B’ham Living Streets campaign group call on Police and Crime candidates to ‘level up’ on vulnerable user road safety

Injury risk levels for vulnerable road users are far too high across most of region, with Birmingham area incurring nearly 80% higher injury risk for pedestrians than national average (around 5 excess pedestrians injured by drivers every week) ; with only Solihull having a risk level below national average. Meanwhile the low levels of cycling tell their own story. We’re calling on the WMPCC candidates to re-balance the use of resources to tackle routinely dangerous drivers and make ordinary neighbourhood streets far safer, ending the discriminatory obsession with primarily policing trunk roads and motorways; thereby prioritising driver safety above all other – especially poorer – demographic groups. Other forces, like Avon and Somerset in Bristol, have already shown how stopping dangerous driving is actually more cost effective that sweeping up the aftermath. Full report to candidates below :