terrible

BBC Breakfast presenters Sally Nugent and Jon Kay spoke to a mum whose daughter was killed in a car crash in 2017

BBC Breakfast’s Sally Nugent announced some heartbreaking news on Wednesday’s show after a guest’s daughter tragically died.

Sharon Huddleston, whose 18-year-old daughter Caitlin died in a car accident in 2017, appeared on the BBC programme on Wednesday morning (January 7), reports the Express. She shared that the coroner had attributed Caitlin’s death to driver inexperience, prompting her to campaign for graduated driving licences.

Presenter Sally outlined: “Learner drivers in England and Wales could face a mandatory wait of up to six months between sitting their theory and practical tests as part of a new road safety strategy being launched by the government today.”

Her co-presenter Jon Kay chimed in: “While some campaign groups have welcomed these proposals, others have criticised the government for stopping short of introducing what are called graduated driving licences, which is where newly qualified drivers face restrictions until they’ve got a bit more experience.”

Sharon responded: “Well, it’s great that we’ve got a road safety strategy because it’s been 14 years since we’ve had one, so that’s good news. And it’s also good news that young drivers are being addressed in the strategy, but I don’t think it goes far enough. I understand that the limited period for learner drivers is a good thing because we’re seeing like 17-year-olds pass the test within a few weeks, and then they’re on the roads.

“But the element I am passionate about because of the reason why my daughter was killed is that she was a passenger in a newly qualified driver’s car, and the coroner put the crash down to the inexperience of the newly qualified driver.

“And so the element that I am passionate about, the graduated driving licence, is the passenger safety precaution, and that’s the element that I would have liked to have seen addressed in the strategy as well.”

Jon chimed in: “There’s lots in this strategy, isn’t there, for all drivers potentially of all ages, but as far as young drivers are concerned, what it’s saying then is that you would have to, if you pass your theory test, you’re going to have to wait six months to get more practice before you take the practical test. But what you would like to see is a delay in what you can do after the test, after the practical test as well.”

Sharon continued, acknowledging it as “a very positive thing” that the issue was being addressed, but emphasised that “we need more”.

“It doesn’t go far enough for us,” she expressed. “And as I say, if this element of the safety precaution of passengers was in place in 2017, my daughter would be alive.

“You know, and this law has been campaigned for for decades now. Unfortunately, I didn’t know about it until after Caitlin was killed. It was too late.”

Sally said: “And it’s really important to make the point that, as you’ve mentioned already, the coroner said it was inexperience. That’s really key, isn’t it? It was simple inexperience that contributed to this terrible tragedy.”

BBC Breakfast is broadcast on BBC One.

Rob Reiner was known to millions as a TV actor and film director.

But the Brentwood resident, known for the classic films “Stand by Me” and “When Harry Met Sally,” was also a political force, an outspoken supporter of progressive causes and a Democratic Party activist who went beyond the typical role of celebrities who host glitzy fundraisers.

Reiner was deeply involved in issues that he cared about, such as early childhood education and the legalization of gay marriage.

Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michelle Singer Reiner, were found dead inside his home Sunday, sparking an outpouring of grief from those who worked with him on a variety of causes.

Ace Smith — a veteran Democratic strategist to former Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Gov. Jerry Brown and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton — had known Reiner for decades. Reiner, he said, approached politics differently than most celebrities.

“Here’s this unique human being who really did make the leap between entertainment and politics,” Smith said. “And he really spent the time to understand policy, really, in its true depth, and to make a huge impact in California.”

Reiner was a co-founder of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the organization that successfully led the fight to overturn Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage. He was active in children’s issues through the years, having led the campaign to pass Proposition 10, the California Children and Families Initiative, which created an ambitious program of early childhood development services.

Proposition 10 was considered landmark policy. Reiner enlisted help in that effort from Steven Spielberg, Robin Williams, and his own father, comedy legend Carl Reiner.

“He wanted to make a difference. And he did, and he did profoundly,” Smith said.

Reiner was also a leading backer of Proposition 82, an unsuccessful measure that would have taxed the wealthy to create universal preschool in California.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who had known Reiner since he was a state lawmaker in the 1990s, worked with him on Proposition 10 and was impressed with how Reiner embraced the cause.

“He was a man with a good answer. It wasn’t politics as much as he was always focused on the humanity among us,” Villaraigosa said. ‘When he got behind an issue, he knew everything about it.”

“Just a really special man. A terrible day,” the former mayor said.

Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement that she was “heartbroken” by the day’s events, saying Reiner “always used his gifts in service of others.”

“Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” the mayor said.

“I’m holding all who loved Rob and Michele in my heart,” Bass said.

Newsom added, “Rob was a passionate advocate for children and for civil rights — from taking on Big Tobacco, fighting for marriage equality, to serving as a powerful voice in early education. He made California a better place through his good works.”

“Rob will be remembered for his remarkable filmography and for his extraordinary contribution to humanity,” the governor said.