Bereaved Mum, Crystal Owen, met with government ministers in Westminster last week demanding the introduction of Graduated Driving Licensing in the UK.

Crystal, whose son, Harvey, tragically died along with three teenage friends following a crash in Wales last November, met with Roads Minister, Guy Opperman, and Shadow Transport Minister, Louise Haigh on April 17.

She told them that the introduction of Graduated Driving Licensing is essential to reduce young driver and passenger deaths, stating that the policy “would have saved Harvey and many others.”

Crystal is also a lead member of Forget Me Not Families Uniting – a campaign group now made up of more than 70 bereaved families, who are determined to see the new law introduced.

Their campaign is being backed by RoadPeace, the national charity for road crash victims; Brake, the road safety charity and the Road Victims’ Trust.

Several countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many US States have successfully introduced Graduated Driving Licensing, which restricts the number of similar-aged passengers a young driver can carry in the car and night time driving. In these countries, there has been a reduction in deaths and serious injuries in crashes involving young drivers by between 20% and 40%, following the introduction of Graduated Driving Licensing.

Updated on: 25 April 2024