Mum Calls for New Licence Rules After Teen Road Death

Published: 17 November 2025 Monday
The English Chronicle Desk | The English Chronicle Online

The mother of a seventeen-year-old boy who died following a devastating car crash in Surrey is calling for urgent reforms to the UK’s driving licence system in the hope that no other family will have to endure the anguish she continues to live with every day. Her proposal centres on what is known as a graduated driving licence scheme, a system used in several countries to limit the risks young and inexperienced drivers face. Under the model being suggested, young motorists would be barred from carrying passengers under the age of 25 for a set period, or until they have accumulated six months’ driving experience, or until they turn 20.

For Sam Robinson, the campaign is deeply personal. Her son Billy, described as bright, lively and loved by everyone who knew him, was one of eight teenagers travelling in a small hatchback during the early hours of 26 September 2021. The car was involved in a catastrophic collision in Oxenden Road, Tongham, leaving two teenagers dead and six others injured. Billy survived the initial impact but died ten weeks later in hospital, his injuries proving too severe for his young body to overcome.

Speaking with quiet determination tinged with visible pain, Mrs Robinson recalled the moment that changed her life forever. “At 2am, we got the knock on the door that every parent dreads,” she said. “We were told our son had been involved in a car accident. It was our worst nightmare. Our worlds fell apart. Every day since then has been difficult.” The sense of helplessness and grief she describes remains as raw today as it was on that night, and she channels that emotion into a mission she hopes will lead to meaningful change.

An inquest held in Woking in 2024 revealed the full extent of the tragedy. Eight teenagers were squeezed into a Volkswagen Polo, a car designed safely for five people at most. Billy was seated in the front passenger seat, while five more passengers crowded into the rear seats. One of the young people was riding in the boot. At around 2am, as the car approached a roundabout, the driver – eighteen-year-old Charlie Hopkins – lost control. The vehicle struck a kerb, veered sharply onto the wrong side of the road and collided head-on with an oncoming taxi. Hopkins died from his injuries, and Billy survived long enough to undergo treatment, but never fully recovered.

The details of the crash raised difficult questions about the risks associated with young drivers, late-night driving and peer pressure. Investigators concluded that the combination of age, inexperience, overcrowding and the time of night likely contributed to the loss of control. The death of two teenagers and the serious injury of six others exposed a gap in the road-safety framework that many believe could be addressed with new rules aimed specifically at protecting young motorists.

Mrs Robinson is convinced that Billy’s death – and deaths like it – might have been preventable if the UK had introduced graduated driving licences years ago. She argues that inexperienced drivers are often more likely to take risks when they have peers in the car, especially when those passengers are of a similar age. This isn’t necessarily due to recklessness, she says, but because teenagers often lack the maturity and judgement that come with time. “The law could help deter inexperienced drivers from putting themselves in risky situations,” she said. “There is too much expectation on young drivers too soon. They need space to learn safely, without pressure, without distraction.”

Graduated driving licence systems exist in several countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and parts of the United States. These systems typically impose restrictions such as bans on night-time driving or limits on the number and age of passengers allowed in the car. Supporters argue that these measures reduce the likelihood that a newly-qualified driver will encounter high-risk circumstances before they have developed the skills to navigate them safely. Mrs Robinson believes the UK should follow suit, especially when statistics consistently show that younger drivers are disproportionately involved in serious or fatal accidents.

Her calls for reform have sparked a renewed conversation about road safety among young drivers, even though the government has so far shown reluctance to adopt such licence changes. A spokesperson for the Department for Transport offered condolences to the families affected by similar tragedies and acknowledged the concerns raised by campaigners. “Every death on our roads is a tragedy and our thoughts are with everyone who has lost a loved one in this way,” the spokesperson said. But despite this, the DfT made clear that it is not currently considering the introduction of graduated driving licences.

Instead, the government insists it remains focused on its THINK! road-safety campaign, which aims to educate young drivers about the risks associated with dangerous driving behaviours. A DfT spokesperson said: “While we are not considering graduated driving licences, we recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads and continue to tackle this through our THINK! campaign.” The department added that other road-safety measures are under consideration as part of an upcoming strategy designed to enhance protection for young and vulnerable road users.

Mrs Robinson, however, feels that education alone is not enough. She believes structural change is necessary. To her, the THINK! campaign is important but insufficient, because it relies heavily on individual decision-making among a group known for taking risks and underestimating danger. “If you are seventeen or eighteen, you can think you’re invincible,” she said. “You don’t realise the danger until it’s too late. Our laws need to step in and give young drivers the time and space to mature.”

For Sam and her family, nothing will bring Billy back. The grief is a constant companion, an ache that cannot be soothed by policy debates, inquiries or investigations. But her determination to prevent future tragedies drives her forward. She believes that the government owes it to young people – and to all families across the country – to take meaningful action. She hopes policymakers will look closely at the evidence presented by international road-safety experts, as well as the stories of bereaved families like hers, and reconsider their stance on graduated licensing.

The tragedy also raises broader questions about the responsibilities shared between parents, schools and communities to educate young people about road safety. Sam Robinson acknowledges that driving gives teenagers independence and freedom, which are important, but she argues that society must balance those freedoms with safeguards that protect them during their most vulnerable years behind the wheel. She believes that such reforms should not be viewed as punishment or restriction, but as a temporary protective measure that can save countless lives.

The conversation extends beyond young drivers to the adults who influence them. Sam emphasises that parents should have honest conversations with their children about vehicle safety, especially when it comes to overcrowding, speed and late-night journeys. She believes families need to be aware of how quickly a fun night out can turn into an irreversible tragedy. Her message to other parents is simple but powerful: set boundaries, talk openly, and do not assume that your child’s safety in a car is guaranteed simply because they have passed their driving test.

As the UK prepares to unveil its new road-safety strategy, Mrs Robinson hopes the government will listen to the voices of those who have experienced unimaginable loss. Her campaign continues to gather support from road-safety groups, bereaved families and community organisations. She says she will keep pushing, keep speaking, and keep telling her son’s story, because she believes positive change is within reach.

Sam Robinson carries her grief with immense dignity, driven by a promise she whispers often to Billy in her quiet moments: that she will do everything she can to make sure his death leads to something meaningful. “We can’t let what happened to Billy be for nothing,” she said. “If we can help prevent even one more family from going through this pain, then we have to try.”