Latest news with #ForgetMeNotFamiliesUniting
BBC News
19-04-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Family's campaign in memory of late teen spreads around the world
The mother of a 17-year-old boy killed in a car crash said she was "overwhelmed" by demand for homemade blue ribbons representing a road safety campaign in his memory. Max Greenhouse, of Lydiate, Merseyside, was a passenger when the car he was travelling in hit a farm building on Fir Tree Lane in Aughton, Lancashire, in Greenhouse said the family had made nearly 1,000 ribbons to raise awareness for the Max's Mission campaign, which supports graduated driving licences for newly qualified said she was "really surprised" by the levels of support, especially from young people, with ribbons appearing not just all over Lydiate and Maghull but across the world. Max's family is part of the Forget Me Not Families Uniting campaign have lost loved ones in crashes involving young want restrictions including a ban on 17 to 19-year-olds from carrying passengers, a late-night driving curfew for the first six months after a driver passes their test, and a minimum learning period. Ms Greenhouse said the family wanted to prevent others from having to endure the heartache they have experienced."We wouldn't wish this on anybody. If we even saved one life, it would be a positive change," the 47-year-old said young people had really taken the campaign on board and the ribbons were "on signage, lampposts, everywhere" people had asked for Max's Mission ribbons to take on holiday with Greenhouse said they had spread as far afield as Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the United States, and said Max, a promising DJ, "had a real zest for life" and had crammed so much into his 17 years. "He loved life. He had such a big heart. He had a heart of gold," added Max's said Max had passed his theory test and was taking lessons. She stressed the campaign for graduated driving licences was "not about punishing" young drivers but about making sure they were "safe and competent drivers". As part of Max's Mission, his family, including his 77-year-old grandmother, are staging a four-mile walk to raise awareness of the campaign to improve road walk is set to start at 12:00 BST on 26 April, and go from Central Square in Maghull to Ormskirk town centre."It was initially just the family but loads of people from the community have asked to join," she said."The support has been amazing. It's been overwhelming."Lancashire Police said inquiries were "ongoing" into the crash and there had been no arrests or charges. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
28-01-2025
- BBC News
Young driver deaths debated in Parliament
Family members of young people killed in road crashes say they are "disappointed" and "angry" that the government has ruled out graduated driving held a debate on road safety for young drivers on Tuesday, and discussed restrictions on newly-qualified Pullen, sister of 17 year-old Eliot Pullen who died alongside two friends in Marcham, Oxfordshire, said graduated licences would have prevented Eliot's government said it was not considering introducing such licences but was "determined" to tackle the issue of road deaths "without unfairly penalising young drivers". Mia Pullen and her parents are part of Forget Me Not Families Uniting - a group of more than 100 people who have lost loved ones to collisions involving young graduated licence scheme they are advocating would include banning 17 to 19-year-old drivers from carrying younger passengers, a late-night driving curfew for the first six months after passing and a minimum learning Pullen attended the debate in Westminster Hall along with Sam Robinson, from Farnborough, Hampshire, whose son Billy, 17, was killed in a crash alongside driver Charlie Hopkins in 2021. Ms Pullen said the debate had been "very emotional", but added she was "disappointed" the government was not considering graduated driving Johnson was travelling at speeds of up to 100mph before his car hit a tree in the village of Marcham, Oxfordshire, killing Elliot and the other passengers Ethan Goddard and Daniel Hancock, both 19, was jailed for nine years and four months at Oxford Crown Court in December after pleading guilty to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving."If the graduated driving licence was in place, Elliot would still be here with us today," Ms Pullen said."[Johnson] would not have been able to carry passengers. He would not have been able to drive at midnight, he would not have been able to drive such a high-powered car. "So that's three variables that would have prevented my brother's death."Ms Robinson said the debate left her feeling "angry". "Sadly, one of our leaders of this country will have to experience - or lose - one of their family members in a road traffic accident to do something about it."[Young people] need protecting and safeguarding and this is what the graduated driving licence will do." 'Public concern' Speaking after the debate, Liberal Democrat MP for Henley and Thame, Freddie van Mierlo, said his party was calling for more education for young said "heart-wrenching stories" had been shared by MPs."As a father it's something you can only imagine the impact it has on families and that was a really important aspect of the debate to hear."He said he favoured some aspects of graduated driving licences."[Our strategy] would encompass a lot of things but we would need to look at all the measures around to see what the most effective are."Responding for the government, the roads minister, Lilian Greenwood, told the debate it was an area of "huge public concern"."Whilst we are not considering graduated licences, we absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic collisions on our roads,"That is why we are exploring options to tackle the root causes of this without unfairly penalising young drivers." Drive Fast Die YoungThe story of a teenage road death told by his family and first respondershttps:// You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, external, X (Twitter), external, or Instagram, external.
