A group of 40 bereaved parents are demanding immediate action to tackle the unacceptable and disproportionately high number of young driver and passenger deaths on UK roads.
Forget-me-not Families Uniting was formed by Sharron Huddleston, Chris and Nicole Taylor and Dr Ian Greenwood after years of campaigning for the introduction of a Graduated Driving Licensing (GDL) system in the UK.
The group is calling for an expert panel to be set up to advise the Government on how GDL in the UK should look.
Sharron and Ian appeared on BBC Breakfast television yesterday (10 April) to raise awareness about the campaign (watch the show at 2 hours and 13 minutes on iPlayer).
Sharron Huddleston said: “Enough is enough! How many more young people need to die before action is taken? We can’t sit back any longer and just watch as more and more young people are killed or seriously injured in road collisions.
“Our group was formed as a means of reaching out to the Government collectively, as individual contacts resulted in no action. I have been campaigning for years and nobody has listened, despite all of the overwhelming evidence that has been put to them by leading experts in this field.
“Our message to the Government is simple – listen to us, listen to the experts and learn from other countries, who have seen a huge reduction in young driver and passenger deaths after introducing Graduated Driving Licensing for young novice drivers.
In 2022, 4,935 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes involving at least one young driver.
The group points to data from transport safety studies, car insurance companies and driving charities over many years which has shown that drivers under the age of 24 are more likely to have crashes when they are carrying similar-aged passengers in their car, when driving at night and when driving conditions are difficult.
In response to this evidence, several countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many US states, have successfully introduced GDL, which restricts the number of similar-aged passengers a young driver can carry in the car, as well as night-time driving.
The parents’ calls come after some of the UK’s leading experts in transport safety signed an open letter calling on national politicians to commit to taking action on proven, evidence-based measures to save young lives on the UK’s roads.
Dr Ian Greenwood, who has a PhD in road safety policy, said: “I am delighted that so many academics and experts have supported this letter – the 10 whose names were published and the 14 others who supported it.
“They are experts in criminology, law, medicine, psychology, public health, and transport safety: all disciplines which impact directly on young driver safety.
“The evidence for GDL is strong and has been available for many years, and I hope politicians will listen to the experts and act.
“GDL was first debated in the House of Commons in 1993, and my (forever) 12-year-old daughter was killed in a young driver crash in 2008. Had politicians acted before then, or over the decades since, and not simply debated, Alice might very well be looking forward to her 28th birthday this year.
“Between 20% and 40% of other bereaved parents might still have their children too. Politicians need to decide whether they will continue to ignore the evidence and calls from parents, or finally take action.”
Forget-me-not Families Uniting has the backing of RoadPeace, Brake and The Road Victims’ Trust.
The charities said: “We’re proud to come together to back these families and this growing movement. These families deserve to be heard and we hope to see action finally taken by the Government.
“We welcome other families to join this campaign and help us to stop these unnecessary deaths and serious injuries, just as other countries have.”
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