Bereaved families debate in Parliament over young driver safety

Families who have lost loved ones are meeting in Parliament today.

Author: Amelia SalmonsPublished 28th Jan 2025
Last updated 28th Jan 2025

Bereaved families and MPs will meet in Parliament today (28 Jan) to debate young driver safety. It is part of a campaign for a Graduated Driving Licence that would apply to new drivers.

Crystal Owen will join other bereaved families in Parliament to share her story. Her son, Harvey Owen, died alongside his three friends - Jevon Hirst, Wilf Fitchett, and Hugo Morris - when their car came off the road in North Wales in November 2023.

Hugo Morris, 18, (top left), Wilf Fitchett, 17, (top right), Jevon Hirst, 16, (bottom left) and Harvey Owen, 17, (bottom right) all died in a car crash in November 2023.

"Our plans would not be there to punish people, its there to protect them and save lives.

"There are no words for losing your child, especially not in a preventable car crash. It feels like your life stops in an instant," she said.

Last October, Crystal started a petition for safer driving licensing for newly-qualified 17-19-year-olds, which attracted over 23,000 signatures.

What would a 'Graduated Driving Licence' look like?

A Graduated Driving Licence would put restrictions on young drivers.

For example, drivers may not be allowed to carry passengers for at least 6 months after passing their test.

Mother, Crystal Owen, told us what else she would like to see:

"Some of the points we want covered in Parliament would be an increased learning period for young drivers.

"This would include supervised lessons for 6 months, with an experienced driver or paid lesson with an instructor," she said.

How bad is road safety for young drivers?

Julia Buckley is the Labour MP for Shrewsbury and will lead the debate in Parliament:

"It is the number one cause of death for under 29-year-olds, in the world. If it were any other cause of death, it would be a public emergency.

"Therefore, when I speak to MPs about it, they really understand it. They all have cases in their constituency, so they are familiar with the problem.

"As a 50-year-old woman, I can still remember when a 17-year-old died in my town in a car crash when I was a teenager," she said.

According to a government report.-,2.,19%2C349%2C%20a%20fall%20of%2038%25){:target=_blank}, published in September 2024, young male drivers aged 17-24 are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured compared with all car drivers aged 25 and over.

In November 2024, the government announced it was not considering graduated driving licences. However, it did state: "Whilst we are not considering Graduated Driving Licences, we absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads, and we are considering other measures to tackle this problem and protect young drivers."

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