Sarah Marret meets with Nationals leader, Danny O’Brien and MP Tim McCurdy at the scene of Lexi’s accident.
Yarrawonga mum, Sarah Marret, is actively pushing ahead in her attempt to change traffic safety laws around school buses with a petition launched today.
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Sarah’s nine-year-old daughter, Lexi, was struck by an oncoming car while crossing the road behind her school bus four weeks ago.
Sarah met with Nationals’ leader, Danny O’Brien and Ovens Valley MP Tim McCurdy at the intersection of Reillys Rd and Katamatite Rd where the accident happened on September 2.
After getting off her bus, Lexie and her six-year-old brother, Xander walked behind the bus as they did each day.
“They were holding hands behind the bus,” Sarah said.
“Xander said to us, ‘Mum, I saw the car, and I just stepped back’.”
Lexi took the full impact on her head and face, damaging the car, and was airlifted to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.
Lexi is airlifted to the Royal Children’s Hospital after being struck by a car.
In Victoria, under the Department of Transport and Planning, vehicles must slow down to 40 km/h when passing stationary or slow-moving emergency and roadside assistance vehicles with flashing lights or sirens.
Now Sarah wants to see the law changed to include school buses, as is the case in NSW.
Mr O’Brien told Sarah the first step was to start the discussion and get community involvement.
“I couldn't see why there wouldn't be community support; I couldn't believe anyone wouldn't want to support this,” he said.
“In this case, we’re talking about Lexi, but we're also talking about every child in Victoria.”
The bus stop at the intersection of Reilly’s Rd and Katamatite Rd where Lexi was struck.
With an election looming and the final sitting of parliament already completed, Mr O’Brien said it was a case of starting the process to build the momentum and talking about what can be changed.
He hopes this is a law he can change as Victoria’s new Roads and Road Safety Minister but said change was possible, even from opposition.
“We can do a Private Members’ Bill, we can do all sorts of things,” Mr O’Brien said.
“And you need to educate people, that’s part of it.”
Ovens Valley MP, Tim McCurdy brought Mr O’Brien to meet Sarah at the accident scene and told her he would come up with a plan to get things moving forward.
“That’s my commitment … to work with the Marett family to make school bus safety a higher priority and pursue meaningful change,” Mr McCurdy said.
“We're going to start that process, and then we’re going to try and work out a way to do this.”
Mr McCurdy’s office has prepared a hard copy petition, which he says he will table at the first sitting of the new Parliament in December.
All residents are being asked to sign the petition at the Yarrawonga Chronicle office and Yarrawonga Newsagency in Belmore St from today.
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