Cumbria: Mum who lost teen in A595 crash will continue fight for GDLs
Millom Campaigner Sharron Huddleston's 18-year-old daughter Caitlin died in July 2017[1] as a passenger in a car when travelling for an evening meal on the A595 near Barrow. Ms Huddleston has campaigned for safer roads ever since and founded Forget Me Not Families - a group of 198 bereaved family members who are pushing for Graduated Driving Licence (GDLs) in Britain. 
The proposed measures are to curb the rising number of fatalities among the young. The measures gained widespread support from Members of Parliament (MPs) and road safety organisations, who insist that immediate action is necessary to prevent further loss of life on the roads. Caitlin's friend, Skye Mitchell, also 18 and driver of the car, was also killed after passing her test four months earlier.
The two had been heading to a restaurant in Gosforth when the Toyota Yaris they were in crashed into a van. Although Ms Mitchell had not been speeding, she was driving on an unfamiliar rural road in wet weather. 
In just 24 hours, the letter, prepared by RoadPeace, was signed by 40 road safety organisations and members of Forget-me-not Families Uniting - a group of more than 170 bereaved families campaigning for GDL. Mrs Greenwood had backed a private member's bill tabled last May calling for GDLs before she was appointed by Prime Minister Kier Starmer in the general election. She announced last month at a House Debate however that she would not consider introducing the scheme which was a huge disappointment to the Forget Me Not families.
Ms Huddleston said: "We must have action from government as soon as possible to stop these needless preventable road deaths.
This is a public health issue."
After the government decision, Mrs Greenwood added that the government will be focused on cutting the number of deaths for drivers aged under 24, however it aims to achieve this without the use of GDLs.
References
- ^ 18-year-old daughter Caitlin died in July 2017 (www.nwemail.co.uk)