“We’re not going to stop until something is done”
The campaign group, Forget-me-not Families Uniting, which is calling for the urgent introduction of a Graduated Driving Licensing system in the UK, has now grown to include more than 110 bereaved parents.
The families, whose children were all killed by cars driven by young drivers, are demanding immediate action from the Government to address the disproportionately high number of young driver and passenger deaths on UK roads.
Members of the group met face-to-face for the first time at the RoadPeace Challenge 2024 finale event recently, which took place at the National Memorial Arboretum, in Staffordshire.
Their meeting was documented by BBC Breakfast and aired on the show today (Thursday June 13, 2024). Their campaign has been closely followed by BBC Breakfast, who helped to launch the group on the programme back in April.
The rapid growth of Forget-me-not Families Uniting underscores the urgent need for action and reflects the group’s expanding influence and capacity to campaign for change.
For decades, road casualty data has shown that young and inexperienced drivers, aged between 17 and 24, are at a far greater risk of being killed or injured in a road crash than any other age group.
Throughout this time, there have been repeated calls on successive governments to introduce a Graduated Driving Licensing system in the UK, to ensure that young drivers and passengers are far better protected. But they have failed to make any type of licensing changes.
Crystal Owen, whose son, Harvey, was killed six months ago along with three teenage friends in a crash in Wales, spoke passionately about the group’s unwavering commitment. She said: “We’re not going anywhere and we’re not going to stop until something is done.”
Forget-me-not Families Uniting is calling for:
• The urgent introduction of a Graduated Driving Licensing system in the UK – This could mean that young, novice drivers are unable to carry peer-aged passengers and are unable to drive between midnight and 4am, for the first six months after passing their test, providing far greater protection for young people
• An expert panel to advise the Government on how Graduated Driving Licensing in the UK should look like
The Facts:
• Young drivers aged 17–24 are involved in 24% of all collisions resulting in death or serious injury in Great Britain, despite representing only 7% of the driving population*
• Data from transport safety studies, car insurance companies and driving charities over many years 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 and unfamiliar
• Graduated Driving Licensing has been in place in countries such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand for years. As a result, there has been a reduction in deaths and serious injuries in crashes involving young drivers by between 20% and 40%**
• 4,935 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes involving at least one young driver in 2022. This includes victims of all ages – not just those travelling in a young person’s car***
Sharron Huddleston, co-founder of the Forget-me-not Families Uniting group, whose 18-year-old daughter, Caitlin, was killed in a crash in July 2017, said: “Enough is enough. We want safety precautions for our young drivers – we’re not asking for much. We just want them to be safe and we just want them to have a future – not like my daughter, whose future was taken from her.”
Families who have been affected are welcome to join Forget-me-not Families Uniting. To join the group, apply via their private Facebook group or contact RoadPeace.
*www.racfoundation.org/research/safety/young-driver-fact-sheet
**https://www.trl.co.uk/publications/ppr673
***www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-older-and-younger-driver-factsheets-2022/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-younger-driver-factsheet-2022
Updated on: 13 June 2024