Local MP makes emotional plea to Parliament on road safety for young people

Local MP Anna Sabine has called for ‘serious consideration’ to be given to new measures for road safety and young drivers in an emotional plea to Parliament.

Speaking in Westminster recently, the MP highlighted her ‘really serious concerns’ about road safety and the need for more preventative measures, such as graduated driving licences – licences that place restrictions on new drivers to help them gain experience in safer conditions.

Referencing the dangers of roads around Frome and East Somerset, and the many incidents that have led to fatalities, she also spoke of the need to introduce minimum learning periods for new drivers and to reduce the number of passengers a young person can have in the car.

“I have some really serious concerns about [my teenage son’s] safety when he does start to drive,” explained Anna.

“My constituency has a lot of A-roads, which are winding and fast and often have junctions off to the side where drivers are trying to pull out onto the main road. We have a history of accidents in the local area, including a horrendous one in 2023 where two young sisters were killed by an oncoming vehicle.

“We know from figures provided by Brake that one in five drivers crashes within a year of their test and that more than 1,500 young drivers are killed or injured on the roads each year. We know that carrying passengers or driving at night is a major risk factor for younger drivers and we also know that sadly younger drivers are more likely to be involved in a crash caused by speed.”

The MP acknowledged that young people might ‘resent’ the idea of graduated driving licences but said it is ‘worth a conversation.’

She said, “I can see why in rural areas like mine, really stringent restrictions on driving, like preventing young people from driving at night, might make it very hard for young people to get to jobs or go to educational settings if buses aren’t frequent enough. But I think it warrants a conversation, because it’s young people who have the most to lose if we can’t get this right.”

Campaigning for road safety

Anna has been lobbying for improved safety measures on the Frome bypass, where a series of fatalities have occurred. Recently, she met with Somerset Council following strong concerns from the community and local councillors about road safety.

Somerset Council committed to improving signage and road markings on the road, installing new warning signs to alert road users to potential dangers and cutting back vegetation that may be obscuring sightlines.

Anna has also been campaigning for the authority to redesign the layout of the A361/A362 junction to improve safety. However, speaking in Parliament, she criticised the lack of council or government funding available to take further preventative action, such as the installation of traffic lights.

“We can’t put in the kind of preventative measures if we can’t fund them,” said the MP, who has also supported a local campaign by Selwood Parish Council to work with local groups and organisations to introduce traffic-slowing solutions.

Pictured: MP Anna Sabine