The Value of a Penny

December 2024

Jackson Bebiak was a softhearted soul who loved making others laugh. He was best known for his capacity to love, his sensible nature and his passion for video games, cars and music.

“Jackson really appreciated the way things used to be,” said his father, Alex Bebiak. “He was intrigued with the eighties and nineties.”

When Jackson died in a tragic car accident on February 10, 2023, at the age of 19, his family was thrown into a national conversation about tire safety.

On the day of his accident, Jackson climbed into the passenger seat of his friend’s 2013 Cadillac CTS and buckled his seatbelt. The Valdosta State College freshman was heading to Alabama, along with two of his friends. It was raining and the roads were wet, so they drove slower than the posted speed limit.

“Jackson did everything right,” Alex said. “They were driving under the speed limit, he wore a seat belt, and it still didn’t save his life.”

Jackson’s family made a startling discovery when they retrieved his belongings from the wreckage.

“We could see the tires were bald,” Alex said. “It was so noticeable.”

The car’s tires were worn to the point where the tread could no longer grip the road properly. The car lost traction, skidded uncontrollably and collided with an 18-wheeler on Interstate 10 in Gadsden County, Fla.

Jackson sustained life-threatening injuries in the wreck.  He was taken by ambulance to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare in Tallahassee, where he died on February 13. The other teenagers in the car received minor injuries. No one in the tractor-trailer was injured.

Jackson, who was a registered organ donor, saved the lives of three people. He was inspired to register as an organ donor by his grandfather, Papa Jack, a kidney recipient, after whom he was named.

The Bebiak family has received letters from all three of Jackson’s organ recipients. One of them has a framed picture of Jackson on their kitchen counter, and one of them is a firefighter.

“Jackson talked about wanting to be a firefighter one day,” said Ali Trauner Bebiak, Jackson’s stepmother.

“You grasp for those things in a moment like this,” Alex said. “You want everything to be all right.”

Alex knew immediately he wanted to steer the narrative in a way that would honor his son’s legacy.

Over the past eight months, he has focused his grief and energy on starting the Road Ready Foundation. Its stated purpose is to “create a world where individuals, families, and communities embrace tire safety as a fundamental aspect of responsible road behavior.”

Through partnerships with local schools and organizations, the Foundation strives to better educate young drivers on tire safety and maintenance.

“The tire safety piece goes along with Jackson’s passion for cars,” Alex said.

One of Road Ready Foundation’s initiatives is to teach young drivers how to measure safe tire tread using a penny. Place a penny with President Lincoln’s head upside down between two ribs on a tire. If part of the head is covered then the tires are in good shape.  If you can see his entire head, then the tread is worn to 2/32” or less, and it is time for new tires.

The penny test is simple, takes seconds, and it can help prevent accidents and save lives.

“A penny may not seem like much,” Alex said. “To put it simply, bald tires are not safe. Sticking that penny into your tread can show you just how close you are getting to the line between reliable and dangerous tires.”

Jackson’s death serves as a sobering reminder of how critical vehicle upkeep is to ensure safety on the road, particularly under hazardous weather conditions.

Tire safety accounts for more than a third of vehicle fault accidents, according to the Highway Traffic Safety Administration. About 43 percent of teens have never checked their tire tread depth, 32 percent of teens have never checked their tire pressure, and four of 10 teenagers are driving on unsafe tires, according to Michelin Tires.

“Everyone says, ‘I don’t even think about this,’” Alex said. “We have an opportunity to teach kids to look at any vehicle they’re getting into, same as if a friend was drinking and driving. Would you get in with them?”

Despite their grief and loss, which are still very raw, the Bebiak family is determined to help others avoid a similar tragedy. The Road Ready message is simple, really.  Safe tread levels and proper tire inflation can save lives.

The Road Ready Foundation’s ultimate goal is to partner with safety groups like AAA to educate students in high schools.

“We’re still evolving,” Ali said. “What we thought we’d be, our efforts and vision, is continuously changing as we learn more.”

“It’s becoming a lot, but in a good way,” Alex said. “I want to live in honor of my loss.”

To learn more, visit the Road Ready Foundation.

(By Kim Gilmore, LifeQuest senior public education coordinator)