The parents of an 18-year-old tragically killed in a car crash in Loughborough nearly 40 years ago, are seeking to trace the relatives of two other teenagers who died alongside him and another who was seriously injured.
Neil Suffield was a passenger in a friend’s speeding and overloaded car which lost control and crashed head-on into a bus in 1986 near the Brush Factory, in the town – killing five young people and seriously injuring one.
Robbin and Patsy Suffield, who now live in Warwickshire, have dedicated their lives to campaigning for young drivers and passengers to be better protected since their son’s tragic and untimely death.
The couple are eager to contact the other families bereaved by the Loughborough crash to inform them about the support available from the expanding Forget-Me-Not Families Uniting group.
The group, formed in April 2024 with the support of RoadPeace, the national charity for road crash victims, now consists of more than 100 bereaved families.
The parents, whose sons and daughters were all killed by cars driven by young drivers, are jointly campaigning for the introduction of Graduated Driving Licensing in the UK.
Mr and Mrs Suffield have managed to trace the families of two of the victims of the Loughborough crash, but they are also keen to track down the families of the other teenagers involved:
– Mark Adam Smoothy, from East Leake
– Alan Edward Clarke, from Loughborough
– Wayne Hughes from Coalville, who was seriously injured
For decades, road casualty data has shown that young and inexperienced drivers, aged between 17 and 24, are at a far greater risk of being killed or injured in a road crash than any other age group.
Throughout this time, there have been repeated calls on successive governments to introduce a Graduated Driving Licensing system in the UK, to ensure that young drivers and passengers are far better protected. But they have failed to make any type of licensing changes.
In other countries, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand, there have been reductions in deaths and serious injuries in crashes involving young drivers of between 20% and 40%, following the introduction of Graduated Driving Licensing.
A Graduated Driving Licensing system in the UK would provide far greater protection for young, novice drivers and could consist of:
Pre-test
- A minimum learning period of at least 6 months
- A minimum number of hours of practice of at least 50-60 hours
Post-test
- Unable to carry peer-aged passengers for the first six months
- Unable to drive between midnight and 4am for the first six months
Mr and Mrs Suffield have found solace in connecting with other bereaved families, and their network continues to grow. They are now seeking to reconnect with the families affected by the Loughborough crash, from whom they have lost touch over the years.
The Suffields’ mission is not only to provide support but also to rally collective advocacy for Graduated Driving Licensing, which they believe is crucial for preventing future tragedies like the one that claimed their son’s life.
Bereaved families are welcome to join the Forget-Me-Not Families Uniting group. To do so, please visit the group’s closed Facebook page.
