As a part of their commitment to keeping young drivers safe, ICBC sponsors a Road Safety Speaker for our Grade 11 and 12 students each spring. “Road safety speakers share how making poor choices while driving have impacted their lives, and the lives of their family and friends.
Sharing their deeply personal stories with compassion and humour, they connect and challenge young drivers to think twice before taking risks while driving. They speak about the risks resulting from poor choices like speeding, drinking and driving, or texting and driving. Some of these poor choices have led to the death of a best friend, or family member, and saddled them with remorse or sadness. These poor choices also have an impact on the caring professionals who attend these crashes.” (ICBC Website, 2024)
On Wednesday, April 17, 2024 from 12:20-1:20 PM the Grade 11 and 12 students will be attending a Road Safety presentation given by Mr. John Westhaver. Mr. Westhaver will be covering the topics of speed, impaired driving, distracted driving, dangerous driving, alternatives to get home safely by sharing his personal story.
Three decades ago, John Westhaver was a promising high school senior until tragedy struck just before his graduation. When a car accident took the lives of two classmates, it left him with catastrophic burns in a medically induced coma — and a nightmarish reality when he woke up.
John shares his story of loss, grueling surgeries, resilience and transformation to emphasize road safety. Drawing from over 20 years of speaking experience, John’s presentations aren’t just informative; they leave a profound emotional impact on his audience. He’s a masterful storyteller on a mission to save lives and inspire change.
John’s story is very impactful, but could cause some students to struggle if there is trauma in their past that we are not aware of. If this is a topic that you think will cause trauma to your child or you would like your child not to attend this presentation, please let the school know by emailing Mrs. Kim O’Dell at by Friday, April 12, 2024. We will create a quiet place for your child to study or work on classwork during the presentation.
Thank you for your support.