THE mother of one of four teenagers who were killed in a crash in North Wales in November has said that the number of deaths of young drivers is now “literally a national emergency”.
The comment from Crystal Owen came after three young men died in a crash in Brent Cross in north-west London after racing around a retail park.
Speaking on GB News, she said she is campaigning for changes in the law that include restrictions on night-time driving by young people and a ban on carrying passengers under 25 for the first year.
She said: “It's literally a national emergency at the moment. It's been talked about for so long and yet nothing's been done.
“It’s the leading cause of death in young people and the leading cause of death in young people worldwide.”
Owen told Andrew Pierce and Bev Turner she was surprised to hear that similar restrictions are in place in Australia: “I was so shocked that we hadn't even looked into it and then I was even more shocked to know this is in so many other countries.
“In every single country it's been implemented, it has worked and it's proven to save lives, between 20% and 40%.
“It would save the economy £200 million a year, it would put less pressure on the NHS, it would save a lot of grieving.
“People say it's restrictive. How restrictive is it if you lose your life. How much more restrictive can it get?”
She added that she has launched a petition to put pressure on the Government to introduce changes: “One in five new learners crash in the first year…if the Government meets us halfway and included some elements of a graduated licence, it would save lives.”
