Road Trauma Support Group hosts inaugural event for victims of road crashes
At the inaugural World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims event, a staggering 311 cardboard hearts will be displayed — one for every life lost on NSW roads this year.
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Almost every 10 days a person under 18 is killed on NSW roads. That’s a total of 34 children —— higher than any 12-month period over the past five years, according to the latest federal government statistics.
And while 14 of these children were passengers, concerningly two young boys, aged 14 and 15, died while they were behind the wheel.
It’s a heartbreaking statistic that Nigel Smith has promised to do something about.
His 18-year-old son Lachlan tragically died in February last year, when the car he was travelling in crashed during a fishing trip.
The P-plate driver, 17, was later charged with a range of offences, including speeding at more than 45km/h over the limit. Lachlan’s death has shattered his family and extended group of friends.
Nigel doesn’t want his son’s life to be another statistic, and has joined a group he “never wanted to be part of” to lobby for positive change.
The Road Trauma Support Group is pushing for the introduction of a “vehicular homicide” charge when a driver kills someone, as well as harsher penalties for driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
“We have seen some horrific crashes where innocent people, innocent young people, have been killed,” Mr Smith said.
“It is triggering and the thought that the problem is getting worse shows that we need to create some kind of positive change.”
This Sunday, the Road Trauma Support Group will gather at Grace’s Place in Doonside, a trauma recovery centre for children and families impacted by homicide, to commemorate the lives of those lost on NSW Roads.
On the group’s inaugural World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims event, a staggering 311 cardboard hearts will be displayed.
Little Ivy Prahastono was the youngest person killed this year, dying with her mum and two-year-old brother Kai following a horror crash with a truck at Appin earlier this year. She was just three months old.
Nine-year-old James Edds lost his life when he was killed by an allegedly drunk woman while he and his mum were on their way to buy him a pair of new football boots.
More than 9500 people have been seriously injured on our roads this year, with 20 per cent of the state’s adult population experiencing the death of someone they knew on NSW roads.
“This day not only gives victims’ families time and space to honour their loved ones, it also draws attention to the suffering of victims’ families, and communities, and allows us to advocate for an end to a criminal justice system that no longer remains fit for purpose, is outdated and is misaligned with community standards and expectations,” Mr Smith said.
The RTSG has also called on the state government to establish a permanent memorial for the victims of road trauma, to offer families and friends a safe place to grieve.
“I lost my 18-year-old son as a passenger in a high-speed crash. He was a promising young man, whose life was tragically taken too soon,” Mr Smith said.
“He left behind a heart broken family and grieving friends who all deserve a place to gather and remember him.”
NSW Roads Minister John Graham said a permanent memorial was a “good idea” and he was “happy to discuss how we can make (it) a reality”.
As for a new specific charge of vehicular homicide, he said there was a “significant penalty framework in place”.
In the meantime, he is waiting for a NSW Law Reform Commission review into serious road crimes.
The Road Trauma Support Group has encouraged people to light a candle in honour of their loved ones this Sunday, and has invited those who cannot be there in person to join a livestream of the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/308556771983663/
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