On Tuesday (9/11/21), I attended a near fatality on the intersection of Kooyong and North Rd.  A young man, about 14 years old, on a bicycle was hit by a truck and suffered severe head injuries.  He was unconscious and taken to the Royal Children's Hospital. 

You can read about the incident here. 

This intersection is extremely dangerous.  Many children and families walk or ride through this intersection everyday on their way to school.  It has become increasingly busy over recent years due to the increase in construction in our local area, with trucks traversing this corner constantly throughout the day.

Simple changes could make this intersection safe for children, families, and local community, eg:

1. Move the traffic signal box on the corner of Kooyong and North Rds, so cars can see children waiting to cross.

2. Change the traffic signals so right-turning traffic from North Rd into Kooyong Rd does not run the risk of running over children crossing Kooyong Rd.

3. Build a lip on the footpath on the east corner of Kooyong Rd and North Rd, so cars, trucks and buses do not mount the kerb where children are waiting. 

4.  Introduce a 40 km/hr limit school zone on North Rd from Hawthorn Rd to Lantana St.

5.  Provide a school-crossing supervisor ('lollipop person')

We call on State Government, VicRoads, and Glen Eira and Bayside Councils to take these simple steps to prevent another unnecessary tragedy on this intersection.

We call on our local State and Federal MPs to support the community so that these changes can happen quickly so another child is not injured.