coordinator
Drive Safe Hampton Roads
Phone: 757-498-2562
Email: DSHR@DriveSafeHR.org
For more information, visit www.DriveSafeHR.org and more on the awards, visit: https://www.drivesafehr.org/get-involved/john-t-hanna-awards/.
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