Young driver safety to be debated by Westminster MPs as Shrewsbury mum's campaign continues

The debate, at 9.30am in Westminster Hall, has been secured by Shrewsbury MP, Julia Buckley.

It has been backed by Crystal Owen, whose son Harvey, died in the tragic North Wales crash in November 2023.

Hugo Morris, 18, Jevon Hirst, 16, Harvey Owen and Wilf Fitchett, both 17, all died in the tragedy.

Mrs Buckley explained that the horrific incident was a factor in calling for the debate.

She said: “That tragic and horrific incident in North Wales is one of the reasons I’ve called for a debate around the safety of youngsters on our roads. 

“But sadly, this awful story of young lives lost is not unfamiliar because in rural towns and rural areas like mine where the public services have been decimated – we’ve lost 5,000 bus routes since 2010 – many, many 17-year-olds find themselves with simply no alternative but to learn to drive in order to be able to access education, sport and social activities.

“That experience is reflected across the country but it’s particularly so in those rural areas where those young drivers aged between 17 and 24 are consistently overrepresented in the grim statistics for road traffic fatalities.

“And actually, very distressingly, globally, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 29. And one in five drivers will crash within their first year on the road.”

Mrs Owen will be attending, as she continues her campaign for 'phased' licences for new drivers - including measures such as limiting the period new drivers can carry passengers in their vehicles. 

She said she hoped the debate would force people to "confront the scale of the problem", adding that the proposals are not intended to 'take away freedoms' and are instead meant to ensure young people live 'long, full lives'.

She said: "I'm deeply grateful to our local Member of Parliament, Julia Buckley, for her unwavering support in my campaign for safer driving laws.

"I believe this is a public health issue that has been ignored for far too long, and it's crucial we take action to protect lives on the road.

"For anyone who thinks they can’t or won’t be affected, we all thought that… Until we were. Twenty four per cent of the people killed in young driver crashes are the driver themselves, 26 per cent are the passengers and 50 per cent are people not even in the car.

"For parents like me, the very idea of 'freedom' has been forever altered. The dreams of watching your child grow, graduate, or experience the joys of adulthood have been stolen in an instant. Our child’s freedom was taken from them, and no argument, no law, can undo that irreplaceable loss.

"That is why the proposed safety measures in the petition are not about taking away freedoms, they are about giving young people the chance to live long, full lives. These measures are about protecting the very futures of our children, ensuring they are not taken from us before their time."