A Merseyside based road safety activist has said new government proposals do not go far enough.
Joanne Colleran started the road safety charity The Bobby Colleran Trust in 2014 after her six-year-old son Bobby Colleran was tragically killed outside his school.
The new proposals announced by the Government this week will make it harder for young people to pass their test quickly after turning 17 as learner drivers in England and Wales could face a minimum period of up to six months between sitting their theory and practical tests.
The Government believes a minimum period between sitting the theory test and the practical test would help learner drivers develop their skills.
Ms Colleran believes that this proposal is punishing young drivers for a problem that is not their fault: “I personally feel like it is slightly unfair, I think there are people who drive a lot more recklessly on the roads. Its always easy isn’t it to pick on the young people but the biggest majority (driving recklessly) is the chunk in the middle.”
Other proposals in the new road safety strategy include lower drink driving limits, suspending the licenses of those who are on bail for drink or drug driving offences and introducing penalty points for those who are driving without seatbelts.
Ms Colleran thinks that these measures are not going to have the desired impact: “Nowadays when you’re in a car it doesn’t stop beeping unless you’ve got your seatbelts on so I don’t see how that is a big thing that will reduce deaths on our road.”
She added: “It’s an easy win isn’t it? Drink and drug driving should be something that is in place, it shouldn’t even be considered it should be a must shouldn’t it?”
While Joanne was not impressed by what was included in these proposals she was shocked by something that was left out: “One thing that is totally missing from the whole of that report is why are our kids not safe going to and from school? There’s nothing that is going to change.”
