Parents’ heartbreaking appeal after daughter killed when lorry …

18/04/2023

The parents of a student ^[1] who died after a lorry crashed into her bicycle on a busy Glasgow road are calling for major changes to make roads safer.

22-year-old Emma Newman, from Moulineaux in Paris, was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital ^[2] after the city centre ^[3] crash on Broomielaw at the King George Bridge but tragically died a short time later on the morning of January 27.

Now, Emma’s parents have joined the Pedal on Parliament campaign to create safer roads for cyclists.

In an emotional tribute to their daughter, Rose Marie Burke and John Newman described her as “on the cusp of adulthood” and “devoted to making cities safer and more beautiful”.

Sharing a statement on the Pedal on Parliament website ^[5], they said: “The symbolism is terribly searing. A young woman cyclist, 22 years old, on the cusp of adulthood, has carved out her path in life – devoted to making cities safer and more beautiful for all – but is crushed at the south entrance to the city centre of Glasgow.

“Our daughter, Emma Burke Newman, was a strong and experienced cyclist. She cycled everywhere in the much bigger cities of Paris, London, and Berlin. But, only three months into living in Scotland, she was roadkill at that deadly junction, as if the world were saying, no, you cannot. Not now.”

In the wake of the tragedy, Rose and John have said they are “taking on the mantle” to make sure Scotland’s roads are made safer, saying it will “help us of our grief” and “ensure her death was not in vain”.

Pedal on Parliament is holding a “no backpedalling” event urging the Scottish Government to maintain its commitment to making Scotland a cycle-friendly country. Campaigners will begin at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh before riding and marching to the Scottish Parliament.

Rose and John continued: “We, her parents, feel compelled to push Scotland ahead, to make roads safer for everyone. It seems that society has accepted death and serious injury as a cost of getting from point A to B? We don’t accept that. Had Emma lived, she would have made safer travel her life’s work. Since she has not, we are taking on the mantle. It will help us of our grief, to ensure that her death was not in vain.

“Although we are still in mourning, we have decided to support Pedal on Parliament as our first political action. We are demanding “No Backpedalling.” Scotland has great plans and the budget for active travel. Now it must deliver, without stalling. Given that the country is a decade or more behind, there is no time to lose – only more lives to be lost. We hope you will join us in this endeavour.”

Emma’s parents are calling for improvements to the infrastructure of roads, and for dangerous hotspots to be rectified and made safer as well as improved safety standards for HGVs. They added that they are “heartened” by the response of Glasgow politicians ^[6] to the city’s recent fatal crashes but said HGVs and buses were separate from cyclists, Emma “would be alive today”.

They said: “We urge all parties to support and adopt best-practice infrastructure, identification and remediation of dangerous hotspots, enforcement of current rules and regulations (using dash-cam video to catch lawbreakers) and improved safety standards for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). Not to mention education and a shift in attitudes. Actually, Scotland’s needs for active travel have been well articulated for years. The foot dragging needs to stop, right now. In Glasgow, we are heartened that politicians and stakeholders will meet soon to discuss road safety and hope that they can go further to develop an action plan.

“While the investigation into our daughter’s crash on Jan. 27, 2023 is still ongoing, we can say that, if only the proper infrastructure had existed to separate cycles from HGVs and buses, our daughter would be alive today. There is more than enough space at the intersection where Emma died to accommodate every traveller. There is more than enough space, we just have to commit to making it safe for all who use it.”

Emma was studying at the Mackintosh School of Architecture and Rose and John said she had “already fallen in love” with Scotland.

“Our French-American daughter had been cycling to school at the Mackintosh School of Architecture on the day as a part-time student who also worked part-time at an architecture practice, already contributing to society,” they said.

“Emma had been living and working in the U.K. for five years, cycling everywhere and discovering the country. She had all of her summer weekends planned, hoping to climb the Munros of Scotland. Emma had already fallen in love with the country, excited about having celebrated her first Burns Night, just two days before her death.

“We are calling on all who love Scotland to support Pedal on Parliament in any way you can. Unfortunately, we are in the U.S. on April 22, Earth Day, at our daughter’s memorial service, so we cannot attend in person. However, friends of Emma are going to PoP and invite you to participate with them. There will be a feeder ride from Glasgow in her honour ^[7]. You can also sign up to Emma’s memorial blog ^[8].

“What happened at this junction, we realise, is one case, but also an object lesson pointing to the need for long overdue progress to improve the safety of Scottish roads. Remember Emma, and may her life empower you to push Scotland ahead, full cycle, to fulfil its ambition for all active travellers.”

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