Government considers passenger ban for young drivers following death of Cumbria teen
The Transport minister will meet with the mum of Caitlin Huddleston on 16 May.
Last updated 24th Apr 2023
Newly qualified drivers could soon be banned from carrying young passengers as part of Government plans for a so-called Graduated Driving Licence scheme.
The plans would mean drivers would not be allowed to carry passengers under 25 in the first year or six months after passing their test.
Sharron Huddleston's been campaigning for the law change after her daughter, Caitlin, was killed in a car crash in 2017 as a front seat passenger. The driver, Caitlin's friend Skye Mitchell, 18, also died. She had passed her test four months previously. Another teenager in the back seat survived the crash with serious injuries.
The Coroner at Caitlin's inquest ruled the crash was caused by inexperience behind the wheel and agreed with Ms Huddleston for the graduated driving scheme to be introduced to protect inexperienced drivers and prevent future deaths.
Sharron said, "Caitlin is lying in a graveyard at the age of 18. She had her whole life ahead of her. The Government needs to treat road traffic collisions the same as gun or knife crime. Changes need to be made to protect our young people and stop any other family going through what we have."
Road safety charity Brake said new drivers with passengers of similar age were four times more likely to die at the wheel than if they drove alone because there would be an element of them "showing off and taking more risks".
This peer pressure was one reason young drivers were less likely to be involved in an accident when carrying older passengers.
One in five drivers crash within a year of getting their licence, while over 1,500 young drivers are killed or seriously injured in the UK each year, according to the charity.
Sharron Huddleston will meet with the Transport Minister Richard Holden on May 16.
A DfT spokesperson said: "Every death or serious injury on our roads is a tragedy, and we continue to work tirelessly to improve road safety for all users.
"Our broad approach to improving safety for new and novice drivers is through new technology and improving education, while reinforcing vital road safety messages through our Think! campaign."