Submitted by Isabelle Hains and Ana Acevedo

About: Isabelle Hains and Ana Acevedo lost their sons Daniel Hains and Javier Acevedo in a crash on January 12, 2008 that killed seven members of the Bathurst High School basketball team and one teacher after a school van collided with a transport truck. They hope the results of New Brunswick's coroner's inquest into the accident will give them the opportunity to prevent similar tragedies.

Our story: Sixteen months have passed since our sons Daniel and Javier were taken from us so suddenly, and even the light of day looks different to us now.

We long for what we had before; we want to hear the words "I love you Mom" and to feel the hugs and kisses they gave us every day.

Nothing will ever be the same again, but we are compelled to make a positive out of this terrible tragedy. This is what drives us as we attend the coroner's inquest into the death of our sons.

And even though our recommendations are not binding under the current Coroners Act, we must honour our boys with a call for a Van Angels law that will prevent another tragedy from happening again, not only in New Brunswick but all across Canada.

From this inquest we want:

• The New Brunswick Department of Education to take responsibility for the safety of children travelling to off-site, extra-curricular events.
• Class 2 yellow school bus drivers for all student travel.
• A central student travel office at the Department of Education monitoring all student travel to off-site extra-curricular events.
• A weather law preventing students from being transported to extra-curricular events in bad weather. If there is a storm alert, the game is cancelled. If the weather changes at the destination, students stay overnight.
• Department of Education, Environment Canada and Department of Transportation work together with central office to receive special in depth weather forecasts, storm alerts, weather advisories and road condition updates.
• NBIAA adapt scheduling and rules to reduce team travel for winter sports.
• Passenger vans banned for student travel across Canada.
• Mandatory winter tires for all vehicles in New Brunswick.
• Widen roads on the the main highways similar to Trans-Canada Highway.
• An evaluation of current Motor Vehicle Inspections process in New Brunswick with a view to eliminating grey areas, increasing the number of auditors and setting higher standards for inspections across the board.
• Improve communications between inspection stations and the Motor Vehicle Branch so that mechanics are fully aware of their responsibilities.
• Minimum standards on tire tread depth has to be raised to a minimum of 4/32 and tread depth should be measured across the full width of the tread. Clients should be advised that their tires are approaching replacement time.
• A public awareness campaign on driving while fatigued and the dangers of winter driving.