Northern Ireland road rules give campaigner hope

A woman who lost her teenage son in a crash hopes new driving laws for newly qualified drivers in Northern Ireland will pave the way for similar rules in England and Wales.

Harvey Owen, 17, from Shrewsbury, died along with three friends when the car they were in left a rural road near Garreg, Gwynedd, in 2023, while they were on a camping trip.

Since then his mother Crystal Owen has campaigned for "graduated licences" which place restrictions on new drivers with the aim of improving road safety.

Northern Ireland followed a number of other countries by introducing such laws on Thursday and while Owen believes they do not go far enough, she said it was a "very positive step forward".

Prospective drivers in Northern Ireland will now have to wait at least six months to take their test after being granted a provisional licence, with the exception of carers.

They will also have to complete a 14-module programme of training and carry an R plate on their car for 24 months. In addition, new drivers under the age of 24 will only be allowed to carry one passenger at night for the first six months after passing their test.

There are a number of exceptions to the night-driving law, including an exemption for when passengers are immediate family members.

Drivers who do not follow the restrictions could receive three penalty points or a fine of up to £1,000.

A number of other rules will also apply and Owen said: "I think it does beg the question why in England our young people are not given the same protections."

A fifth of all deaths or serious injuries from crashes involved a young car driver in 2024, according to official figures.

The bereaved mum said she approved of the minimum learning period, which is one of the measures for which she has campaigned for England and Wales.

She said: "I think that will make a difference in terms of young people gaining valuable experience."

But she also said: "I think [the] peer age passenger element doesn't go far enough."

She has argued that for the first six months after passing their test, or until they turn 20, young drivers should not carry passengers aged 25 or under unless accompanied by an older adult.

"I've never actually fought for evening curfews," she added.

Despite this, she stated: "I'm hoping the data from Northern Ireland just backs up the campaign even more.

"Northern Ireland [is] obviously doing things differently, but either way I think everything is a step in the right direction and we just need our government now to follow."

In January the government said it was consider a law introducing a minimum period of up to six months between sitting their theory and practical tests.

Owen said she preferred to call the new laws in Northern Ireland "protections" instead of restrictions, "because at the end of the day, it is protecting people".

"Yes, it's a slight inconvenience for a few months, but there is nothing more inconvenient and terrible than death."

Graduated driving licences are already in place in Australia, the United States, New Zealand and the Republic of Ireland.

Other countries, including Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, and South Africa use phased professional training, probationary periods, or restrictions.

Owen said: "When you look at international evidence from other countries that have had this in place since the 1990s, there's not a single country where it's not worked in."

She said there was "nothing unique" about the situation in the UK and hoped the new prime minister would take an interest in the issue.

The government said in January that the subject of applying a six-month period between theory and practical tests would be subject to consultation, and was part of a wider road safety strategy.

The government said the minimum period would help learner drivers develop their skills, including driving in different conditions.

When the proposal was announced, local transport minister Lilian Greenwood said the proposed learning period was "all about supporting young drivers to develop the confidence they need to stay safe and giving them more time to build their skills and gain experience in different driving conditions".

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