Claire Byrne was joined on the show this morning by Stephen O’Keeffe and Louise Keogh O’Keeffe who advocated for better investment in road safety after the death of their daughter.
The parents of 16 year old Mia Lily Keogh O’Keeffe who was tragically killed in a hit and run last month were on The Claire Byrne Show Thursday to call for better investment in road safety by the Government.
16 year old Mia Lily Keogh O’Keeffe was tragically killed in a hit and run last month when a car swerved and hit her while she had pedestrian right of way.
Mia Lily Keogh O’Keeffe’s parents told The Claire Byrne Show there were “no words” to describe the loss of their daughter.
Mia's father Stephen O'Keeffe told The Claire Byrne Show, "things needed to change".
"There need to be harsher and stricter laws and things need to move faster", he said.
“But we have a massive generation of young lads that are being taught to pass the driving test but not to properly drive”, he told Newstalk.
“There's a lot to be said about the correct mindset for driving. We need to educate people on what they're doing when they're behind the wheel of a car.
Mia’s parents, who have been involved in road safety in Navan, said the Government should show stronger investment in road safety.
“It's a real danger. It's a real problem.
“There were no measures on the main road before, simply a sign. As we've seen, not everybody is going to abide by a sign.
“We need to make sure that there are measures put in place. Ramps if needed or whatever other measures are needed to make traffic slow down, not just assume that drivers will.”
Mr O'Keeffe said opening Facebook and seeing another person killed on the road was like 'reopening an old wound'.
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“Our daughter is a home in a box and the people that caused her death are still at home. Where is the justice in that?”, Ms O'Keeffe told Newstalk.
They said that behaviours on roads continue to worsen because the penalties are too light and there isn't sufficient investment in road safety.
“It’s incredibly difficult and it feels like it’s getting worse day by day”, Mia's father Stephen said.
“Everything around me just reminds me of her.
“She was just fantastic. We were particularly lucky. She was so kind and just always the one to make us laugh. She was everything to our family.
Main Image: Mia O'Keeffe.
