Serious road collisions down by almost a third in West Midlands
Major vehicle collisions in the West Midlands have dropped by nearly a third, according to a new report.
West Midlands Police say there has been a 30 per cent decrease in people being killed or seriously injured in collisions involving cyclists, motorbikes, pedestrians and cars across the West Midlands since 2018.
The figures show there were 1,011 killed or seriously injured casualties throughout 2018, with 939 during 2019 and a further reduction to 717 for 2020.
The work to cut collision casualties across the West Midlands has also helped to reduce the strain on the NHS during the Covid pandemic.
The Road Harm Prevention Team (RHPT) carries out a variety of operations, using plain-clothed and uniformed officers.
These range from targeted speed enforcement days to the nationally-acclaimed Op Close Pass to raise awareness and prosecute those who travel too close to cyclists.
Consequences
Other operations include Zig Zag, where action is taken against those who speed near pedestrian crossings, and Safer Junction, which targets hotspots where road users and pedestrians are both at risk of being injured by dangerous driving.
The unit works alongside neighbourhood policing teams, Transport for West Midlands, local authorities, other emergency services and third sector agencies to help keep the roads safe.
Sergeant Jon Butler, who leads the RHPT, said: "Dangerous and illegal driving can have serious or even fatal consequences.
"We know the long-lasting impact it can have on communities so we’ve invested in extra officers to enable us to increase our activities to maintain the safety of vulnerable road users and pedestrians.
"We’re both enforcing the law and educating around the dangers of reckless behaviour on our roads.
"Even during the unprecedented last year we’ve continued to see a regular volume of road users.
"Hopefully we’ll continue to see a cut in collisions over the coming years as a result of the ongoing efforts between us and our partners."
