A woman who suffered life-changing injuries in a car crash more than a decade ago is warning that "nobody is exempt" from the risk of a crash.
In 2006, Gráinne Kealy from Co Laois was resting her legs on the dashboard when the jeep she was a front-seat passenger in crashed, causing the airbag to deploy.
The vehicle was travelling wasn't speeding but hit black ice and spun into a wall.
The then 22-year-old suffered significant brain and facial injuries in the collision.
Gráinne has spent recent years working to highlight the dangers of putting feet on a dashboard - and she says she will keep telling her story to make sure the message reaches more people.
Earlier this month, she took the top prize at the Road Safety Authority's annual 'Leading Lights in Road Safety' Awards for 2019 for her awareness campaigns with gardaí in Thurles.
Gráinne said she thought she was safe as she was wearing a seatbelt and her ex was not driving dangerously.
She observed: "In my mind back then, I thought once you’re wearing a seatbelt, he was driving safe, there was no speeding… you think you’re safe. But no, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case''.
“I was more worried about dirtying his dashboard with my shoes. I had new boots that day - the soles were sparkling clean. That’s why I had decided it would be OK to put my feet on the dashboard."
She explained: “You often see on the news, on social media, on the radio about people being in accidents… you think it will never happen to you.
“Celebrities have put up photos of themselves putting their feet on the dashboard. Obviously they don’t do it knowing the dangers of it.. They don’t know the danger of it. But they have huge followings… millions and millions of people watching what they’re doing.
“It’s just so important to be aware. Front seat passenger, back seat passenger… it doesn’t matter. Just be aware of what you’re doing in the car. Keep your feet down, don’t be worrying about your mobile."
