A grieving mother has issued a powerful plea for stricter driving laws during an emotional appearance on BBC Breakfast, arguing that newly announced government road safety measures fail to protect young passengers.
A mother's campaign born from tragedy
Sharon Huddleston spoke to presenters Sally Nugent and Jon Kay on Wednesday, 7 January 2026. Her 18-year-old daughter, Caitlin, was killed in a car accident in 2017. The coroner ruled that the crash was caused by the inexperience of the newly qualified driver at the wheel, with Caitlin being a passenger in the vehicle.
This devastating finding prompted Sharon to become a campaigner for the introduction of graduated driving licences (GDL). This system would place restrictions on newly qualified drivers, such as limits on carrying young passengers or driving at night, until they gain more experience.
Government strategy 'does not go far enough'
The interview coincided with the launch of a new government road safety strategy for England and Wales. Sally Nugent outlined a key proposal: learner drivers could face a mandatory wait of up to six months between passing their theory test and taking their practical driving test.
While Sharon welcomed the first road safety strategy in 14 years and its focus on young drivers, she told the BBC hosts it was insufficient. "I don't think it goes far enough," she stated. "The element I am passionate about, because of the reason why my daughter was killed... is the passenger safety precaution, and that's the element that I would have liked to have seen addressed in the strategy as well."
'My daughter would be alive'
Sharon Huddleston delivered a heartbreaking assessment of the potential impact of graduated licences. She emphasised that the core issue in her daughter's case was the driver's lack of experience post-test.
"It doesn't go far enough for us," she expressed. "And as I say, if this element of the safety precaution of passengers was in place in 2017, my daughter would be alive." She revealed that the campaign for such laws has been ongoing for decades, but she only learned about it after Caitlin's death. "It was too late," she added.
Co-presenter Jon Kay noted that the government's plan focuses on practice before the test, while campaigners like Sharon want restrictions after the test. Sally Nugent underscored the coroner's critical finding, stating, "It was simple inexperience that contributed to this terrible tragedy."
The government's new strategy includes measures for drivers of all ages, but the debate highlighted on BBC Breakfast centres on whether enough is being done to protect the most vulnerable road users in the crucial months after a driver passes their test.
