GDL petition builds momentum

A petition calling for the introduction of graduated driver licencing (GDL) is approaching 100,000 signatures. The petition was started by Crystal Owen, whose 17-year-old son Harvey Owen and his three friends, all 18 and under, tragically lost their lives in a car crash in November 2023.

The petition calls for learner drivers to undergo a minimum six-month learning period before being eligible for a practical test, ‘ensuring they gain valuable experience on a variety of roads and in different weather conditions’.

For the first six months after passing their test (or until they turn 20, whichever comes first), the petition says newly-qualified drivers should not carry passengers aged 25 years or under unless accompanied by an older adult.

Violating this rule should result in six penalty points, leading to immediate licence suspension and the requirement to retake the practical test. The petition has been gaining traction since the Government announced that GDL is not under consideration – and currently has more than 91,000 signatures.