Tobias Barraclough
PFD Report
All Responded
Ref: 2025-0022
All 1 response received
· Deadline: 10 Mar 2025
Coroner's Concerns (AI summary)
There are no legal restrictions on newly qualified drivers carrying multiple young passengers, which increases collision risk and warrants a review of current provisions.
View full 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
Action Planned
The Department for Transport is developing a road safety strategy and exploring options to tackle the root causes of incidents involving young drivers and is also considering further policy options regarding motoring offences. (AI summary)
The Department for Transport is developing a road safety strategy and exploring options to tackle the root causes of incidents involving young drivers and is also considering further policy options regarding motoring offences. (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
Sent To
- Department for Transport
Response Status
Linked responses
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56-Day Deadline
10 Mar 2025
All responses received
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Organisations named in PFD reports must respond within 56 days explaining what actions they are taking.
Source: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary
Report Sections
Investigation and Inquest
On 01/11/2023 I opened an inquest into the death of Joseph Samuel Walsh who at the date of his death was aged 19 years old. In addition upon 22/11/2023 I opened the inquest into the death of Tobias Crowther Barraclough, who at the date of his death was aged 18 years old. Their inquests were adjourned and both resumed and heard together and concluded by me on Tuesday 17th December 2024. In the case of Joseph Samuel Walsh I found that the cause of death to be: - 1a Head Injuries In the case of Tobias Samuel Walsh I found the cause of death to be:- 1a Severe traumatic and hypoxic brain injuries 1b Road Traffic Collision causing injuries to the brain face and chest The conclusion of both inquests was Road Traffic Collision
Circumstances of the Death
On 20/10/2023 Joseph Samuel Walsh was driving his motor car and carrying Tobias Crowther Barraclough along with 3 other passengers (aged 18), (aged 18), (aged 18) and (aged 17). All had been previously celebrating a birthday in a local public house and consumed alcohol. Joseph’s post mortem found that he had consumed both alcohol and cocaine, which would have placed him over the legal limit to drive. As Joseph drove the car along Brow Lane, Shelf, Halifax, a residential road with a 20mph speed limit, he lost control of the vehicle and collided with a wall, causing him to instantaneously sustain fatal injuries from which he died at 23:54. Sadly, although Tobias was taken to hospital, he later succumbed and died from his injuries upon 12/11/2023. The surviving passengers sustained injuries as a result of the collision.
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Data sourced from Courts and Tribunals Judiciary under the Open Government Licence.