Mother’s disappointment over new driving laws

A mother whose son was killed in a car crash has said the government’s proposed new road safety strategy is “not enough”.

Crystal Owen has campaigned for new laws since she lost Harvey, 17, in a crash in north Wales in 2023 when a new driver was at the wheel, and is demanding graduated licences which place restrictions on drivers who have just passed their test.

The government’s suggested measures include learner drivers facing a minimum learning period of up to six months between sitting their theory and practical tests.

Owen, from Shrewsbury, said “anything that improves road safety is a step forward”, but she believed the government was “missing a golden opportunity”.

She has lobbied ministers on issues such as a minimum learning period for new drivers, restrictions on passenger numbers they can transport and rules around driving at night.

The measures have the support of the AA, her MP Julia Buckley, and West Mercia police and crime commissioner John Campion.

Owen said the minimum learning period alone would “save so many lives”. This would see an end to fast-track driving packages.

The AA has welcomed the measures announced by the government, but said not introducing graduated licences was “a missed opportunity”.

Its president Edmund King told the BBC that “all the evidence, from Australia, from Canada, from other countries” shows that limiting the number of same-age passengers in a car for six months “will save lives”.

He said of the learning period: “That will help, but the question is: does it go far enough?”

It was not a law to try and punish young people or restrict them, she said, adding she would continue campaigning for graduated licences.

“The tide is turning and people’s opinions are changing,” she added.

The government said it wanted to reduce road deaths and serious injuries by two-thirds in the next decade.

It is due to publish its new road safety strategy on Wednesday, which also contains plans to cut deaths by reducing speeding, drink and drug driving, not wearing seat belts and mobile phone use.

Around a fifth of all deaths and serious injuries from crashes involved a young car driver in 2024.

The government believes a minimum period between sitting the theory test and the practical test would help learner drivers develop their skills, including driving in different conditions.

The Department for Transport will consult on three or six months for the minimum learning period.