After unspeakable tragedy, one Aussie mum is on a mission to keep children safe around our busy roads this Christmas

  

It’s the shocking statistic that all parents need to know: almost every week a child is killed in a road crash in Australia - and this coming holiday season could be the most dangerous in years.

Sydney mum Michelle McLaughlin knows first-hand the heartbreaking reality of losing a child to road trauma, after the death of her four-year-old son Tom (pictured above) in a pedestrian road crash on the NSW Central Coast in 2014.

This summer, Michelle and experts from the University of NSW’s Transport and Road Safety Research Centre are putting the warning out to all Australian holiday makers to slow down, be vigilant and save lives - as this coming holiday period is set to be the busiest since pre-COVID.

Land transport crashes are the leading cause of death for Australian children aged 1 to 14. Between 2012 to 2021, 422 children under 15 years of age were involved in a road fatality crash, with 28.3% of these fatalities occurring when the child was a pedestrian. In 2021, 43 children lost their lives in road crashes in Australia. 

“After COVID and natural disasters put summer travel plans on hold for the past three years, it’s set to be a frantic school holiday season on Australian roads,” says Michelle. “With this surge in traffic comes an increase in risk, and the potential for a disastrous rise in road trauma incidents involving children.”

Michelle and her husband David established the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation with an aim to prevent other children falling victim to the same tragic fate as their beautiful boy Tom. Michelle has been doggedly campaigning for children’s road safety via community education and effective road safety initiatives (including the distinctive Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation signage) since 2014.

“Research shows that as a nation we are not making much impact on reducing child road fatalities, with the number of fatal crashes involving children 0 to 14 years not having changed greatly over the last decade,” says Emeritus Professor Ann Williamson, of the UNSW’s Transport and Road Safety Research Centre.

“While there was a decrease in the number of child road fatalities between 2014 and 2019, they increased again in 2020 and 2021. This is worrying, as it highlights a lack of results in efforts to reduce child road fatalities, despite abundant strategy and campaigning,” says Ann Williamson.

The statistics also reveal that more action is needed to protect children around roads and increase pedestrian safety awareness around vehicles, as concern is that the spike in fatal incidents involving children will further increase as people prepare their road travel itineraries to prime domestic holiday destinations.

“We are looking at a hazardous combination of factors that could make this the most unsafe Christmas season on our roads in recent years,” says Ann Williamson. “Complacency can kill and there is concern that after years of reduced holiday travel on our roads, many will be less prepared, less aware and less cautious. This, combined with the pattern of no significant reduction in child road fatalities over the last 10 years, could have tragic implications.”

Michelle believes that increased safety signage in Local Government Areas, better driver awareness and road safety education for children must play their part. Even more important is attentiveness and close supervision from parents and caregivers, with experts like Michelle and Ann Williamson recommending to always hold the hands of children, especially aged 10 and under, near roadways, driveways and in car parks. 

“Enough is enough, the message is not getting through and this needs to change. We must act now to preclude possible tragedy. We have to work together to make our roads and our communities safer, especially for our vulnerable children,” says Michelle.

What WE can do to increase child pedestrian safety: 

• Just as it is vital for children to wear a seatbelt when in a vehicle, it is equally as important for children to practise safe behaviour as pedestrians around cars on our roads.

• Children under 10 need to hold an adult’s hand when near a busy road and children over 10 need to be reminded about the importance of being attentive near roads.

• Parents should talk to their children about road safety but also remember it’s just as important for adults to be aware and vigilant. Children are still learning and developing the abilities required to identify safe crossings and anticipate driver behaviour. 

• Be cautious when on holiday or in new environments, particularly around areas of high pedestrian and vehicular activity. Road crashes take only a microsecond to happen.

• Speed is one of the greatest contributors to fatalities on our roads. The risk of death or serious injury is higher for children, even at very low speeds.

• Drivers should be on high alert for the safety of young pedestrians. Child pedestrians can move unpredictably, and their smaller size makes them harder for drivers to see.

• Drivers need to slow down around busy areas and be extra attentive when parking and crossing driveways.

Since 2014, Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation has facilitated road safety signs in 63 LGAs, reaching millions of holidaymakers.They are calling on more LGAs across the country to install this critical safety signage in areas of high pedestrian activity.

Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation is currently active in NSW, QLD, Victoria and South Australia, but Michelle and David McLaughlin want to take their organisation’s message and safety campaigns national. Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation is in urgent need of funding and support from sponsors and Government to continue their work in helping keep Australian children safe around our roads.

For more information on The Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation, or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit the website here.