My lovely eighteen year old daughter Caitlin was killed as a front seat passenger in a friends car on the 14th July 2017. It was the first time Caitlin had been in her friends car.  The driver had only passed her test a few months previously. Since speaking to the collision investigator and S.I.O. we now know the crash happened because through lack of experience the driver took the bend in the road too fast for her driving ability, even though she wasn't speeding.  The collision investigator has said she will have taken her foot off the accelerator when she realised she was going too fast, apparently the worst thing to do in that situation as it makes the car loose control and will have  made the car go into a fishtailing motion which eventually makes the car spin while the driver is trying to gain control. The car spun hitting a van on the opposite side of the road, instantly killing my daughter.

I am now looking into helping the road safety charity Brake campaign to bring the Graduated Driving Licence law into this country, as I would still have my youngest child Caitlin if this country changed the law on learner drivers and newly passed drivers. Newly passed drivers are banned from carrying passengers under the age of 25 with the G.D.L,  because they are classed as novice drivers. I have written a letter to my local M.P. and am hoping she will help me and Brake back this campaign.

I think it is ridiculous that seventeen year old children can pass their driving test within a few months and then drive a car around which is a machine that can kill and cause so much devastation to families. The law needs updating in this country.  Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Northern Ireland and many U.S. States have the Graduated Driving Licence in place already and it has been proven that young deaths in car crashes has decreased by a large percentage.

I know this will not bring my daughter Caitlin back to her family but I need to do something as I am so angry that her life was taken from her through no fault or hers. I need to speak out for Caitlin and I know she would want me to as I knew her better than anybody, and I know she will be so angry her life was taken from her when she had so many plans for the future.

Thinking of you every day Caitlin.

Love Mam. XXXXX