How Brooke Richardson’s death at the wheel changed Victoria’s driving laws

FOUR years ago Vicki Richardson lost her much-loved daughter in a tragic car crash when she momentarily took focus off the road to send a text message on her phone.

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BROOKE Richardson was a vibrant, artistic and spiritual young woman when she made the fateful mistake of texting while driving.

Four years ago Vicki Richardson lost her much-loved daughter in a tragic car crash that occurred when she momentarily took focus off the road to send a message on her phone.

“Hey are you still coming today,” was the simple text message the 20-year-old hairdresser sent to a client on her way to work as a hairdresser in Cobram on December 4, 2012.

Brooke’s death helped spark a review of laws covering the use of mobile phones by drivers including a ban on any use, hands-free or not, by P1 or P2 learner drivers and increased fines and demerit point loss for other drivers.

Brooke, sadly, was the first person in Victoria where a coroner formally found mobile texting to be the cause of the death.

Brooke Richardson, 20, died after crashing her car while texting. Picture: Supplied

Vicki Richardson, her extended family and supporters have ever since been campaigning, under the banner of the Don’t-txt-n-Drive Foundation, to raise awareness of the lethal dangers of phone distraction in vehicles.

At schools, sports clubs and businesses Vicki recounts her personal tragedy and tells students to think of the torment their parents, siblings and friends would go through if they made the same mistake.

“I don’t gloss it over, I tell them what it’s like to go the coroners,” she said.

“It’s all about learning, understanding and education.”

Brooke had often told her mother she wanted to make a difference in her life, and Vicki sees saving other families from similar heartache is that purpose.

Brooke Richardson, 20, died after crashing while texting. Picture: Supplied

“I think she kind of pushes me on (in the campaign) and I take that spiritual link as well.”

One of the biggest challenges is breaking the cultural need for constant “connectivity and modern day “multi-tasking,” Vicki said.

But people should simply switch phones off while driving, put them in back seats beyond reach, use a “reception blocking” pouch and upload an app which tells callers or texters they are driving and can’t answer, she advises.

Like the drink driving message, government and safety organisations should look at confronting advertising on TV and social media to help reduce the phone-texting road toll, Vicki believes.

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