A HEARTBROKEN mother has taken part in a video that warns young people of the dangers of the road, following the loss of her own daughter.

Caitlin Huddleston, 18, died in a collision in 2017 on the A595 in Bootle after her vehicle collided with an oncoming van.

Her mother Sharron is now trying to warn others about the potential dangers of the road in a special video message made in memory of her daughter.

Caitlin’s friend Skye Mitchell who was driving the car also died in the incident.

Mrs Huddleston's warning to other parents coincided with Road Safety Week, organised by Brake, the road safety charity.

In the video she said: “At half past one in the morning, liaison officers arrived at the house.

“Mike was waiting on the drive. He came running into the house and nodded at me. He said it’s Caitlin.

“The officers came in and I was sat in the chair. I was in shock, thinking ‘no’ it’s not Caitlin.

“What they were saying wasn’t sinking in. The only word or sentence that stuck in my head, that took my breath away was that Caitlin was in the mortuary.”

Since Caitlin’s death, Mrs Huddleston has been doing all she can to prevent future road crashes. In particular, she is calling for a phased licensing system to be introduced in the UK, restricting young, newly qualified drivers from carrying passengers until they have been driving for six months or more.
Her plea was supported by the assistant coroner for Cumbria, Robert Chapman, who agreed that carrying similar aged passengers should be restricted until young drivers have gained a certain level of experience. He wrote a Preventing Future Deaths Report to the Government requesting this system. 

In 2020, Mrs Huddleston submitted written evidence to the Transport Select Committee Inquiry into Young and Novice Drivers, describing roads deaths as ‘the forgotten epidemic.’

She added: “I came across the graduated driving licence, after I read it, I thought that makes complete sense.

“I thought if we had the graduated driver’s licence in the UK this crash wouldn’t have happened. The driver wouldn’t have been allowed to carry passengers, as she would be a novice driver.

“That’s why I am helping Break and backing them as they have done so much for me.

“I want to give them help and a thank you for them to back the graduated drivers licence and make it a law in this country.

“I feel like I’m still doing something for Caitlin.

“This is my connection with Caitlin.”

The video can be found here.