FRESH FIGHT
‘I’ve cried all night for my little girl’, says mum as Grace’s Law scrambler ban ‘will save lives’ & new target revealed
SCRAMBLER crash victim Grace Lynch’s mum has told how lives will be saved by a new all-out ban on the bikes.
Grace’s Law will come into force on Friday— making the use of scramblers illegal on all our roads and public spaces.
The Government was forced to bring in the legislation following public outcry after the death of Grace, 16, at the end of January.
She was killed after she was hit by a scrambler bike while crossing the road in Finglas, Dublin.
A man, 18, is before the courts charged with dangerous driving causing death.
Mum Siobhan told how the Transport Minister called her to let her know the ban she’s campaigned for will finally come into force on Good Friday.
She added: “I have cried all night for my little girl. It is bittersweet because although I know Grace is going to save so many lives with this ban, it should not have taken for this to happen.”
But Siobhan, who along with husband Martin had been pushing for the ban, insists they’re just getting started and declared: “The next thing we’re going after now is the e-scooters and e-bikes.
“We’re going to make our roads safer — traffic lights and other things like that as well.
“We’re not going to stop just for scramblers.”
As well as banning scramblers from roads and parks, Grace’s Law also lets gardai seize and destroy any of the bikes caught being used in a public space.
Officers will no longer have to establish that the bike was being driven dangerously in order to confiscate it.
The new regulations come days after a judge controversially slapped a garda with a two-year road ban for dangerous driving while in pursuit of two masked men on scramblers in Dublin — with Grace’s mum yesterday slamming the decision.
Gda Sean Shields — who told Dublin District Court he was trying to tackle the “scourge” of scramblers during the incident on May 4, 2024 — was also fined €500. He’s appealing.
And in a video posted on social media, Siobhan told how she wants cops to be given the power to pursue dangerous bikes without repercussions.
She asked: “With this ban, will there be more enforcement by the Gardai and no repercussions for pursuing or going after a scrambler? That is what I want.”
She added: “We want to reassure the Gardai that we have their backs and we don’t want anything like that to happen to another garda because they are trying to save our lives, they are trying to get these things off the roads.”
Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien yesterday admitted he was “taken aback” by the judge’s decision to ban Gda Shields from the roads — as he vowed to address the issue in Government.
He declared: “Gardai need to be able to carry out their duty without fear or favour. They are well trained. They know how to pursue criminals. They need to be able to do that. Obviously judges have discretion in relation to making their judgments and that is something I respect but we will deal with this.
“We have to ensure gardai have every support when carrying out their work.”
Source: https://www.thesun.ie/news/16766328/graces-law-scrambler-ban-save-lives-escooters-target/
