Shropshire mum urges Government to reconsider Graduated Driving Licences
Crystal Owen has over 100,000 signatures on her petition
Last updated 2nd Apr 2025
A mother in Shrewsbury who lost her son in a car crash is calling on the government to reconsider putting Graduated Driving Licences into law.
Crystal Owen's son, Harvey, 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.
What is a Graduated Driving Licence?
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.
Last October, Crystal started a petition for safer driving licensing for newly-qualified 17-19-year-olds.
Are young people at risk on the roads?
According to a government report 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."
"How many more people have to die, until they do the right thing?"
Crystal's petition now has over 100,00 signatures with Crystal delivering it to Downing Street today.
"Laws do not change overnight, but the effects of young drivers have been discussed in parliament since 1937, so why is it still being discussed.
"How many more people have to die, until they do the right thing?" she said.
Crystal told us what life has been like for her since she lost her son:
"Harvey was one of four and his younger sisters cannot understand where their brother is.
"There is no words to describe the pain, you just think about them every second of every day," she said.