Jaidyn’s Law bid aims to force tougher drug testing after teen’s death in collision

16-year-old Jaidyn Rice was tragically killed in a road traffic collision in Bangor, Co Down on the evening of Tuesday 8th July 2025.

The family of 16-year-old Jaidyn Rice are backing a push to change Northern Ireland’s road traffic laws after the teenager was killed in a collision that has left loved ones campaigning for tougher drug testing powers.

Proposed amendments to the Justice Bill — being described as “Jaidyn’s Law” — would bring drug testing much more to the forefront in serious road traffic incidents and, in some cases, make testing mandatory.

The campaign follows Jaidyn’s death in July 2025 in a road traffic accident that devastated her family and wider community.

Her loved ones say their experience exposed what they believe are weaknesses and inconsistencies in the current legislative framework surrounding investigations into serious collisions, particularly around drug testing procedures.

Family say change is needed after ‘unimaginable reality’

The campaign for legislative reform has gathered political support from North Down MLA Stephen Dunne and North Antrim MLA Paul Frew, who is chairperson of the Justice Committee.

The proposed amendments were developed with assistance from the family’s solicitor, John McGrath of Andrea Reid Solicitors.

According to the family, meeting others who had already endured similar tragedies highlighted concerns about how critical investigative steps can depend on individual judgement rather than mandatory legal requirements.

They argue that families already dealing with the trauma of losing a child should never be left questioning whether every possible investigative measure was taken following a serious collision.

In a statement supporting the campaign, the family described Jaidyn as someone who stood for “truth, fairness, justice, and community”, adding that she had a passion for supporting and caring for others.

They said her legacy should become “a call for clarity, consistency, and protection for every family across Northern Ireland”.

Political backing grows for ‘Jaidyn’s Law’

Stephen Dunne said he wanted to commend the teenager’s family for continuing to campaign “with dignity” while pressing for safer roads across Northern Ireland.

He said he had organised and attended meetings alongside the family with Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins, Justice Minister Naomi Long and senior PSNI officers as part of efforts to explore legal reform.

Mr Dunne said:

“I would like to commend the family of Jaidyn who continue to lead a dignified campaign for justice for Jaidyn and have been pressing for safer roads across Northern Ireland.

“I have been supporting the family in campaigning for Jaidyn’s Law and I have organised and attended meetings alongside the family, with the Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins and Justice Minister Naomi Long and senior PSNI officers and I thank all those who took the time to meet us.

“We have also met with Paul Frew MLA who is the Chairperson of the Justice Committee and he was extremely helpful in exploring avenues as to how we could actually change the law and so we have been able to table a number of amendments to the Justice Bill in the hope that the Assembly will approve Jaidyn’s Law.”

Calls for mandatory testing in serious collisions

Paul Frew said he hoped the proposed amendments would strengthen road safety legislation and help prevent further loss of life.

Speaking about the campaign, he said:

“I was glad that I could meet with the family of Jaidyn at Stephen’s request and explore how we could make a difference in this awful scenario.

“My heart goes out to all those impacted by traffic accidents and also drugs and I believe that drug testing needs to be a more common and routine practice in order to prevent the tragic loss of life on our roads.

“I really hope these amendments make the marshalled list and the Assembly approves and passes this into legislation.”

The proposed legal changes will now depend on whether the amendments are accepted into the legislative process at Stormont and secure enough backing to become law.

For Jaidyn’s family, however, the campaign is about more than politics or procedure. It is an effort to ensure that other families facing the devastation of losing a loved one in a road traffic collision are never left with unanswered questions about how investigations are carried out.