Craig’s Story: Safer streets for children
“When I walk with my children, I get to see the world through their eyes and delight in their delight,” says Dr. Craig Barrett who lives in regional Queensland at Point Vernon, Hervey Bay. “We find secret paths that most people never know of, and revel in the deliciousness of our discovery. We talk to people and pat their dogs, and turn our faces towards the sun. I love the crunch of gravel, dirt and stones under foot, and the smell of trees.”
Craig is passionate about walking and making places safer for his children, so they can continue to walk together. “Walking is life. Walking is to live. To walk is to be present; moving, but slowly enough to notice things and stop if you want. To be with those you love, hold hands, steal a hug, to smile and they smile back.”
In their neighbourhood, Craig and his children get to walk through forests, along the beach, up and down winding paths and under enormous gum trees. “Most days there aren’t many people driving cars, and if they do, they’re usually driving slowly, so we feel safe and get to hear nature.” He also loves to walk in cities, as long as they’re not dominated by cars. “The bustle and energy of cities are infectious.”
To make local streets safer, Craig is a strong advocate for reducing the speed limit of all local streets to 30km/h and making major arterial roads a maximum of 50km/h. Reduced speeds mean that pedestrians are much less likely to be killed if there is an accident. He believes in making speed limiters mandatory on cars to make our streets safer for everyone to walk in.
