For a moment during Monday’s mayoral inauguration in South Portland, as Hailey Betts stood at the podium wiping away a tear and choking back sobs, it did not appear the young teen would be able to continue her speech.

That’s understandable, because the topic of the 15-year-old’s emotional presentation was the death, less than two months ago, of her best friend in a violent car crash. Since then, Betts, step-granddaughter of South Portland Mayor Jerry Jalbert, has led a charge to honor her friend’s memory by passing a law requiring stickers on cars identifying the driver as a newly licensed teen.

It’s an effort supported by South Portland Democratic state Rep. Terry Morrison, who said Monday that he will try to get Gov. Paul LePage to introduce the bill during the coming legislative session, which starts in January.

“This will not only help prevent teens from losing their lives, it also is a warning sign to other drivers,” said Betts, regaining her composure and continuing her speech before about 50 audience members and a live television crowd.

“The mission is to promote, educate and help parents and young drivers raise awareness of risks, responsibilities and consequences of driving in today’s world,” she said.

On Oct. 3, high school freshman Taylor Darveau was the passenger in a car driven by a friend who had just obtained her license two months earlier. Under Maine law, anyone under the age of 18 first gets an “intermediate license” and must wait nine months before driving between midnight and 5 a.m. or carrying passengers other than immediate family members.

Despite the law, Darveau was with her friend as the two cheerleaders left a football dinner at Bucksport High School. At about 6:20 p.m., the 1999 Subaru station wagon driven by 16-year-old Samantha Goode went off Bucks Mills Road and slammed into a tree. Goode sustained only minor injuries, but Darveau was pronounced dead at Eastern Maine Medical Center within two hours of the wreck.

“There were four similar accidents in October, two leading to deaths,” said Betts.

According to the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety, Darveau was the ninth person aged 15 to 19 to die on Maine roads this year.

In the wake of the accident, the Darveau family has created the T.A.Y.L.O.R. Foundation – in memory of their daughter, it’s an acronym that stands for “Think About Your Life On the Road” – in hopes of preventing further teen deaths.

The legislation proposed by the foundation would require placement of a neon pink sticker in the front and back, passenger side windows of any car regularly operated by an intermediate driver.

According to Betts, a similar law passed in New Jersey in 2010, requiring a red sticker on license plates, has had a positive impact.

“In the first year, data analysis shows that teen crashes went down 9 percent and ticketing for intermediate drivers who had passengers in the car went up 14 percent,” she said.

Because deadlines for both submission of new bills and bill appeals has passed, Morrison said Monday that getting Taylor’s Law passed with be a tall order this legislative session.

“At this point, we have limited resources for getting a bill in, with the exception of the governor,” he said. “I can approach the governor to see if he will put in a bill of his own, which he can do at any time he wants. That’s really the only option we have.”

Intervention by the speaker of the House is “highly unlikely” at this late stage, said Morrison.

“Still, I’ll work with anyone I can to navigate through this,” he said. “We’ll take one step at a time to see what we can do, but I’m very interested in this legislation. I think it’s worthy of recognition.”

For Betts, described by her step-grandfather as “one of those super kids who excels at everything,” there can be no greater goal at the moment than seeing T.A.Y.L.O.R. tags become standard issue by parents of all new drivers.

“My friend may have lost her life, but she did not lose her voice,” said Betts. “Taylor’s story will continue to inspire people with what one mistake at the wheel can do.”

A CLOSER LOOK

To learn more about the T.A.Y.L.O.R. Foundation and its effort to require vehicle stickers on cars driven by intermediate license holders, search for “TaylorDarveauFoundation” on Facebook, or, to obtain stickers for a teen, email TaylorDFoundation@gmail.com.

State Rep. Terry Morrison, D-South Portland, explains the legislative process to, from left, Christian Jalbert of Bucksport, family friend Devon Darveau, his stepdaughter Hailey Betts and his father, South Portland Mayor Jerry Jalbert. Hailey is leading an effort to amend state law regarding teen drivers following the Oct. 3 death of her best friend, Taylor Darveau, in a car crash.