Bereaved mum calls for driving licence reforms

Sam Robinson, with her son Billy, has been campaigning for the government to introduce a graduated licence system in the UK

The mother of a 17-year-old boy who died in a car crash is campaigning for the government to introduce graduated driving licences which would bar young drivers from carrying passengers under the age of 25 or until they have been driving for six months, or turn 20 years of age.

Sam Robinson's son Billy was involved in a crash in Oxenden Road, Tongham, in the early hours of 26 September 2021.

She said: "It was our worst nightmare, our worlds fell apart. Every day has been difficult."

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport (DfT) said: "Every death on our roads is a tragedy and our thoughts are with everyone who has lost a loved one in this way."

They said: "While we are not considering graduated driving licences, we recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads and continue to tackle this through our THINK! campaign."

They added the government is considering "other measures" to protect young drivers, as part of their "upcoming strategy for road safety".

Billy Robinson suffered catastrophic injuries and died 10 weeks after the crash

An inquest in Woking in 2024 heard eight teenagers, including Billy, were travelling in a small hatchback.

Billy was the front passenger, five other passengers were in the back and one in the boot.

The VW Polo hit a kerb as it approached a roundabout and veered on to the wrong side of the road, hitting a taxi coming in the opposite direction.

The driver, 18-year-old Charlie Hopkins, also died following the crash, while the other six passengers survived.

Mrs Robinson said: "At 2am, we got the knock on the door that every parent dreads. We were told our son had been involved in a car accident.

"It was our worst nightmare, our worlds fell apart."

Billy died 10 weeks later in hospital.

Mrs Robinson says she believes many road traffic accidents could be prevented if graduated driving licences were to be introduced.

She said the law could deter inexperienced drivers from putting themselves in risky situations, such as driving at night with passengers.

New technology

Casualty reduction officer from Surrey Police, PC Chris Wright, told the BBC the force had been educating young people about road safety, focussing on mobile phone use while driving.

"We have people watching YouTube and TikTok videos while driving more than 60mph on the motorway," he said.

Brake, a road safety charity, is urging the government to mandate life-saving technology for all new vehicles sold in the UK, in line with the Vehicle General Safety Regulations that were introduced in Europe in 2022.

The charity said these included "advanced emergency braking, intelligent speed assistance and attention warning in case of driver drowsiness".

Ross Moorlock, chief executive, said: "We know modern vehicle technology, with automated driver assistance systems, has the potential to have the same transformational impact."

A DfT spokesperson said: "We know how important modern safety technology can be in helping prevent collisions and save lives, which is why we've assessed the evidence and are now looking into whether these features can be applied to vehicles across Great Britain."