Philip Seccombe, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire and chair of the Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership, has joined families who have lost loved ones in road crashes involving young drivers to meet MPs and discuss how we can prevent future families from experiencing such loss.

The event provided an important moment to unite with families campaigning for change and identify evidence-led ways to reduce harm and save young lives on our roads. Among those in attendance were Families from Forget-Me-Not Families Uniting (FFU); road safety charity Brake, who are commissioned locally to support anyone bereaved or seriously injured in a road crash; national charity for road crash victims RoadPeace; and leading experts in young driver risk.

The PCC attended in his role as APCC Lead for Roads Policing and Transport, which he holds jointly alongside Durham PCC, Joy Allen. In this national role, the PCC is working with his co-lead and Chief Constable Jo Shiner, Roads Policing lead for the NPCC, to identify a progressive approach to obtaining a driving license, more commonly referred to as a Graduated Driving Licence (GDL). Whilst not currently in scope for the Government, the PCC is working to address concerns raised centrally, alongside families of road victims in support of such a scheme to bring about this approach for the UK.

Alongside this, the Commissioner also has a desire to further reduce the threat from those who drink or consume drugs while driving. This national work supports his Warwickshire focus, which aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads by half by 2030.

Speaking after the event, Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire Philip Seccombe, said: “It is always powerful to speak with, and listen to, families who have lost loved ones on our roads. We must ensure that the voice of victims sits at the heart of all we do. I was honoured to be part of the conversation where national policy makers can hear first-hand from families about why a progressive approach to licenses is needed. My thanks go to Chris and Nicole Taylor, who have bought about this event and united families, experts, charities and politicians to bring about the change that is needed.

Philip Seccombe with Robbin and Patsy Suffield, who have campaigned since their son died in a car crash in 1986

“It takes great strength for the likes of Robbin and Patsy Suffield from Warwickshire – who have been campaigning for over 35 years on road safety, and others involved in Forget-Me-Not Families Uniting, to share their stories collectively and work together to ensure other families don’t experience what they have gone through.

“I hope this event brings about a real shift in the conversation around road safety at a national level, which I am committed to being a part of in my APCC role. We cannot be complacent about people dying on our roads. There is much that can be done to prevent such harms from taking place.

“This includes a national road safety strategy, which I am calling on the Department for Transport to produce and publish. I am whole-heartedly committed to working with partners in Warwickshire to achieve our local aim and make our roads safer. However, there must be a clear plan in place nationally as well to prevent further harm and further loss on our roads across the UK.”