Two mothers who have tragically lost their children in car accidents have urged drivers to slow down and be mindful on the road.
Estlin Wall (three) and Martin Ginnelly (21) were both killed in separate road traffic collision in the past six years, and their mothers want to stop to the needless devastation wreaked on families by road deaths.
Martin's mother Caroline has not missed a day visiting her son's grave since he was killed when the car in which he was a passenger was involved in a single-vehicle collision just five minutes from his home at Gibbstown, Co Meath in July 2018.
Ms Ginnelly said the pain of losing her son has not eased, but she no longer expects him to walk in her door to hug her or to ring her to find out what's for dinner.
"I was 60 on Wednesday, and it should have been a very happy occasion, but Martin was missing and each year feels like I'm leaving him further behind," she said.
"He rang me several times a day and gave me a load of hugs and I miss that.
"When the garda told us Martin was dead that day, my life and my whole world collapsed before me. He's my baby, he was only 21, he shouldn't have been killed.
"I have been at his grave every day since he died. If I have to go to visit family in Mayo, I visit before I go and then the next day when we get home. I haven't been away longer than that," she said.
"So many people have been killed needlessly on the roads. Life is precious. Cars are not toys, they can be weapons.
"Drivers need to slow down and concentrate on the roads. How many times have you driven on a road, preoccupied with other stuff in your head, and actually couldn't remember driving that stretch?
"Too many cars have hands-free options now, but I still see drivers on their mobile phones every day. And a quick glance at a text message while driving may mean you never get to answer it," Ms Ginnelly added.
"A split second, a lapse of concentration or a stray glance can leave some other family, like us, in a living hell struggling to ever fully accept that they are never coming home again."
Responsibility
Estlin's mother, Amy Dutil Wall has called for drivers to take more personal responsibility on the roads to prevent other families facing a groundhog day future of reliving the tragedy over and over.
Estlin, from Ennistymon, Co Clare, was just nine days short of her fourth birthday when she was killed in a crash in March 2017 as her father was driving her to creche. Her father Vincent suffered a brain injury in the collision.
"I think all drivers need to take personal responsibility when on the roads," she said
"It's very easy to reduce speed limits but in some cases, lack of speed is as much a cause as too much speed as it causes frustration and impatience to other drivers following a slow-moving vehicle and makes them take dangerous chances to overtake.
"I saw an argument that Ireland has a lower death rate on the roads than other countries, but there should be no acceptable number for deaths on the roads. It should never be 'not too bad'," Ms Dutil Wall said.
"Behind every number, every statistic, is a loved one and a family whose life has also been ended to different degrees. Behind every statistic, there could also be a survivor who, like Vincent, is living with life-changing injuries.
"A life of what could have beens is not a full life," she said.
She also called for a look at a current programme in her native US where a sensor is installed in cars to monitor their driving habits.
"This sensor monitors speed, brake control and all driving habits and sends a report to your phone at the end of each drive, rating how safe you were driving. The results can lead to lower insurance premiums.
"People love getting good reports, so this could be one that would encourage drivers to want to improve their skills and save money, instead of costing them more with additional penalty points."
