Bereaved father calls on stricter rules for young drivers
A grieving father from Fort William is campaigning for stricter regulations to be put in place for young people who have just passed their driving test.
Lewis Knox, 16, and his friends Fergus Ward and Jordan Cameron, both 17, died when the car they were travelling in crashed on the A830 between Mallaig and Arisaig in August last year.
His dad Alan now wants to see newly qualified drivers banned from carrying young passengers for six months after they have passed their test.
Mr Knox has met with Scottish Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop who called on the UK government to give Scotland the powers needed to pilot graduated driving licences.
Speaking after the meeting Mr Knox said: "It’s too late for Lewis but we can act to save the lives of young people in years to come."
The paramedic also supports fitting black box devices to the cars of new drivers, to monitor their speed, driving style and the hours they are driving – with a further temporary restriction on driving late at night for new motorists.
Mr Knox said that the meeting with the Transport Secretary on the issue of graduated driving licences being introduced had been "constructive".
With powers over driver licences held by Westminster, Mr Knox urged the government to "consider a change in the law across the UK."
Failing that, he said the authorities should give Scotland "the powers it needs to choose its own path".
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