Cumbria's Commissioner to write to government on Caitlin's Campaign

Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (Commissioner), David Allen, is throwing his support behind a campaign launched in memory of a Cumbrian teenager.

18-year-old Caitlin Huddleston was killed in a crash on the A595 near Millom in July 2017, along with her friend Skye Mitchell, 18, who was driving. She lost control of the car on a bend in wet weather. A third passenger, aged 18, and an oncoming van driver were also seriously injured in the crash.

Following the tragedy Caitlin's mum Sharron began campaigning for a British Graduated Driving Licensing system. GDLs would prohibit young, newly-qualified drivers from carrying peer-aged passengers until they have been driving for at least six months, providing them with more time to gain skills as an independent driver.

"Getting behind the wheel of a car without an experienced driver is a massive responsibility".

David has now met with Sharron to give his support for Graduated Drivers Licences (GDL).

GDLs have already been adopted by other countries with success – Victoria, Australia introduced Graduated Drivers Licences in 2007 and by 2013 saw a reduction in fatal collisions by 30% and 13% reduction for fatal and seriously injured collisions combined. In New Zealand, the introduction of GDLs led to a reduction in car crash injuries by 23% for 15–19-year-olds and 12% for 20–24-year-olds. A study carried out in 2022 by TRL for the RAC Foundation and Rees Jeffreys Road Fund also found that GDLs, in some form, internationally reduce collisions and trauma from collisions involving new drivers by 20-40%.

Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, said: “One of the things I want to do is put my support behind her campaign.

"I'll be writing to all the MPs within Cumbria to ask them to put their support on this. Then I'll be writing to Kim Leadbeater who is one of the lead MPs on this and recently spoke in a 10 minute bill in parliament on this.

"It's with a view to try and get political support on this, local support from the populous and and national support. I'll be writing with our local MPs to the minister of transport to say we should be considering doing this. As a nation we are letting our young people down if we don't.

"If you look at Victoria in Australia, they introduced it in 2007, there's plenty of evidence. By 2013 they'd seen a reduction in fatal collisions of 30 per cent and 13 per cent reduction in fatal and seriously injured collisions combined. if that's not sufficient evidence I don't know what is"

Sharron Huddleston said: “August is National Road Victim Month which was set up by Roadpeace the National Charity for Road Crash Victims - which aims at raising awareness of the staggering number of people killed and injured on UK roads.

“I am pleased to have met this month with Cumbria's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen and I am very grateful to receive his full support for 'Caitlin's Campaign' which I founded in memory of my daughter, calling for a British Graduated Driving License system.

“The main cause of death to our younger generation is road crashes and these crashes mainly occur on rural roads. The combination of youth and inexperience, puts younger drivers at high risk in those first few critical months after passing their driving test.

“We need urgent and effective action from Government to introduce safety precautions in the form of a Graduated Driving Licensing system, to help reduce the devastating deaths and serious injuries of young people in road traffic collisions. The overwhelming evidence from other countries that a GDL system improves safety is compelling.

“Road crashes devastate families forever. Road crashes should not be just accepted and thought of as inevitable. I am determined to raise awareness to parents around the huge risks facing young drivers and their young passengers on our roads. Graduated Driving Licensing would see young drivers and their passengers so much better protected.”