Newly-qualified drivers under the age of 25 could be banned from giving their friends a lift under new plans being considered by the government in a bid to cut down on the number of car crashes.
The plans, which will be taken into consideration by Roads Minister Richard Holden at a meeting on May 6, may be introduced as part of a "graduated driving licence". The Mirror has reported that, by amending the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act, ministers could effectively impose a ban on new motorists from carrying passengers under the age of 25 in the first year or six months after passing the test.
The proposal comes following a campaign by a woman whose 18-year-old daughter was killed in a car crash after taking a lift with a friend who had passed her driving test four months before. Sharron Huddleston, 52, told The Sunday Times that her daughter Caitlin's death "left a huge, gaping hole" in the family and now she wants to campaign to keep other young people safe.
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The young woman and her friend Skye Mitchell, 18, both died when the car crashed into a van on the A595 in Bootle, Cumbria, in 2017. Mrs Huddleston said: "There is nothing I can do to bring Caitlin back but I am determined, in her memory, to ensure that no other family goes through the pain and agony that we go through every day."
Her son Aidan, who was 23 at the time of the tragedy, was Skye's boyfriend. The mum said: "He lost his sister and his girlfriend that evening."
Edmund King, director of the AA Trust, said: "Young drivers are not just a risk to themselves. In 2021, 926 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes involving at least one young driver. These heartbreaking crashes have profound consequences.”
He added: “Limiting young drivers' rights to carry other young people as passengers for a period of time immediately after passing their test is a pragmatic move that should save lives. As new drivers gain more 'real life' experience, their risk of crashing reduces."
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