20mph zone for dozens of Great Barr roads including fatal crash route
A 20mph zone is poised to be imposed on all roads in part of Great Barr after a series of crashes.
Thirty-six people have been injured in crashes in the Newton ward in the last five years a Sandwell Council report said.
Chiefs have are now on the verge of bringing in the 20mph limit in a bid to improve road safety across the ward – despite 14 objections.
It would encompass dozens of roads including the busy Hamstead Road – which links traffic between Great Barr and Birmingham.
Hamstead Infants and Junior Schools also sit along the route.
Deepak Riat, aged 30, died after a crash between the BMW he was driving and a double-decker bus in Hamstead Road last September.
Ferndale Avenue – home to Ferndale Primary School – will also be affected.
However the busy Newton Road and A34 Walsall Road would not be included.
There have also been problems with ‘boy racers’ in the ward, according to councillor Joyce Underhill who has welcomed the new speed limit proposal.
Enforcement
Councillor Underhill said: “I’m just hoping that there will be enough enforcement of the 20mph limit. It’s no good bringing it in if there’s no-one to enforce the speed limit.
“We definitely have issues on Hamstead Road with boy racers, as well as people who will speed anyway no matter what the limit is. Hopefully the 20mph limit will make people more conscious of their driving in the ward.”
A council report says that between January 2013 and January this year, there were 24 crashes in the ward, with 36 people injured – four serious and 32 slight.
Plans to slow drivers down in Friar Park, Wednesbury, to 20mph were revealed last year.
The report says: “The majority of the accidents were caused by poor observation and poor driver discipline in the Newton ward. Fourteen objections have been received. The objectors state they feel a 20mph zone is unnecessary.
“The basis of a ward-wide 20mph Zone is that enforcement will be made easier as police will know that all of the roads in the Newton ward, with the exception of the main distributor roads (Newton Road and A34 Walsall Road), have a 20mph speed limit. It is recommended cabinet approve the recommendations.”
A highways commitee was meeting today and a final decision will be at an upcoming cabinet meeting.
