Joanna Dentskevich – whose 14-year-old son, Freddie, was struck by a vehicle while cycling last year – has outlined her support for a States proposal regarding road safety improvements dubbed ‘Freddie’s Law’.
The proposition, which was lodged by St Martin Constable Karen Shenton-Stone, would, if approved, require Infrastructure Minister Kevin Lewis to amend the Island’s Highway Code to create a ‘hierarchy of responsibility for road users’ and asks whether a body should be established to ‘review legislation, infrastructure and good guidance’ to identify ways of improving road safety.
The proposal states that it seeks to ‘further the cause taken up by the Dentskevich family’, following a petition which was created by Mrs Dentskevich last month.
‘Freddie’s Law’ – which has amassed 3,671 signatures so far – calls for a change in the law to protect vulnerable road users, after no criminal charges were brought against the driver who hit Freddie when he was cycling in St Martin in March 2020.
‘The response received from the recent publicity regarding what happened to Freddie has been overwhelming,’ said Mrs Dentskevich. ‘As too has the support for the petition launched. It has given Freddie – and I hope others who have experienced the same – some compassion, recognition and respect that the driver hasn’t.’
In a letter to the editor, Mrs Denstkevich urged road users to sign her petition and outlined her support for Mrs Shenton-Stone’s proposition, which is due to be debated at the States sitting beginning on Tuesday 2 March.
