Warwickshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner and Chair of the Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership,  Philip Seccombe is among a powerful coalition of experts, emergency service leaders and bereaved families calling on the Government to introduce a stronger licensing system to better protect young and novice drivers – and to stop avoidable tragedies that devastate families across the country.

Leading voices from policing, medicine, academia, driver education and bereaved families came together online in a special webinar in a united call for a smarter, safer approach to young driver licensing.  The Safeguarding Young Drivers’ event was organised by Project EDWARD (Every Day Without A Road Death) and co-hosted by Mr Seccombe and Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen, in their capacity as national roads policing leads for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.

During the webinar the key figures expressed their support for Graduated Driving Licensing (GDL) – a step-by-step system in place in countries across the world that helps young, inexperienced drivers build confidence and skills gradually, and safeguards them during their most vulnerable months on the road.

Used in countries including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and across the United States, GDL is an umbrella term for a wide range of targeted measures designed to reduce risk while allowing young drivers to build experience gradually and safely.

These measures often include:

• No late-night driving
• Limits on carrying same-age passengers
• A minimum learning period before taking the practical test

In Britain, drivers aged 17 to 24 are involved in 24% of all fatal or serious injury collisions and one in five young drivers crashes within the first year of passing their test.

Among those speaking at the event and expressing their support for such measures were Chief Constable Jo Shiner KPM, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead for roads policing; Dr Ian Greenwood, whose 12-year-old daughter, Alice, was killed in a crash caused by a young driver; Elizabeth Box, Research Director, at the RAC Foundation; Edmund King, President of the AA and Ruth Purdie OBE, Chief Executive of the Road Safety Trust.

The event also featured speakers from Young Drivers of Canada, who shared powerful evidence of the system’s success in Ontario, where fatal crashes among 16-year-olds fell by 73% in its first year.

Philip Seccombe, Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire said: “The event heard from a wide range of experts who are clearly making the case that a change to the law is required and that greater protection is needed to safeguard young people on our roads.  The Government has said it does not want to introduce graduated driver licensing, however the evidence from around the world is that it can save lives and make a real difference in reducing the tragedy that every road death and serious injury brings.

“I’m working hard to change their view on this and I believe the public support for such measures is growing fast.  The time for change really is now, so let’s move away from the language of restriction and focus on the public benefit – fewer NHS admissions, more lives saved.

“If not stronger licensing, then what? We need to hear real alternatives from Government.”

The call coincides with the recent launch of a new campaign website ‘Protect Young Drivers’ which sets out the case for the introduction of progressive licensing measures for new drivers.

Designed as a trusted resource for policymakers, media, professionals and families, it brings together personal stories, expert analysis and international comparisons to make the case for urgent change. Backed by Mr Seccombe, the site can be viewed at www.protectyoungdrivers.com.