'It will save lives, but more needs to be done': Bereaved Shropshire parents whose children died in road crashes react to government proposal to bolster experience of young drivers

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The government has stopped short of that, however it has committed to holding a consultation on introducing a three or six month minimum learning period, giving learner drivers more time to develop their skills in varied conditions such as night driving, adverse weather, and heavy traffic.

International evidence suggests minimum learning periods could reduce collisions by up to 32 per cent. 

Shrewsbury mum Crystal Owen’s son Harvey died aged 17 along with three friends, who were also from the county town, in a crash in Snowdonia in November 2023.

Since Harvey died she has been campaigning tirelessly for safety measures for young drivers, and she met local transport minister Lillian Greenwood this week.

Of the minimum learning period, Crystal said: “That is going to help and it will save lives.

“The evidence is there that as soon as they get their peer aged passengers, that’s when deaths skyrocket.

“They are bringing in lots of good things that are positive. 

“We asked for six months (for the minimum learning period). That will need to be a set number of hours.”

Crystal said she expects some might be concerned with the cost implications of extra lessons, but suggested hours could be logged with an experienced, advanced driver who isn’t necessarily an instructor.

While she has welcomed the new measures, Crystal will continue campaigning for graduated driving licences. She spoke at Westminster last year on the subject after Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley secured a debate.

“If the government doesn't do more, they will be responsible for more lives being lost,” she said. “They will have blood on their hands.

“It’s such a simple measure and it would be guaranteed to be effective.”

Crystal is also keen for it to be mandatory for drivers to have a metal tool to smash the windows for incidents when cars become trapped in water.

“Harvey managed to get his window down, but precious time was lost,” she said.

Crystal has recently had to contend with her emotions after the second anniversary of Harvey’s death and Christmas.

That feeling is a familiar one for Dave and Sue Evans, whose “gentle giant” son Simon died in a crash in Shifnal in March last year.

It was Sue’s birthday when she and Dave spoke to the Shropshire Star.

“I haven’t opened any of my cards because I know there’s going to be one important one missing, she said, fighting back tears. “It is torture.”

She and Dave have been calling for safer measures for young drivers.

They say that if Simon was here today, he would try and do something to protect people.

“He was known as the dad of the group,” Dave said. “He was the sensible one.”

“He just loved his friends and wanted them to be safe and happy,” said Sue.

On the minimum learning term suggestion, Dave said: “It’s a good thing they are bringing in.”

“This is the first time in a decade that it has been addressed,” Sue added.

“This is a fantastic step forward, but it’s a step forward and not a leap forward,” said Dave.

“We all know cars have become safer, but it’s the person in control of the 1-2 ton machine.”

According to the government’s statistics, four people die on Britain’s roads every day.

“If that was shootings or stabbings, it would reach the news and something would be done about it,” said Sue.

Drivers aged 17-24 account for just six per cent of motorists in the UK, however, that age group are involved in 24 per cent of collisions involving serious injuries or fatalities.

Dave and Sue are still desperate for graduate driving licences to be brought in.

“This is a start but they need to continue it,” said Sue.

“Let’s not wait another 10 years,” Dave added.

Harvey and Simon are not the only young people from our area who have been killed on the roads in recent years.

Lily-May Vaughan was just 17 when she died in a crash in Shawbury in February 2023. The driver, her boyfriend Logan Addison, was described as “going like f***” before crashing into an electricity pole. Addison, who was 17 at the time, was jailed for five years for causing Lily-May’s death by dangerous driving.

Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood said: “A driving licence opens doors to employment, education and independence for young people, but we also know that inexperience puts drivers, their passengers, and other road users at greater risk. 

“Young drivers aged 17 to 24 make up just six per cent of licence holders, yet they are involved in nearly a quarter of fatal and serious collisions - that is a stark and unacceptable disparity. 

“We want every young person to start their driving journey with the best possible foundation. This consultation is all about supporting young drivers to develop the confidence they need to stay safe and giving them more time to build their skills and gain experience in different driving conditions.”