A petition calling for changes to driving licences for newly qualified young drivers has now garnered more than 100,000 signatures.
Launched by British mother Crystal Owen in October 2024, the petition, titled "Safer Driving Licensing for Newly Qualified 17-19 Year Olds" aims to improve road safety for young motorists.
The petition highlights that Ms Owen’s tragic story is far from unique, as bereaved parents and ‘Forget Me Not’ families advocate reforms to prevent further fatalities.
In November 2023, her 17-year-old son, Harvey Owen, and three of his friends set off on a camping trip, only to tragically die in a car crash in North Wales. The incident occurred when their vehicle slid off a bend on a rural road, leaving all four — aged 18 and under—trapped in a water-filled ditch where they drowned.
That year, roughly a “fifth of all killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties from collisions involving cars were in collisions which involved a young car driver”, Department for Transport figures show.
Ms Owen, from Shrewsbury, wrote on the Change.org petition: "The boys' deaths could have been prevented if Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) had been in place. GDL has proven effective worldwide for over 30 years, reducing deaths and serious injuries involving young, inexperienced drivers by up to 40 per cent. These short-term safety measures could prevent approximately 537 deaths and serious injuries each year in the UK involving 17-19-year-old drivers."
The petition calls for several changes, including restrictions on young motorists. Key proposals include:
When a petition reaches 100,000 signatures, it is typically considered for debate in Parliament.
Ms Owen revealed that she was unaware her son was being driven by a newly qualified driver he met at college, rather than the older, more experienced driver she had thought he was with.
The petition suggests that breaches of these proposed rules should result in the driver receiving six penalty points, an immediate licence suspension, and a requirement to retake the practical driving test.
Exemptions would apply to certain individuals, including young parents travelling with their dependents, those qualifying for the enhanced rate of (Personal Independence Payment) PIP mobility, and members of the armed forces.
