New road safety laws to protect children getting on or off school buses should be adopted in Northern Ireland following the death of an 11-year-old girl in Co Derry, a council has said.
Schoolgirl Caitlin-Rose McMullan sadly died following a collision earlier this month in Castledawson. Her death has prompted calls for Northern Ireland to adopt similar laws to those in place in the USA, where drivers are banned from overtaking a school bus once it has stopped.
Speaking to Belfast Live earlier this month, Caitlin-Rose's mum Stella said: "We have so many lovely memories, but when you send your child to school, you think she is coming back and knowing she won't is a hard pill to swallow.”
Read more: Mother calls for urgent bus safety reforms after tragic death of 11-year-old daughter
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She continued: "I feel like my daughter's been taken from me, and I feel like I need to do something to save other children's lives.
“As much as I'm grieving, and it's awful, I don't want to wait till next month, or until after three months or until another child dies. I need to do something about this.
“In America, they have flashing amber lights at the back of the bus, or there are other countries that have a thing called a bus hand which comes out the side of the bus to let drivers know that it is illegal to pass the bus because a child is getting off. But we have nothing like that in the North of Ireland.”
Mid Ulster council backed a proposal calling for the law change on Thursday night, after the suggestion was put forward by the SDLP after consulting with Caitlin-Rose's family.
SDLP councillor Malachy Quinn's proposal was passed by the council on Thursday and he is now calling on all 11 district councils in Northern Ireland to do the same.
In a statement, Mr Quinn said: "The need to address safety concerns around children boarding and getting off school buses has been brought sharply into focus by the tragic death of local schoolgirl Caitlin-Rose McMullan, but this is not an issue that has sprung up overnight. Over the years, I've witnessed countless near misses on roads all across Mid Ulster, we have all been sat behind a school bus and watched as a car recklessly flew past and as things stand there is no law preventing them from doing so."
He continued: “In Canada and America, the law is crystal clear: when the bus stops, traffic stops - no exceptions. In Germany, cars pass stopped buses at walking pace, a rule embedded in driver training. These aren’t complicated measures - they’re common sense, proven ways to protect lives and we must follow suit here. We need to create a safe zone around every child stepping off a school bus, give parents peace of mind and send a clear message that reckless driving near our children has to stop.”
Councillor Denise Johnston, who seconded the proposal, said: “We brought forward this motion after speaking to Caitlin’s mother Stella who wants to see action to make sure that no family ever has to experience the heartbreak they have been dealing with over the past few weeks. Nothing can ever make up for the loss Caitlin’s family have experienced, but their determination to take action to ensure this never happens again is a testament to their strength and bravery.
“There is a deep sense of sadness right across this area following Caitlin’s death, and frustration at the lack of road safety laws around school buses to keep children safe. Executive Ministers must listen to these proposals, to the unified voice of councillors in Mid Ulster and act to bring forward new laws to ensure that when our children go to school in the morning they come home safely in the evenings.”
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