Adults should accompany new teenage drivers, coroner suggests
16 year-old-after Paul Green died in a crash on the Hampshire-West Sussex border
Teenage drivers who have just passed their test should be accompanied by an adult, a coroner has suggested after a 16-year-old died after the car he was travelling in hit a tree.
Paul Green was sitting in the back seat of a car being driven by a 17-year-old girl who had just passed her test when she lost control on a bend on Emsworth Common Road on the Hampshire-West Sussex border.
An inquest conducted by Gareth Jones, assistant coroner for West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, found Paul was not wearing a seat belt and died after suffering head injuries when the car left the road.
Both the driver and two other passengers, a 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl, suffered serious injuries but survived the crash on November 27 2024.
In a report sent to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, Mr Jones said he feared others would die in similar circumstances unless restrictions were placed on newly qualified drivers.
He said: “I heard evidence from a forensic collision investigator that the collision was likely a result of understeering while negotiating a bend which was a result of the driver’s inexperience.
“She had only passed her test a few weeks prior to the collision. I also heard evidence that the presence of other teenagers in the car (none of whom it appeared had driving experience) is a factor in a number of collisions.
“I am concerned that when 17-year-olds pass a driving test, they can drive on any road in the UK including motorways without any adult supervision. I believe this current state of affairs is likely to lead to further fatal collisions if it remains unaddressed.
“In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you (and/or your organisation) have the power to take such action.”