An MP has been granted a debate on safety measures for young drivers in memory of four teens killed in a crash in Gwynedd.

Shrewsbury teenagers Hugo Morris, 18, Harvey Owen, 17, Wilf Fitchett, 17, and Jevon Hirst, 16, died when the car they were travelling in left the A4085 near Garreg, and flipped onto its roof in a flooded ditch in November 2023.

Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley has secured a Westminster debate on 28 January.

‘Harvey’s Hammer’, named after crash victims, Harvey Owen – a device to enable people trapped in a crashed car to escape a vehicle – could be among measures introduced to reduce road tragedies involving young drivers.

Mrs Buckley said: “That tragic and horrific incident in North Wales is one of the reasons I’ve called for a debate around the safety of youngsters on our roads.

Shrewsbury Abbey in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, where members of the public can pay tribute after four teenagers who went to college in the town tragically died on a camping trip. November 22, 2023. Release date – November 22, 2023. See SWNS story SWBNdeaths. The college attended by the four boys who tragically died on a camping trip have offered support to students and staff. A desperate search for Jevon Hirst, Harvey Owen, Wilf Henderson, and Hugo Morris was carried out yesterday after the teens failed to return home as planned. But tragically, four bodies were discovered in a car in Wales which was on its roof and partially submerged in water. All four boys attended Shrewsbury College and a spokesperson for the site has since offered their thoughts to anyone affected by the sad news.
Candles lit in Shrewsbury Abbey (Joseph Walshe / SWNS)

“Globally, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 29. And one in five drivers will crash within their first year on the road.”

The MP previously told the House of Commons: “There is a campaign group called Forget Me Not bringing together families who’ve lost young people, and one of those campaigners, Crystal Owen, the mother of Harvey Owen, who’s from my constituency, put together a petition with 22,000 signatures, asking minsters if they would look at some measures to protect young drivers.”

Mrs Owen and other Forget Me Not members will observe the debate in Westminster.

Measures being sought include additional training for young drivers, progressive licensing, and Harvey’s Hammer,.

In Gwynedd in December 2024, councillors pledged their support for calls to update rules on young drivers after the four teenagers were killed.

Coroner Kate Robertson issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report in October 2024 to the Department for Transport, raising concerns about new drivers carrying passengers.

Following that, Gwynedd councillors overwhelmingly agreed to support a bid by Glaslyn ward councillor June Jones – who represents the area where the tragedy happened – to call on Westminster to update the rules.

Cllr Jones said she agreed with calls for the introduction of a graduated driving licence where young drivers cannot carry other young passengers without having had at least six months’ driving experience since their test.

Meanwhile, Mrs Buckley posted a picture of herself and Crystal Owen on Facebook, saying she recently met Harvey’s grieving mother at her business, Crystal’s Cupcakes, to talk about the upcoming debate.

“Crystal has been tirelessly campaigning for better safety measures for young drivers after the death of her son, Harvey, and three other boys in a tragic incident in North Wales in November 2023,” the post explains.

“One of the potential changes to be suggested is Harvey's Hammer, a device that could help save lives by allowing occupants to free themselves from crashed vehicles.

“I will welcome Crystal to Westminster, as well as many other members of Forget-me-not, a national campaign group of parents who have lost young ones under similar circumstances.”