The Importance of Road Safety Education as a Mother: Thoughts from Road Collision Lawyer, Sarah Ouko

Road safety has always been a national priority, but for Road Traffic Collision (RTC) lawyer Sarah Ouko, it is also deeply personal. As a mother, the alarming trends around young driver collisions weigh heavily on her mind. As a legal expert, she sees the life-changing impact these incidents have on families every single day. Her unique position gives her a powerful dual perspective, one rooted in professional responsibility and also grounded firmly in maternal instinct.

The latest data from the Department for Transport’s Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: Younger Driver Factsheet 2024 paints a complex picture. While long-term progress has been made, young drivers remain disproportionately represented in serious and fatal collisions, and the consequences ripple far beyond the road.

In this article, Sarah explores:

• The latest DfT findings on younger drivers
• What the data tells us about who is most at risk
• Sarah Ouko’s personal perspective, balancing her experience as an RTC lawyer with her view as a mother
• Real-case examples involving young drivers
• Sarah’s call for change
• Practical hopes for young drivers
• The role of charities and grassroots programmes, with a focus on the Frankie & Neeve Road Safety Academy
• A final call to collective responsibility, what families, schools, policymakers and communities can do next.

Young driver road traffic collision statistics

The Risk for Young Drivers on UK Roads The Department for Transport’s 2024 factsheet shows progress over two decades, but also persistent, worrying patterns where younger drivers remain over-represented in the most serious collisions.

Some of the most concerning statistics to come out of the report include:

1. Young male drivers aged 17–24 are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured compared with all car drivers aged 25 or over.
2. In 2024, 15% of all car driver fatalities and 18% of all drivers seriously injured were younger car drivers.
3. KSI casualties involving at least one younger car driver have fallen 61% since 2004 (from 12,190 to 4,740), compared with a 37% decrease for other-aged drivers, yet younger drivers still make up a disproportionate share of serious collisions today.

“It’s easy to look at statistics and think of them as numbers on a page,” Sarah says. “But each one of these young drivers, and the passengers they carry, represents a family whose life has changed irreversibly.”

Sarah’s Personal Perspective: A Lawyer, a Mother, and a Witness to Devastation

With years of experience supporting victims of road traffic collisions, Sarah has built a reputation for supporting families in the most distressing of circumstances. Yet she admits that her work has become more difficult, emotionally, since becoming a mother.

“Before I had children, I approached each case with the same level of professionalism and empathy, but I was able to detach myself from the emotion of the case. Now, when I see teenagers in these files, or parents describing the last moments they saw their child, I can’t help but think of my own children. I’m determined that they should grow up in a world where they are safe to be on the roads. But also, that they learn to respect their own part in these statistics. That they develop an understanding of how their own competency behind the wheel, can shape the lives and wellbeing of others.”

Sarah recalls cases that still stay with her.

“Managing these cases is uniquely demanding, not only because of their legal complexity, but because of the human reality behind them. I have sat in so many hospital rooms and homes of families, listening as they describe the life their injured loved one once had. It brings into sharp focus the scale of what has been lost. Balancing empathy with practical decision making can be hard, but in some ways, I have become a better solicitor for now having that deeper understanding and emotional fragility when supporting families. “

She describes her role not just as a legal advocate, but a voice for families who never imagined they would be affected by a road collision at all.

The Need for Change: Sarah’s Thoughts on Prevention and the Role of Education

Sarah firmly believes that long-term change requires a national shift in how we prepare young people for the road, particularly before they ever get behind the wheel.

“I would love to see road safety embedded in all educational years, making our future generation of drivers accountable for safe driving.  It is important we education from pre-school age, as early habits and attitudes can shape behaviour for life.  We should not only be educating children about the importance of road safety, but also empowering young people of how drivers should behave, challenging that behaviour as they go. It should not just be as a driving lesson add-on, but as part of the personal development curriculum, encouraging them to appreciate roads are shared spaces, where pedestrians, cyclists and motorists all act considerately. Young people respond to real stories, to real consequences. These lessons should be as routine as learning about online safety.”

She supports earlier education on:

• Managing peer pressure
• Recognising risky driving behaviours
• Understanding the physics of collisions
• Passenger responsibility
• The emotional and legal consequences of unsafe driving

“Driving is the first real adult responsibility many teenagers take on. But we treat it as a practical skill rather than a behavioural one. That has to change.”

Sarah’s Hopes for Young People on the Road

Despite the difficult cases she has worked on, Sarah remains deeply hopeful.

“Driving offers young people freedom and independence, and I want them to feel confident on the road, while also understanding just how important that responsibility is.”

Her hopes are simple but powerful:

• That young drivers take pride in being safe, not just skilful
• That all passengers, regardless of age, feel confident calling out unsafe behaviour in friends & family driving them
• That they understand the ripple effect their choices have on families and communities
• That the decline in serious injuries continues for decades to come

“If we can give young people the knowledge and tools to make safer choices, we won’t just reduce statistics, we’ll preserve futures.”

Supporting the Frankie & Neeve Road Safety Academy

Sarah, and the wider team at Fletchers Solicitors, are passionate supporters of the Frankie & Neeve’s Road Safety Academy.

Founder, Calvin Buckley, started the charity when his partner and unborn baby were lost to a tragic road traffic collision. The story of Frankie is woven throughout the work and campaigns that Calvin stands behind. His mission is to reach more young people through education, to encourage safer and more responsible driving from a young age.

For Sarah, their message could not be more vital.

“The Frankie & Neeve’s Road Safety Academy embodies exactly what we need in the UK. Calvin shares his story with such strength and grace. His work touches so many young people, at a time when they are impressionable and willing to learn new skills for the first time. It is such a testament to his spirit, and determination for change.”

Frankie and Neeve’s Road Safety Academy run a number of programmes, community outreach activities and school engagements, which align closely with Sarah’s belief in early intervention and attitude-shaping.

“If every young driver in Britain heard Frankie and Neeve’s story before they ever held a provisional licence, we could see a significant shift in road safety. Their legacy is powerful, and it deserves national amplification.”

A Call for Collective Responsibility

The data is clear. While younger driver KSI figures have significantly improved since 2004, young drivers still represent a disproportionate risk on the road. For legal professionals like Sarah Ouko – and for parents across the country, the urgency is undeniable.

“We cannot rely solely on statistics or on hope. We need education, community action, meaningful conversations, and charities like Frankie & Neeve’s Road Safety Academy leading the way. Protecting young people is a shared responsibility, and it starts long before they sit behind the wheel.

“As a mother, I stand firmly behind the need for greater awareness and more stringent education. Both for my own children and their safety on the roads, but also for my part in raising responsible future drivers, who will have an impact on the wellbeing and safety of other road users, many years from now.