Greater enforcement of speed limits and increased use of dashcam
footage as evidence are part of a major crackdown on dangerous
driving outlined in the region's new Road Safety Action Plan.
The plan, launched at the National Road Safety Conference today
(6th November) outlines 23 actions for the Regional
Road Safety Partnership, which includes police and local
authorities, to help cut the number of deaths and serious
injuries on our roads.
And it will be delivered with the help of the dedicated Road
Safety Commissioner who will work with partners to keep the plan
on track.
Actions include:
- Funding for extra staff to review speed camera and dashcam
footage to increase the number of people prosecuted for speeding
and dangerous driving.
- A quarterly review of all road deaths and serious accidents
to learn lessons and advise on action
- Working with the food delivery industry to improve safety and
compliance for their staff
- Further action to identify and remove uninsured vehicles and
drivers from our roads
- Work with media to highlight successful prosecutions for
dangerous driving – showing justice being done
- Provide additional support for victims through restorative
justice and organisations like RoadPeace
- Work with local councils to design safer streets
The plan has been drawn up by West Midlands Police, Transport for
West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the West Midlands Combined
Authority (WMCA), local councils and the West Midlands Police and
Crime Commissioner as part of a commitment to improve safety.
It is expected to be approved by the Mayor and council leaders at
the WMCA Board meeting on Friday, 15thNovember.
, Mayor of the West Midlands
and , West Midlands Police and
Crime Commissioner, are also lobbying Government over fixed
penalty fines for driving offences – allowing the Partnership to
keep the money in the region and invest it in road safety.
Currently income from local fines – worth more than £2 million in
the West Midlands each year – goes straight to the Treasury.
The Mayor said: “Too many lives are left devastated by the
dangerous driving of a few irresponsible motorists who treat our
roads as a racetrack. This action plan sets out how we are going
to make our roads safer for everyone and save lives. This
includes putting more people to work reviewing dashcam and CCTV
footage so we can bring reckless drivers to justice.
“And we have started the search for a person to fill our new role
of Road Safety Commissioner. This is the first time we have had a
dedicated commissioner to imporve the safety of our roads. This
person will use their profile to promote road safety and make
sure we are delivering on this action plan to make journeys for
everyone safer.”
Last year the Partnership launched the Refreshed
Regional Road Safety Strategy 2023-2030 which adopted the Vision
Zero policy of eliminating deaths and serious injury on our
roads.
, the West Midlands Police and
Crime Commissioner, added: “Road deaths and serious injuries are
not just unfortunate collisions. They are predictable,
preventable, and unacceptable. Evidence shows that setting a road
safety target is an effective way to reduce the number of people
killed and seriously injured in traffic crashes.
“The Action Plan sets out a range of measures that partners have
collectively and collaboratively committed to delivering, in
order to achieve that target. I am committed to playing my part,
so that we prevent and tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and
reduce the number of people tragically and avoidably killed and
seriously injured on our roads.”
West Midlands Chief Constable Craig Guildford said: “Since the
summer, I have chaired a gold group around road safety bringing
together the local authorities and the WMCA to work collectively
for safer roads. We must all work in partnership to bring down
the number of collisions that result in fatalities or serious
injuries.
“At West Midlands Police, we have made the biggest reinvestment
in roads policing in a generation. We've increased the teams who
target the causes of collisions as well as the teams that tackle
criminal use of our roads.
“We are more determined than ever to achieve Vision Zero. But we
need the help of every road user to achieve it.”
