William Owen RADFORD · Prevention of Future Deaths report

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Issued 14 Mar 2025•West Sussex, Brighton and Hove

Published report and response evidence

This report’s concerns and statements found in recipients’ published responses. Statements are included even where no link to an individual concern is recorded. A link shows an evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

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Concerns
1

Raised in this report

Recipients
1

Named on the report

Responses found
1

Of 1 recipient

Stated actions
1

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

Full report text

This is the full text from the original published report.

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Concerns and recipient responses

Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

Concerns raised1

  1. Inexperienced drivers carrying young passengers during the first six months after passing their driving test
    Part of recurring concern: Inadequate driver licensing controls for road safetyPart of recurring concern: Insufficient controls on young and newly qualified drivers carrying young passengers

Stated actions An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.1

  1. Department for Transport

    Develop the first road safety strategy in over a decade.

Respondent positions A position is what a recipient says about a concern when it does not describe a specific action.1

  1. Department for Transport

    Graduated Driving Licences are not being considered, although young driver safety is being addressed through existing restrictions and the THINK! campaign.

    No action considered necessaryThe respondent said that no further action was needed.

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Inexperienced drivers carrying young passengers during the first six months after passing their driving test

Wider context from the report

“This Inquest concerned the death of a young man (aged 17) who had only just passed his driving test a few weeks before his death. At the time of his death he was driving his car accompanied by a young friend, also aged 17. I heard evidence that where an inexperienced driver has a distraction of another young person in the car this can increase their risk of having an accident. There is currently ongoing public concern that inexperienced drivers are able to carry young passengers within the first six months of having passed their test. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Inadequate driver licensing controls for road safety; Insufficient controls on young and newly qualified drivers carrying young passengers.

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Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Develop the first road safety strategy in over a decade.

Verbatim wording from the response

“I want to reiterate that this Government treats road safety seriously, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. To that end, my Department is developing the first road safety strategy in over a decade and will set out more details in due course.”

Source location

Response from Department for Transport
Page 2 · response
Published 17 March 2025

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Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Graduated Driving Licences are not being considered, although young driver safety is being addressed through existing restrictions and the THINK! campaign.

Verbatim wording from the response

“In Britain, there is a form of restricting novice drivers through the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995. On acquiring their first full licence, a new driver is on ‘probation’ for two years. During this time, they are subject to a limit of six penalty points received for any driving offences (including any received when in the learning stage). If six or more points are received, then a driver loses their full licence and must apply again for a provisional licence, and then re-take both their theory and practical test.”

Source location

Response from Department for Transport
Page 2 · response
Published 17 March 2025

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Information checked against the published report and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026