A MOTHER whose son was knocked down crossing the road is calling for young motorists to drive responsibly.

Violet Atkinson, 40, from Sunderland, has backed a campaign by road safety charity Brake to get drivers to cut their speed as Road Safety Week got under way.

Cancer survivor Steven Atkinson, 12, was killed in 2009 by Ross Talfer, 21, of Chester-le-Street, who was driving at up to 53mph in a 30mph zone.

Telfer was jailed for 16 months after he admitted causing death by careless driving.

Mrs Atkinson said: “After everything Steven went through, I am so proud of him. He never looked at his health as a problem and lived every day to the full. No words can describe the grief our family has gone through since his death.

“There is a piece of us missing and there is no way to escape that. I do not want another mother to experience the pain of seeing her child die.

“My son is gone. I will never see him again, and it will never get easier.

“Graduated driver licensing could have made a difference, and might have saved Steven’s life.

“Drivers young and old need to wake up to the consequences of driving irresponsibly.”

Last year, 451 people aged 15 to 25 died on UK roads and 6,243 were seriously hurt – some suffering life-changing injuries such as paralysis, brain damage or loss of limbs – and 54,000 were slightly injured.

A Brake survey of 425 North-East 17 to 26-year-olds found that 76 per cent were in favour of restrictions on novice drivers after they passed their test – such as a lower speed limit and a limit on the size of vehicle they can drive.

Forty-two per cent had been in a car with a young driver who had taken drugs and/or drink, and 52 per cent had been in a car whose young driver broke the limit by more than 10mph.

Fifty-two per cent fear for their lives in a car with a young driver.

Kath Hartley, of Brake, said: “We need drivers of all ages in the North-East to show compassion at the wheel, to realise they have lives in their hands, and pledge to drive safely and legally.

“We need the Government to help young, inexperienced drivers to be safer, by implementing graduated driver licensing.

“We are appealing for a commitment to this evidenced, life-saving policy during Road Safety Week.”