Campaigners say Birmingham streets are in "state of emergency" after 23 deaths in a year
Campaigners are calling for immediate action after claiming that Birmingham's streets are in a "state of emergency".
Better Streets for Birmingham has written an open letter to the city's and regional leaders.
They said since their first open letter in June 2023, at least 23 people have lost their lives and a further 26 have been seriously injured in collisions on our roads.
Among their number was four-year-old Mayar Yahia, killed while walking home with her mother, who was also seriously injured.
Better Streets for Birmingham said: "We have a duty to learn from this failure and to ensure we do everything possible to prevent such a senseless loss."
They added significant steps were taken, particularly in terms of road policing, with extra resources earmarked for road traffic units and a root and branch transformation of third-party reporting through Operation Snap.
Commitments were made to triple average speed enforcement cameras in Birmingham, and to remove almost all 40mph speed limits across the city.
However, they believe it is still not enough, and have called for these 10 changes to be made:
1. Declare a state of emergency for Birmingham’s roads, holding a press conference with each key partner detailing the changes they will make.
2. Make urgent changes to our streets, using temporary materials like those used for the Emergency Active Travel Fund and in Paris.
3. Publish a timetable for the roll-out of average speed cameras and updated speed limits within Birmingham.
4. Hold quarterly Gold Command meetings, led by an Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) or above, attended by the Mayor, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, until it is clear that the region is on-course for Vision Zero.
5. Get a central grip on the number of separate road policing operations by establishing a clear owner and bringing a progress report to the PCC at every Strategic Policing and Crime Board meeting.
6. Further increase roads policing capacity so that there is always a unit working in each Local Policing Area (LPA), utilising capacity within Priority Crime Teams, and ensure that the Operation Snap team is sufficiently resourced for the rate of submissions.
7. Resource and upskill NPTs to achieve proactive neighbourhood traffic policing, with a designated NPT road safety lead, supported by rolling secondments within the Road Harm Reduction Unit for Neighbourhood Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).
8. Use existing powers to suspend the licences of those arrested for dangerous driving offences, to ensure that they do not endanger other road users whilst awaiting trial.
9. Immediately begin recruiting the next Mayor’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner.
10. Ensure the West Midlands Road Safety Action Plan has coordinated and full funding so that multi-agency delivery can start at the point of adoption, as well as strengthening action twelve to create 100 school streets across the region by 2028.
Birmingham City Council have also backed calls for the declaration of a "road safety emergency".
Councillor Majid Mahmood has written a letter to West Midlands Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford.
He stated that following the incidents in Boldmere yesterday evening and on Coventry Road this morning, "we have now had 10 fatal collisions on Birmingham’s roads this calendar year".
Mr Mahmood said following information received from the police, the causes of the most serious and fatal collisions appear to be largely related to alcohol, drugs, dangerous driving, and nighttime street racing.
He said a Road Safety Emergency must be declared and has requested the immediate standing up of a Gold Command to coordinate a multi-agency response.
West Midlands Police say they have set their goal to reduce road death and serious injury to zero under Vision Zero.
Their approach involves focused operations in key areas, tackling the “fatal four” and preventing harm to the most vulnerable road users. The fatal four include speeding, drink and drug driving, using a mobile phone while driving and not wearing a seatbelt.
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