Sukhi Atwal, an Indian-origin mother who lost her 12-year-old son in a car crash in Britain nearly two years ago, has launched a ‘seat belt campaign’ in his memory.
Atwal has released CCTV footage of the crash in May 2015 to show the moment of the crash. Her son, Amar, was flung from the car because he was not wearing a seat belt. He died in a Birmingham hospital days later.
“Wearing a seat belt could have saved his life, at the very least it would have given him a better chance of survival. We can never get Amar back, but I just hope by encouraging both young and old to try and be as safe as possible, they won’t have to go through the heartbreak we have,” Atwal said.
The driver of the taxi, 35-year-old Nadeem Hussain, was jailed for six years in December for causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The accident occurred in West Bromwich in the West Midlands region of England.
West Midlands Police have now produced a video featuring images of Amar and Sukhi that will be used during school talks. Special Constable Clive Broadhurst said, commenting on the video, “I regularly go around schools to give road safety advice and urge pupils to be strapped in. It can prevent serious injuries or even save your life.”
“It is very brave of Sukhi to share her experience and hopefully it will hit home how wearing a seat belt can make a difference,” he said.