"Think Before you Pass... Do it for Benny"

It was a tragic accident that stole a young man too soon, but from his passing a new foundation to bring awareness to drivers on Saskatchewan's roads is being formed.

Benny's Awareness for Defensive Driving, or BADD, is a local non-profit organization. The foundation's mission - to build a defensive driving school and let the government know the qualifications to get a driver's license needs to be updated with more of an emphasis on taking care on the highways, especially while passing.

Bev Huckabay of Flaxcombe, located west of Kindersley, is the creator of the foundation. She was motivated to create it after her 17 year old son Benny was killed following an accident near Harris in 2009 when a driver going in the other direction passed before it was safe to do so, causing Benny's girlfirend to lose control behind the wheel and slide into oncoming traffic before crashing into a semi.  Benny's vehicle was forced from the road and tragically he didn't survive the accident.

Since the accident, Huckabay has campaigned strenuously to get more stringent testing requirements for drivers. A large part of her campaign has been a series of decals and bumper stickers that say "Think Before You Pass - Do It For Benny". Huckabay says in the almost two years she's been raising awareness, more and more people are rallying behind her.

"(The decals and stickers) have gone all over. We have them in Calgary, Medicine Hat, we have some in BC, everywhere," Huckabay says. The Foundation has already put on one fundraising initiative in conjunction with a local business, and another is planned for the New Year. On top of that, the group has also sold over 300 bumper stickers and decals, with all the proceeds going to the creation of the defensive driving school.

If you'd like to get involved with the BADD Foundation, or for more information, you can get in touch with Bev Huckabay via e-mail at beverleyhuckabay@hotmail.com or by reaching her by phone at (306) 460-7282.