Almost 100 children killed or seriously injured on West Midlands roads each year

Papers to the West Midlands Combined Authority’s transport scrutiny sub-committee show between 2002 and 2013, people killed or seriously injured in the region fell from 1,304 to 895.

But by 2017, this number had crept back up to 1,057 – including an average of 95 child pedestrian casualties each year between 2015 and 2017.

Other casualties include an average of 264 adult pedestrians, 126 cyclists, 183 motorbike drivers and passengers and 343 drivers and passengers of cars and taxis.

The average number of people killed or seriously injured on public transport between 2015 and 2017 was just eight.

The sub-committee heard that Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) – the regional transport body which sits as part of the combined authority – aims to reduce casualties by 40 per cent by 2028.

So far there has been a six per cent reduction since 2017, the meeting heard.

Work is being carried out as a partnership between the combined authority, individual councils, West Midlands Police and West Midlands Fire Service.

Key factors in the plan to reduce casualties include, improving quality of data about casualties and influencing road user behaviours – including through education.

This includes West Midlands Police’s close pass for cyclists initiative where car drivers are targeted if they fail to give at least one-and-a-half metres as they pass a cyclist on the highway network.

Design

Other areas of improvement include engineering of the road network – both to alter existing infrastructure and govern design of new roads – as well as enforcement, such as through speed cameras rolled out across the region.

Anne Shaw, director of network resilience at TfWM, said: “We know that accidents on our roads have devastating effects on our communities. Those who are involved in particular, and particularly when families lose a loved one and also those who may live with long-term, life-changing injuries as well.

“Accidents do have financial consequences, not least on our emergency services who are supporting people through those incidents.

“Road safety also results in congestion during those incidents and the management of those as well. It also acts as a barrier to people taking up more active modes as well.

“We are focused around pedestrians – particularly young pedestrians, cyclists and drivers, and again particularly around young drivers.

“Our aims are to ensure we are keeping our roads safe, we are encouraging safer vehicles on our highway network, we are keeping safe speeds as well and also making sure that our post-crash response we are supporting families who are affected by those incidents.”

Councillor Cathy Bayton, committee chair and Dudley councillor for the St James’s Ward queried the 40 per cent reduction target.

She said: “I am not for one minute saying the target isn’t correct, but is the plan you have got at the moment going to deliver the reduction in the time frame you have allowed?”

Ms Shaw replied: “It is going to be an interesting one for us to observe. In some countries they are now moving more towards zero as well.

“We probably need to look at how we can make sure and deliver – if not just on that 40 per cent reduction target but also trying to bring ourselves towards zero reduction as well.”