Recurance · prevention of future deaths reports
Pre-inquest brief
The earlier warning
Caitlin Huddleston and Skye Mitchell · 25 Sept 2018 · Robert Chapman, Cumbria
“The carrying of passengers in the car increases the likelihood of death or injury not only to the driver but also to the passengers being carried, therefore multiplies the risk.”
judiciary.uk/…/caitlin-huddleston-and-skye-mitchell-prevention-…
What was promised
Stated action 1 · response to Caitlin Huddleston and Skye Mitchell (25 Sept 2018) · stated timescale: none stated
“the Department has decided to use the introduction of GDL in Northern Ireland as a pilot, to gather evidence on the potential for GDL in Great Britain.”
judiciary.uk/…/2025-0056-Response-from-Department-for-Transport…
Stated action 2 · response to Caitlin Huddleston and Skye Mitchell (25 Sept 2018) · stated timescale: March 2019
“In March 2019, DfT's THINK! team ran a campaign directly targeting new drivers”
judiciary.uk/…/2025-0056-Response-from-Department-for-Transport…
Stated action 3 · response to Caitlin Huddleston and Skye Mitchell (25 Sept 2018) · stated timescale: March 2020
“In March 2020, we funded the Driving Instructors Association (DIA) to develop a modular approach to learning”
judiciary.uk/…/2025-0056-Response-from-Department-for-Transport…
13 further stated actions are listed on the full chain page.
What recurred
- 14 May 2024 · Charlie Hopkins and William Robinson · Anna Crawford
- 17 Oct 2024 · Wilfred Fitchett, Jevon Hirst, Hugo Morris and Harvey Owen · Kate Robertson · Identical hazard · confidence 0.90 (high)
- 13 Jan 2025 · Tobias Barraclough · M.D. Fleming · Closely related · confidence 0.92 (high)
- 13 Jan 2025 · Joseph Walsh · M.D. Fleming · Closely related · confidence 0.92 (high)
- 14 Mar 2025 · William Radford · Penelope Schofield · Identical hazard · confidence 0.92 (high)
- 8 Dec 2025 · Matilda Seccombe and Harry Purcell · Linda Lee · Identical hazard · confidence 0.95 (high)
- 12 Mar 2026 · Paul Green · Gareth Jones · Closely related · confidence 0.92 (high)
The clearest link, quoted from both reports:
Earlier · Wilfred Fitchett, Jevon Hirst, Hugo Morris and Harvey Owen · 17 Oct 2024
“Currently, there are no legal restrictions upon the licences of young and/or newly qualified drivers and the current vehicle licensing regime permits the carrying of young persons as passengers in circumstances such as these.”
Later · Matilda Seccombe and Harry Purcell · 8 Dec 2025
“newly qualified drivers may carry multiple peer-age passengers immediately after passing their test.”
What happened next
Evidence found · stated action 1
“From 1 October 2026, Northern Ireland is introducing Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL), described by the Department for Infrastructure as the most significant reform to driver licensing and testing in almost 70 years.”
Graduated Driver Licensing: A New Chapter In Road Safety For Northern Ireland | Hugh James · hughjames.com/…/graduated-driver-licensing-road-safety-northern…
“In 2024, there were 164 casualties (killed or seriously injured) from collisions where a car driver aged 17-23 was responsible.”
Graduated Driver Licensing – FAQs | Department for Infrastructure · infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/…/graduated-driver-licensing-faqs
“BREAKING: Northern Ireland to Implement GDL in October 2026 While Westminster says "no" to Graduated Driver Licensing, Northern Ireland is”
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) has taken a significant ... · facebook.com/…/1313198574320003
Evidence found · stated action 2
“Students will be encouraged to think about how the consequences of an accident might affect them, a friend or a family member in their day-to-day lives. Students will consider the most effective strategies to persuade people to change their behaviour and become more responsible on and around the road whether they are a driver, cyclist, pedestrian or passenger.”
Lesson 4: Campaign HQ – THINK! · think.gov.uk/…/lesson-4-campaign-hq?resource_type%5B0%5D=docume…
“This pack contains everything you need for lesson plan 4.”
Lesson 4: Campaign HQ – THINK! · think.gov.uk/…/lesson-4-campaign-hq?resource_type%5B0%5D=docume…
“Learning Objectives 1. I know about issues affecting young drivers such as peer pressure, speeding, seat belts and inexperience. 2. I know my responsibilities as a pedestrian, a passenger and a future driver.”
Lesson 4: Campaign HQ – THINK! · think.gov.uk/…/lesson-4-campaign-hq?resource_type%5B0%5D=docume…
No evidence found either way · stated action 3
“Improving Young Driver Safety (ESSB 5583) Implementation Plan Submitted to: Washington State Legislature Submitted by: Washington State Department of Licensing Recommended Citations: Citing full report Washington State Department of Licensing.”
