Road safety campaigners have come together to call for new law changes to ensure young people are safe when they get behind the wheel in an emotional new film.
Two bereaved mothers are collaborating with the Protect Young Drivers organisation to highlight the impact of collisions involving young motorists.
Crystal Owen and Nicola Bell-Percy have opened up about the reality of losing a child due to a car accident, with the hope of preventing other families from having to deal with such grief.
The short film produced by Protect Young Drivers sees the two bereaved mothers speak about the impact of losing their children.
Crystal lost her 17-year-old son, Harvey, after he was killed as a young passenger in a car being driven by his 18-year-old friend, who had passed his test just six months prior.
The driver lost control of the vehicle in Wales in 2023 and killed the four occupants of the car. Crystal described the loss of her son as a “constant internal panic attack”, adding that it was the “worst pain you could ever imagine”.
Nicola’s son, Aaron Bell, 18, lost his life alongside two of his friends when another young driver lost control of the vehicle at 75mph.
She said: “It isn’t just about losing Aaron. You lose so much more as well. Your family and friends disappear because they can’t walk with you in the grief.”
Bereaved families and the Protect Young Drivers organisation have called for Graduated Driving Licences to be introduced
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PA/GETTYThe short film also looks at why many bereaved families continue to campaign for greater awareness, despite the emotional toll.
Crystal explained that she was campaigning to remember her “loving boy”, rather than associating him with the road accident.
The campaign, as well as the two bereaved mothers, is working to raise awareness of the risks they did not fully understand before their children’s deaths.
Young people are disproportionately involved in road collisions across Great Britain, with drivers aged between 17 and 24 making up 24 per cent of fatal and serious collisions in 2024, despite representing just six per cent of licence holders.
WATCH: Road safety campaigner Crystal Owen speaks to GB News about the loss of her son, Harvey
Similarly, young drivers, especially young males, have the highest number of killed and seriously injured casualties, both as drivers and passengers.
Labour announced the Road Safety Strategy earlier this year, which includes introducing a minimum learning period for learner drivers.
It launched a consultation on introducing a three or six-month minimum learning period for learners, with road safety experts hoping that the measures will be taken forward.
Rebecca Morris, a road safety communications and engagement specialist supporting Protect Young Drivers, said: “Behind every road death statistic is a family whose lives have been changed forever. Crystal and Nicola have shown extraordinary courage in sharing their experiences.
Crystal Owen, whose son Harvey Owen, 17, was one of four teenagers killed in a crash, said law changes need to be introduced
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PA“We hope their stories encourage conversations about young driver safety and help more people understand the devastating consequences these collisions can have for families, friends and entire communities.
“By sharing their experiences, Crystal and Nicola are helping to ensure that Harvey, Aaron and the many other young people lost on our roads are never forgotten.”
The two bereaved mothers are campaigning for new driving licence rules to be introduced that would place restrictions on young people through a Graduated Driving Licence scheme.
Measures include a ban on travelling with same-age passengers for a certain period of time, a nighttime curfew, a minimum learning period and even a programme of training.
The Department for Transport has previously ruled out introducing Graduated Driving Licences, although the scheme will be rolled out across Northern Ireland later this year.