How many more people need to die? Campaigner Laura Hansler says A9 deaths are creating 'generational trauma' for families
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Road safety campaigner Laura Hansler believes the mounting death toll on the A9 is creating “generational trauma” for devastated families.
Describing her reaction to the sad news of the 18-year-old’s death, she said she was “absolutely horrified”.
The 3833-signature petition raised by the A9 Dual Action Group is to go before Holyrood’s Public Petitions Committee at Holyrood on June 14.
The group’s co-founder, Ms Hansler said: “It is an 18-year-old – their family will never ever get over that, so it is generational trauma now, a complete and utter loss of life.
"These families have had their memories stolen from them, they have had their futures stolen from them.”
Promises
Ms Hansler who is due to attend a hearing at Holyrood’s petitions committee in just over two weeks questioned what happened to all the promises that were made during the SNP leadership debate, staged by The Inverness Courier.
At the time, Humza Yousaf said: "If I am First Minister the first thing I will do is sit down with my finance secretary who I will appoint and say this is the priority and the budget has to reflect this.
“I would waste no time in getting Inverness to Nairn, including the Nairn bypass, up and running. This is not just about connectivity, it is about lives and safety, the A9 and A96.”
She said: “Apart from anything else, Ash Regan made certain promises about the A9, Kate Forbes as a Highlander was always behind it, and Humza Yousaf made a lot of promises – so where are these promises?
“I think the key thing here is that this latest crash happened on the Tomatin to Moy section and we cannot get contractors to put in bids, we have the section we have been pleading to get done, another one bid has come in.
“And now we have an 18 year old dead. It is an absolutely inexcusable state of affairs.”
'Not a peep'
Ms Hansler also wondered whether there had been a change at Transport Scotland when asked if Transport Minister Kevin Stewart had been in contact with her or other local stakeholders.
“Not a peep. What is to happen on June 14 at the Petitions Committee in Holyrood is that Civil Engineering Contractors Association are going to give evidence beside me."
She continued: “Ms Gilruth did at least show face. She may not have had all the answers but she did show face and it is never about the singular person but the government and the party they represent.
“I have never heard a peep from Kevin Stewart, I have never had any contact with him so as far as I am aware he will not be appearing at the first hearing of this petition.
“I do know that Fergus Ewing is on the Petitions Committee, I know that Rhoda Grant and Murdo Fraser are both going to be there to give support so I have not heard from him.”
Tomatin to Moy
That the crash happened on the single-carriageway Tomatin to Moy section was another reason for concern, she said.
“The thing that I always say is that by dualling the A9 you will take away the propensity for head-on collisions with a fixed central reservation,” she said. “And they are the most horrific, they are the most horrific for the emergency services and they do cause the fatalities.
“We came up the road on Saturday, past Dalmagarry where the crash was and the road was completely scorched – you can see where all the foam was, the trees are all burnt so it has been horrific.
“If it had been dualled then the chances of it happening are slim to none.”