[PDF] Improving Young Driver Safety (ESSB 5583) Implementation Plan · dol.wa.gov/…/ESSB-5583-Implementation-Plan.pdf
“Accelerating Teen Driver Learning: Anywhere, Anytime Training [](https://aaafoundation.org/) [Home](https://aaafoundation.org/) » [Our Work](https://aaafoundation.org/our-work/) » Accelerating”
Accelerating Teen Driver Learning: Anywhere, Anytime Training - AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety · aaafoundation.org/…/accelerating-teen-driver-learning-anywhere-…
“New young drivers education law goes into effect [name redacted]. 1, 2027 Oct.”
New young drivers education law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2027 — Colorado Department of Transportation · codot.gov/…/new-young-drivers-education-law-begins-jan1-2027
No evidence found does not mean the action did not happen.
No evidence found either way · stated action: “The Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency's (DVSA) 5 -year strategy”
“Improving Young Driver Safety (ESSB 5583) Implementation Plan Submitted to: Washington State Legislature Submitted by: Washington State Department of Licensing”
[PDF] Improving Young Driver Safety (ESSB 5583) Implementation Plan · dol.wa.gov/…/ESSB-5583-Implementation-Plan.pdf
“The Department for Transport (DfT) has today (7 January 2026) published its first Road Safety Strategy (RSS) in more than a decade.”
DfT Road Safety Strategy published · content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKDVSA/bulletins/4032a7a
No evidence found does not mean the action did not happen.
Evidence found · stated action: “Changes were made to the practical driving test in December 2017”
“Now that the trial has reached its conclusion, I'm really pleased to share that it's been a success and we're now making these changes a permanent part of the driving test from 24 November 2025.”
Making adjustments to the driving test – Despatch for driver and rider trainers · despatch.blog.gov.uk/…/making-adjustments-to-the-driving-test
“The driving test will change from Monday 4 December 2017 to include following directions from a sat nav and testing different manoeuvres.”
Driving test changes: 4 December 2017 - GOV.UK · gov.uk/government/news/driving-test-changes-4-december-2017
“The DVSA has made the biggest changes to the driving test in years - from how tests are booked, to where you'll be driving, to what examiners are now prioritising on test day.”
Full 2026 UK Driving Test Roundup...Everything That's Changed · youtube.com/watch?v=h8rY9y5eUQk
No evidence found either way · stated action: “The latest statistics show that the number of young car drivers (age 17-24) fatalities on Britain's roads is falling”
“In 2019, 88 young car drivers-defined as those aged 17 to 24 years old-tragically lost their lives on British roads.[1](#footnote-146) A further 1,234 young people behind the wheel were seriously injured.”
Road safety: young and novice drivers - Transport Committee - House of Commons · publications.parliament.uk/…/16904.htm
No evidence found does not mean the action did not happen.
No evidence found either way · stated action: “The Driver 2020 project (an evaluation of interventions to improve the safety of young novice drivers) commenced in January 2019 and over 28,000 learner and novice drivers have been recruited”
The Department for Transport's Driver 2020 project began in January 2019 and recruited more than 28,000 learner and novice drivers as described in the official publications.
No evidence found does not mean the action did not happen.
No evidence found either way · stated action: “We will be considering policies relating to young, new drivers during this development.”
“Our use of cookies We use essential cookies to make our site work. We'd like to use additional cookies to understand how you use the site and improve our services.”
Young and novice drivers: Department for Transport on ‘L’ plates - Committees - UK Parliament · committees.parliament.uk/…/young-and-novice-drivers-department-…
“Teen drivers have crash rates over 4 times those of drivers 20 and older per mile driven.** Immaturity leads to speeding and other risky habits, and inexperience means teen drivers often don't recognize or know how to respond to hazards”
Teenagers · iihs.org/research-areas/teenagers
“Young drivers are nearly four times more likely to be involved in a fatal traffic crash than their older counterparts. Despite that disparity, research conducted by GHSA found that crash and fatality rates for drivers under 21 have improved drastically between 2002 and 2021 - more so than for other drivers”
Teens & Novice Drivers | Governors Highway Safety Association · ghsa.org/state-laws-issues/teens-novice-drivers
No evidence found does not mean the action did not happen.
No evidence found either way · stated action: “We will consider including a visual inspection of the functioning of the airbag fault light when the vehicle is turned on in those measures.”
“Why Is the Airbag Light On? Understanding Causes & Fixes for Drivers”
Why Is the Airbag Light On? Understanding Causes & Fixes for Drivers - Car ADAS · caradas.com/why-is-the-airbag-light-on
“Effective immediately a vehicle will no longer be rejected for an airbag readiness light as listed in 19VAC30-70-290, Paragraph E. This revision”
Will an airbag light affect annual inspection? · facebook.com/groups/HyundaiSonata/posts/7204173529619145
“The class develops what causes the airbag light to come on, the consequences, and the implications for fleet management.”
