PCC joins safety partners in unveiling new national campaign to protect young drivers
Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen joined bereaved families, road safety campaigners, emergency services’ leaders and policymakers for the formal launch of a UK-wide campaign to protect young drivers.
The ardent road safety campaigner, who is National Lead for Roads Policing on behalf of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), is one of the driving forces behind Protect Young Drivers – an evidence-based initiative advocating for improvements in road safety to protect young and inexperienced drivers.
The campaign, which has received cross-sector support across Parliament, educators and road safety charities, officially launched in Parliament in Road Safety Week with the unveiling of an online hub providing resources, data, lived experience research and other materials for policymakers, educators and the public to support efforts to increase the safety of young drivers.
Developed by road safety campaigner Rebecca Morris alongside the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), the hub provides information on proven safety measures including Graduate Driving Licensing (GDL) – a phased approach to licensing that has been relentlessly championed by the PCC.
The Commissioner joined more than 70 representatives from across the UK for the Parliamentary launch event, which was hosted by MP Andy MacNae and attended by Road Safety Minister Lilian Greenwood alongside MPs, PCCs, police and fire services across the UK, legal firms, educators, campaigners and bereaved families.
Speaking after the event, Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen (who co-chaired the event) said: “Statistically, young drivers are at greater risk of being killed or seriously injured on our roads – with 20% of new drivers in the UK involved in a crash within the first 12 months of passing their test. We cannot sit back and allow these tragedies to continue when they are almost always preventable.
“This campaign puts the safety of young and novice drivers at the top of the national agenda where it belongs. The sheer volume of experts and policymakers turning out for the launch proves that we are all on the same page – united in our mission to save more young lives.
“Every tragic statistic represents a story — a life lost, a family grieving, a community changed forever. We know the risks, and we understand the solutions– it’s time for change. With stronger awareness and commitment, and a willingness to learn from the evidence, we can stop other families enduring the unimaginable horrors of road tragedy.”
Safer Roads is a priority in the PCC’s new Police, Crime and Justice Plan.
The Commissioner, who has spoken at or supported nearly every road safety conference in 2025 and recently hosted the National Drug Driving Summit in Durham, has outlined a series of national and local commitments to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on the roads and achieve vision zero – every day without a road death.
These include commissioning workplace drug and alcohol testing, lobbying or a reduction in the drink drive limit to bring England in line with Scotland and most of the rest of the world and increasing capacity for more drug driving enforcement and the availability of test equipment.
To get involved in the campaign visit the Protect Young Drivers website at: https://www.protectyoungdrivers.com
