This long weekend, keep safe on the roads

GetUp has launched a programme whereby its  members can start their own campaigns using the CommunityRun tool. And here is an important one for all of us, especially in the lead-up to Easter; it’s a campaign to get safer roads.

Jess, a GetUp me member from Sydney, has started the campaign in memory of her sister, Sarah, who was tragically killed because a breakdown lane on the Hume Highway didn’t meet minimum standards.

Jess writes:

A few weeks ago I lost my sister Sarah. No words can describe how hard that is. What makes it worse is knowing that Sarah’s death could have been prevented.

On 15 February, Sarah was driving the Hume Highway on her way to Wagga Wagga to start uni. Her car overheated and she pulled into a breakdown lane beside a safety barrier.

Despite the Hume being a major highway, the breakdown lane at that point did not meet minimum standards. This meant that although Sarah parked right against the guard rail, her car was left partially within the 110 km/hr lane as cars and trucks passed her at high speed, just inches away.

We spoke to Sarah while she was stranded there. She was terrified.

Mr Geoff Clark who owned a local tow-truck business was called to assist. Because that section of highway is so dangerous, he wouldn’t let his employees do the job. He went himself.

While Geoff tried to secure Sarah’s car, a truck side-swiped Sarah’s vehicle and collided with them both. Sarah and Geoff were killed instantly.

If the breakdown lane had met minimum standards, Sarah and Geoff would still be here today. Additionally, it’s not even the law to slow down and move away from people who are providing help to drivers in distress. My family started a campaign to change this situation because these fundamental failings create unnecessary risks for everyone who travels on our highways.

As a member of the GetUp community, I’ve seen the power of our movement first hand. Can you please support my family’s campaign?

Easter is just around the corner, meaning more people on our roads and more attention around road safety. This means that adding your name to the campaign now will have double the impact because the news will be covering road safety and Barry O’Farrell and the NSW Parliament will be paying attention.

Making sure our roads are safe is the least we can do for those who serve us by working on them – our local heroes like the SES, ambulance workers, police officers and tow truck workers like Geoff. And it’s the least we can do for our loved ones who drive on them.

As a member of the GetUp community I’ve seen the power of our movement first hand. Having your support on this issue would mean the world to me.

You can go here to support their campaign.