Don't ignore us, road death parents tell government

Harvey Owen was found dead alongside his close friends Jevon Hirst, Wilf Fitchett and Hugo Morris in an upturned car in Gwynedd last November

A group of families whose children died in road collisions involving young drivers have said they are sick of feeling ignored by the government.

More than 30 bereaved parents are calling for ministers to bring in a graduated driving licence scheme to place restrictions on newly-qualified drivers.

The government said it worked tirelessly to improve road safety but had no plans to introduce licensing changes.

Crystal Owen from Shrewsbury, whose son Harvey was killed in November, said: "It’s shocked me to the core of how at risk our young people are and how little is being done."

Sharron Huddleston's 18-year-old daughter Caitlin died in a road crash seven years ago

Parents from across the country have called for the change.

Harvey Owen was one of four Shrewsbury College students who drowned after a crash in Gwynedd last year.

A petition Ms Owen launched in August calling for the introduction of progressive licensing has been signed by more than 20,000.

Graduated schemes, which might introduce a minimum learning period or restrict passengers under 25, have been adopted in countries including the United States, Australia and Ireland.

Ms Owen said she was frustrated at not being listened to and believed tighter restrictions would have saved her son's life.

"We’ve said enough’s enough now," she said. "Every day that nothing’s getting done there’s more and more young people and other people being killed."

Government figures show male drivers under the age of 25 are four times more likely than older drivers to be killed or seriously injured.

They also reveal more than 1,500 young drivers are killed or seriously injured on UK roads every year.

In 2022, nearly 5,000 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes involving at least one young driver, including people in other cars and pedestrians.

Crystal Owen said bereaved families were tired of feeling ignored by the government

The 30 families are part of the Forget Me Not Families Reuniting group.

The group was brought together by Sharron Huddleston from Cumbria, whose 18-year-old daughter Caitlin and friend Skye Mitchell were killed in a road crash in 2017.

"That yearning for her will never go away," she said. "I have found my way of coping with focusing on the campaign that I do in memory of Caitlin."

"We can all now support each other, which is a good thing," she added.

The group includes Dr Ian Greenwood from Halifax in Yorkshire, whose 12-year-old daughter Alice died after the car in which she was travelling was hit at speed by a young driver.

"For me it’s about helping young drivers to manage the transition from being a novice and an inexperienced learner," he said.

Robbin and Patsy Suffield from Warwickshire have campaigned for change for nearly 40 years after their son Neil died when a young driver lost control and hit a bus.

"It really feels like the whole thing is gaining momentum now. In 1986 we were very much a lone voice," Mrs Suffield said.

The families pledged to continue to work together to bring about change and called for a government inquiry into the disproportionately high number of young driver-related deaths.

Rebecca Morris from Road Peace called on the government to listen to the families.

"Listen to the overwhelming evidence that we just cannot ignore from other countries which shows, categorically, graduated driving licensing saves lives," she added.

A 2021 Transport Select Committee inquiry on road safety for young and novice drivers included an examination of the case for implementing graduated licensing.

It noted evidence of a positive impact on road safety, but also concerns over the impact on outcomes such as access to employment and education.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "Every death on our roads is a tragedy and we continue to work tirelessly to improve road safety.

"We’ve commissioned research designed to help learner and newly-qualified drivers improve their skills and safety, while our THINK! campaign is specifically targeted at young drivers."

Robbin and Patsy Suffield from Wootton Wawen, who lost son Neil in a crash in the late 80s, said it felt like their road safety campaign was finally gaining momentum