Secretary of State for Transport visits Black Country car cruising hot spot after tragic deaths

Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, visited West Bromwich to speak to local residents and bereaved relatives after local MP, Sarah Coombes, raised concerns about road safety in the area.

The Secretary of State visited Kenrick Way, where there have been more than 40 collisions in the past decade on a stretch of road less than a kilometre long, and just before Christmas an innocent toddler was killed by a stolen car just off Kenrick Way.

Sarah Coombes MP has raised the issue of road safety in Parliament multiple times since getting elected with both Transport Ministers and the Minister for Policing. 

She held a public meeting last week for residents to raise their concerns about street racing directly with the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, and representatives from West Midlands Police and Sandwell Council.

Sarah Coombes MP will be directly submitting to the Government’s Road Safety Strategy, the first new road safety strategy in over a decade.

Heidi Alexander, Transport Secretary, said: “Every single death on our roads is a tragedy. The challenges faced by road users on Kenrick Way is just one example of why we have committed to bringing forward a new road safety strategy, the first in more than a decade.

“When Sarah raised this case with me in the Commons last week, I wanted to come and visit myself to see how we can help all road users feels safer. Working with Sarah, and listening to affected families, we will do everything we can to prevent appalling tragedies like this.”

Sarah Coombes MP for West Bromwich said: “Local residents just want to feel safe when they drive, walk or cycle along our roads but we have seen too many devastating crashes that have ruinedfamilies’ lives.“As the local MP, I am determined to make our community safer and ensure we stop our roads being used as race tracks.“

I’m so glad the Secretary of State has chosen to visit West Bromwich and I’m sure she will keep our experiences in mind as the Government develops the first new road safety strategy for ten years.”

Diane Gall lost her husband Martyn when he was hit and killed by a driver on their mobile phone in 2020.

She said “Our family faced utter devastation caused by dangerous driving. If there is anything Martyn’s death can change for the good, we want it to be safer roads. Since Martyn’s death our girls and I have been supported by Road Peace who campaign for safer roads for everyone. 

If I can just make drivers hear my message to drive more carefully so that other families don’t have to go through this, so that their dad, husband, or son, wife, mum or daughter is not killed, then maybe something will come out of the utter hell we have suffered.”