‘That family car destroyed my family’: Daughter calls on Sadiq Khan to crack down on ‘monster’ SUVs

Claire pictured on her wedding day with her parents Sue and Tom who were both killed by a speeding driver in 2024 Supplied Megan Howe , News Reporter 1 minute ago COMMENTS A London woman whose parents were killed by the driver of a speeding “monster” SUV has called on the Sadiq Khan to push for tougher regulations of these vehicles and a ban on large-SUV advertising across the Transport for London network.

Claire Corkery, 34, from Dulwich, was out celebrating a friend’s engagement in January 2024 when she received a life-changing call from a police officer.

Her parents, Sue and Tom, had been walking their dog along a country road near their home in Kent when they were struck by a BMW X5 travelling at 87mph.

Scott Gunn, who had bought the SUV just a week earlier, was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and jailed for 16 years in 2025.

For Claire, the sheer devastation of the collision meant she was denied even the chance to say goodbye to her parents.

“I never saw my mum and dad again,” she said. “And when I say I never saw them again, I mean I never saw their bodies.

“I was advised not to. They were in a state where I couldn’t really say goodbye, which gives you an idea of the destructive nature of these vehicles and the damage they can cause.”

Now, more than two years on, Claire is campaigning for tighter controls on some of the biggest and most powerful vehicles on Britain’s roads.

Claire pictured on her wedding day with her parents Sue and Tom who were both killed by a speeding driver in 2024 Supplied She is supporting the Carspreading campaign, which wants tougher safety standards and testing for large SUVs.

Claire is calling on TfL to ban advertising for large SUVs across its network, while urging Lord Khan to press the Government to introduce national limits on the width, length and, in particular, bonnet height of new passenger cars — measures campaigners say could reduce blind spots and save lives.

“If he is really serious about reducing deaths and serious injuries on our roads, then he could stop them being advertised,” Claire said. “That is, have an advertising ban.”

Nearly half of Tube track in 'very poor' condition amid TfL's £6.5bn renewal backlog

When Claire tells the story of what happened to her parents, she says she is often met with the same response: “They could have been killed by a Ford Fiesta travelling at that speed.”

While she accepts that a smaller car travelling at high speed could also have caused a fatal crash, Claire argues that the size and power of “monster” SUVs can make collisions far more devastating for people outside the vehicle.