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.

They were killed instantly.

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.

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.”

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.

She also questions whether some of these cars are bought as status symbols – and whether drivers would be as likely to travel at such speeds to ‘show off a Ford Fiesta’.

She also questions why such large vehicles are marketed as “family cars”.

“I feel people are really being missold,” she said. “To me, the description of these cars as ‘family cars’ — well, I think that’s destroyed my family.”

“What family needs a car with a 4.4-litre engine that goes from zero to 60 in four seconds? I mean, they don’t.”

Claire does not blame families for choosing to buy SUVs.

“You might feel safer from inside,” she said. “But it isn’t safe for everyone else.”

Speaking about her son, who is sixteen-months-old, Claire added: “I’m really terrified about what happens if he gets into a collision with an SUV because he is three times more likely to be killed if that happens.”

Data from a recent study shows that children aged 0 to 18 who were struck by an SUV had 77% higher odds of a fatal injury than children struck by a passenger car.

The risk was even greater among younger children aged 0–9, who had more than three times the odds of dying when hit by an SUV.

The study analysed 359,000 casualties recorded in police-reported road crashes across Britain between 2004 and 2023.

Researchers examined the risk of serious and fatal injuries among pedestrians and cyclists hit by SUVs compared with passenger cars, finding that the increased risk was particularly pronounced among children.

Mother-of-two Katy Heald, from Lambeth, knows all too well the risks an SUV collision can pose.

She says she still has nightmares about what could have happened to her four-year-old son, Ben, after he was knocked off his bike by an SUV a few years ago.

The driver, who Katy says was incredibly apologetic, had not seen Ben over the bonnet of her vehicle.

“I screamed. I almost sort of saw it happening in slow motion,” Katy said.

“There was just this car coming towards my tiny child, and so I was absolutely terrified and I still have nightmares about the what ifs.

“The front wheel of the SUV went over the front wheel of Ben's bike. It crushed the front wheel and the front fork. It somehow missed him,” she told The Standard.

“The collision happened purely because of the design of that vehicle.”

Reiterating the same point that Claire made, Katy added: “They (SUVs) might be safe for the people inside them, but they're absolutely terrifying for the people outside.”

“Your car might keep your children safe while they are in it, but the majority of their lives they're not in your car.”

Ms Heald is calling for Lord Khan, local authorities and car manufacturers to do everything they can to control the “ever-growing presence of SUVs on the road.”

Supporting the Carspreading campaign, Elly Baker AM, Labour's Transport Spokesperson on the London Assembly, said: "London's roads weren't designed for these constantly growing vehicles.

“We've made real progress on road safety, but the rapid growth of SUVs raises legitimate questions about visibility, road space and, most importantly, the safety of children, many of whom can't be seen over the bonnet of these vehicles.

“That's why the Government should introduce a fairer Vehicle Excise Duty system that takes vehicle weight into account. Boroughs should also consider raising parking charges for vehicles that take up more space.

“Larger vehicles can have a bigger impact on our streets, whether that's space or safety. As vehicles get bigger, policies need to keep pace."

A spokesperson for the Mayor said: “The Mayor has asked TfL to undertake detailed analysis of the safety risks posed by large SUVs and their wider impact on London’s roads, which could then inform any future policy proposals in London or recommendations to Government or the sector.”

TfL sources told the Standard that the transport body will undertake the same analysis as the mayor.