Campaigner's dismay over planned driving laws

Ms Owen said she felt "very disheartened" to hear the government oppose graduated licences

A campaigner whose teenage son died in a car crash has said it is "disgraceful" that the government will not consider more restrictions for young drivers.

Crystal Owen's 17-year-old son Harvey died alongside three friends in 2023, when their car left the road in North Wales - and she has since been campaigning for graduated driving licences.

Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones told the BBC there were no plans to introduce such measures over concerns they might "unfairly discriminate" against young parents or carers.

"What more does it take? How many more young people have to die on our roads?" said Ms Owen, from Shrewsbury.

A number of proposed changes to driving laws were set out on Monday, including potential driving bans for over 70s who fail compulsory eye tests.

The plans have been welcomed by the AA, but the organisation said not including stronger laws for new drivers was a "major oversight."

Graduated licences have long been called for by campaigners like Ms Owen, and would place limits on new drivers like not carrying peer-age passengers for an initial period after they pass their practical test.

Statistics from the Department for Transport show a quarter of fatalities from road collisions involve at least one young driver.

Brake, a road safety charity, said young drivers were more likely to crash when carrying younger passengers, and were also more inclined to take risks on the road.

Harvey Owen, 17, and three teenage friends died in a car crash in North Wales in November 2023

Ms Owen said she has been left "very disappointed" by the government's stance.

"They're ignoring all the advice given to them," she said, "and they're not doing anything to protect [young drivers] or other road users which is absolutely disgraceful."

The 40-year-old said graduated licences would give young people "valuable experience on all road conditions", which would "build up their confidence before they've got the added pressure of distractions.

"So just for a small inconvenience for a short amount of time to think that that could save so much heartache, it's just a no-brainer really."

'Frozen in time'

Ms Owen said she felt "really disheartened", adding that she began campaigning just six weeks after Harvey's death.

"We just don't understand why the people at the top are not making the right decisions," she said.

"Harvey and many, many others, their lives are frozen in time - Harvey will be forever 17 and the families that are left behind, our lives are absolutely destroyed."

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said that "every death on our roads is a tragedy and our thoughts remain with the families of everyone who has lost a loved one in this way."

They confirmed that the government was "not considering graduated driving licences," but added they "absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads."

The spokesperson added that the DfT was "considering other measures to address this problem and protect young drivers."