County Durham dad backing calls for stronger driving licence system
A County Durham dad whose teenage son died in a car collision nearly 6 years-ago is backing calls for a stronger licencing system.
Research from the charity Brake suggests that one-third of people have been in a crash with a young driver, or know someone who has.
They also found that over 50% of 18- to 24-year-olds have been in a crash involving a young driver, or know someone who has.
18-year-old Andrew Rowlands was killed in a car crash in June 2020, after an under-aged driver was able to purchase a dangerous car for £100 from social media.
John Rowlands, his dad, said: "There will be more people who die on our roads when it doesn't have to be that way.
"Is it really such a crime just to put a couple of small restrictions in place until you've gained a little bit more experience? I don't think so.
"If you look on our roads the majority of collisions are preventable. Whether it's down to inexperience, driver error, bad judgment.
"Various other countries have introduced some sort of graduated driving licence. I know they don't call it that in different countries, but the numbers are there, the evidence is there. There has been a reduction in collisions by inexperienced teenage drivers, so why can't we focus on it?"
The Government previously stated it has no plans to implement GDL.