Joseph Walsh
PFD Report
All Responded
Ref: 2025-0023
All 1 response received
· Deadline: 10 Mar 2025
Sent To
Response Status
Responses
1 of 1
56-Day Deadline
10 Mar 2025
All responses received
About PFD responses
Organisations named in PFD reports must respond within 56 days explaining what actions they are taking.
Source: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary
Coroner’s Concerns
Joseph was aged 18 at the time of his death following the collision and had passed his driving test in May 2023. This was five months prior to the collision. At the time of the collision, he was legally carrying 5 young friends. Currently there are no legal restrictions upon the licences of young and /or newly qualified drivers and the current vehicle licensing regime permits the carrying of young persons as passengers in circumstances such as these Young drivers may be more likely to be involved in a collision with similar aged passengers in the car. I would ask you to consider the appropriateness of reviewing the current provisions since I am concerned that there will be further like tragic deaths.
Responses
The Department for Transport is developing a new road safety strategy and is exploring options to tackle the disproportionate involvement of young drivers in road incidents, without considering Graduated Driving Licences. It is also considering further policy options regarding motoring offences related to drug and alcohol use.
AI summary
View full response
Dear Mr Fleming,
Thank you for your reports of 13 January made under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013, following the inquests you conducted into the deaths of Joseph Samuel Walsh and Tobias Crowther Barraclough.
I am deeply saddened by the circumstances of Joseph Walsh and Tobias Barraclough’s deaths, and I would like to extend my condolences to their families.
I am determined that we learn from tragedies like this and that we take action to reduce those killed and injured on our roads.
I want to assure you that improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. Too many people are killed and seriously injured in road traffic collisions, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users. My Department is developing our road safety strategy and will set out more details in due course.
Whilst UK roads are among the safest in the world, there is no room for complacency, and I have carefully considered your report and its recommendations.
The latest statistics do show that the number of fatalities for car drivers aged 17-24 years-old on Britain’s roads is falling - from 448 in 1990 to 90 in 2023, which is an 80% total decrease. However, there is still more to be done because in terms of population and the number of miles driven, 17–24-year- olds, particularly young men, remain one of the highest fatality risk groups both as car drivers and passengers.
Whilst we are not considering Graduated Driving Licences, we absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads. As work progresses on the new road safety strategy, we are exploring options to tackle the root causes of this without unfairly penalising young drivers.
I am also aware that drug and alcohol use was a factor in this collision. There are already strict penalties in place for those who are caught driving under the influence of drink or drugs. Nevertheless, we are considering further policy options with regard to motoring offences.
I would like to reiterate that this Government treats road safety with the utmost seriousness, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.
Best wishes,
MINISTER FOR THE FUTURE OF ROADS
Thank you for your reports of 13 January made under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013, following the inquests you conducted into the deaths of Joseph Samuel Walsh and Tobias Crowther Barraclough.
I am deeply saddened by the circumstances of Joseph Walsh and Tobias Barraclough’s deaths, and I would like to extend my condolences to their families.
I am determined that we learn from tragedies like this and that we take action to reduce those killed and injured on our roads.
I want to assure you that improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. Too many people are killed and seriously injured in road traffic collisions, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users. My Department is developing our road safety strategy and will set out more details in due course.
Whilst UK roads are among the safest in the world, there is no room for complacency, and I have carefully considered your report and its recommendations.
The latest statistics do show that the number of fatalities for car drivers aged 17-24 years-old on Britain’s roads is falling - from 448 in 1990 to 90 in 2023, which is an 80% total decrease. However, there is still more to be done because in terms of population and the number of miles driven, 17–24-year- olds, particularly young men, remain one of the highest fatality risk groups both as car drivers and passengers.
Whilst we are not considering Graduated Driving Licences, we absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads. As work progresses on the new road safety strategy, we are exploring options to tackle the root causes of this without unfairly penalising young drivers.
I am also aware that drug and alcohol use was a factor in this collision. There are already strict penalties in place for those who are caught driving under the influence of drink or drugs. Nevertheless, we are considering further policy options with regard to motoring offences.
I would like to reiterate that this Government treats road safety with the utmost seriousness, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.
Best wishes,
MINISTER FOR THE FUTURE OF ROADS
Report Sections
Investigation and Inquest
On 30 October 2023 I commenced an investigation into the death of Joseph Samuel WALSH aged 19. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 17 December 2024. The conclusion of the inquest was that: On 20/10/2023, Joseph Samuel Walsh sustained fatal injuries after he lost control of the car her was driving and collided with a brick wall on Brow Lane, Shelf, Halifax. At postmortem his blood alcohol level was 145mg/dL and he was found to have also taken cocaine (0.19mg/L) prior to the collision.
Circumstances of the Death
On the evening of 20/10/23 Joseph was driving his vehicle on Brow Lane with some passengers. It is believed that his vehicle collided with a substantial stone wall to the offside of the road before bouncing back from the wall and coming to a stop in the centre of the road. Police and paramedics attended and Joseph was pronounced deceased at the scene at 23.54.
Similar PFD Reports
Reports sharing organisations, categories, or themes with this PFD
Related Inquiry Recommendations
Public inquiry recommendations addressing similar themes
Review CCTV monitoring SIA licence requirements
Manchester Arena Inquiry
Unregulated recreation safety
Establish standard for event healthcare services
Manchester Arena Inquiry
Unregulated recreation safety
Mandatory Ambulance Liaison Officer at events
Manchester Arena Inquiry
Unregulated recreation safety
Data sourced from Courts and Tribunals Judiciary under the Open Government Licence.