A COUPLE who lost their son in a horrific car crash have won an annual European award for their road safety campaign work.

Ann and Terry Hannon - who helped launch the Lancashire Telegraph's Wasted Lives campaign - will now jet off to Barcelona after being honoured by the European Road Safety Charter group.

The couple, from Kingsley Close, Blackburn, began fighting for young drivers to take more responsibility behind the wheel after their 22-year-old son Matthew was killed in an accident in 2006.

Matthew had been racing a friend along Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, when he clipped a bollard and smashed into a wall. He died at the scene.

The European Road Safety Charter, part of the European Commission, brings together road safety groups to take concrete actions, assess results and heighten awareness about the need to reduce road accident fatalities.

The Hannons were among 20 people who were given official recognition of their road safety work.

Mother-of-three Ann said: "It has been hard for us to carry on campaigning but we want to get our message across.

"A moment of madness ripples through so many lives and leaves such piercing pain.

"We hope that Matthew is looking down on us and is proud of what we have done."

Ann and Terry have worked closely with the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety (LPRS) and headed a Mother's Day campaign, which highlighted the devastation caused to a family when a young driver dies in a crash.

Both regularly talk at workshops for young apprentices and police recruits about the effects that Matthew's death has had on their lives.

Their heart-breaking story was used to launch the Lancashire Telegraph's Wasted Lives campaign, which is calling for educational and legislative reform to cut the carnage on our roads that is caused by young drivers.

The couple, who have two daughters, have also helped the LPRS to create an educational DVD entitled Missing Matthew.

It was shown for the first time at a special road safety conference held by the LPRS and the Lancashire Telegraph last week.

Linda Sanderson, from LPRS, said: "We are thrilled that Ann and Terry's hard work has been acknowledged.

"We put them forward for the award because they have done so much and this was our way of saying thank you."