Mum of teen who died in crash launches petition for tougher rules for new driver

Caitlin Huddleston and Skye Mitchell were both killed when Skye lost control of her car on the A595 in July last year.

The coroner ruled inexperience as the cause of the crash at the inquest, which heard they were travelling to meet friends in Gosforth when the car collided with a white Ford Transit Connect van .

Now, Caitlin’s mother Sharon has launched a campaign which if successful would put young drivers through more thorough tests. Young people would be required to hold a novice licence for at least a year whilst learning to drive and would need 10 hours of professional tuition before being able to apply for their tests.

Along with this, any drivers who have passed their practical test would be classed as novice drivers for two years. These novice drivers would have restrictions on driving at night, a limit on the size of their engine and how many passengers they could carry at any one time.

The petition has been backed by various people and businesses including Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock and Copeland MP Trudy Harrison, as well as the RAC, road safety charity BRAKE and Cumbria Police.

Mr Woodcock said: “Caitlin’s death was a tragedy, and sadly one experienced by far too many families in the UK.This campaign highlights the need for government review the evidence of other countries who have introduced graduated licences.

“I want any changes to strike the right balance so we reduce reckless driving without making life impossible for younger drivers who may need to car share for work or carry passengers if they have started a family.”

The plan is to take the petition to Parliament in the new year

A spokesman from the charity BRAKE said: “The government must act now to put an end to this daily tragedy and introduce graduated driver licensing, a safety measure which is proven to work.”

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