Airbag light on: Causes and how to fix it. · youtube.com/watch?v=7ZkPlLF6rkY
No evidence found does not mean the action did not happen.
No evidence found either way · stated action: “We will consider this but expect it to be prohibitively expensive to require every MOT centre to purchase any such piece of equipment, particularly as we believe each car manufacturer has its own diagnostic interface equipment that a garage would be required to have.”
“2.3.6 The control and diagnostic unit.............................................................................21 2.4 Airbag release threshold ..........................................................................................24 2.5 Problem cases and malfunctioning of airbag systems .........................................”
A test procedure for airbags Report 8328 · citainsp.org/…/ECS-RSP-Study-2-TP-airbags.pdf
“Schedule Your Appointment Today [📞 +61 1300010888Call](tel:+611300010888) [💬 WhatsApp UsWA](https://wa.me/610400160016?text=Hi%20I%20Fix%20Autohaus%2C%20I%20need%20a%20quote)”
SRS Airbag Diagnostics: What That Light Really Means · ifixautohaus.com.au/…/srs-airbag-light-on-your-dash-heres-what-…
No evidence found does not mean the action did not happen.
No evidence found either way · stated action: “In relation to servicing I encourage all drivers to get regular services to ensure their vehicle is kept in a roadworthy condition, as legally required.”
“The Importance of Regular Vehicle Service: Keep Your Car Running Smoothly [The Suburban Collection”
The Importance of Regular Vehicle Service: Keep Your Car Running Smoothly | The Suburban Collection · suburbancollection.com/…/the-importance-of-regular-vehicle-serv…
“Decarbonising Transport A Better, Greener Britain 4 5 3 2 1 Cover Images 1 DAF LF Electric RHD 2 Living Streets 3 Nissan charging 4 London cycle path 5 Metrodecker EV in York.”
Decarbonising Transport – A Better, Greener Britain · assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/…/decarbonising-transport-a-be…
No evidence found does not mean the action did not happen.
Evidence found · stated action: “the Department for Transport will be responding to this Regulation 28 Report on DVSA's behalf.”
“Meet the 56-day deadline or request extensions proactively.”
Avoiding the 'Badge of Dishonour' | Hill Dickinson · hilldickinson.com/…/avoiding-the-badge-of-dishonour
“the recipient of a PFD report is obliged to provide a written response within 56 days of the date the report is sent”
Prevention of Future Death reports - An update : Clyde & Co · clydeco.com/…/prevention-of-future-death-reports-an-update
Evidence found · stated action: “My Department is developing our road safety strategy and will set out more details in due course.”
“government announces its first road safety strategy in over a decade, with a plan to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain's roads by 65% by 2035”
Thousands of lives to be saved under bold new Road Safety Strategy - GOV.UK · gov.uk/…/thousands-of-lives-to-be-saved-under-bold-new-road-saf…
“new consultations on minimum learning period for learner drivers, eye tests for older drivers and lower”
Thousands of lives to be saved under bold new Road Safety Strategy - GOV.UK · gov.uk/…/thousands-of-lives-to-be-saved-under-bold-new-road-saf…
“Thousands of lives to be saved under bold new Road Safety Strategy”
Thousands of lives to be saved under bold new Road Safety Strategy - GOV.UK · gov.uk/…/thousands-of-lives-to-be-saved-under-bold-new-road-saf…
No evidence found either way · stated action: “we are exploring options to tackle the root causes of this without unfairly penalising young drivers”
“The Department for Transport (DfT) says it wants to tackle "the root causes of collisions", with consultations also looking at other issues such as drink and drug driving.”
Cost and freedom fears over government plans for new drivers · bbc.com/news/articles/crk1y6gvz56o
No evidence found does not mean the action did not happen.
No evidence found either way · stated action: “we are exploring options to tackle the root causes of this without unfairly penalising young drivers”
“The Department for Transport (DfT) says it wants to tackle "the root causes of collisions", with consultations also looking at other issues such as drink and drug driving.”
Cost and freedom fears over government plans for new drivers · bbc.com/news/articles/crk1y6gvz56o
No evidence found does not mean the action did not happen.
Evidence found · stated action: “my Department is developing the first road safety strategy in over a decade and will set out more details in due course.”
“The Department for Transport (DfT) has today (7 January 2026) published its first Road Safety Strategy (RSS) in more than a decade.”
DfT Road Safety Strategy published · content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKDVSA/bulletins/4032a7a
“government announces its first road safety strategy in over a decade, with a plan to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain's roads by 65% by 2035”
Thousands of lives to be saved under bold new Road Safety Strategy - GOV.UK · gov.uk/…/thousands-of-lives-to-be-saved-under-bold-new-road-saf…
“The UK government has launched the first major road safety strategy in over a decade, aimed at lowering the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on the roads.”
How the new road safety measures will affect you · bbc.com/news/articles/ckgxy9p117no