Parents fear child traffic deaths on major Birmingham road
There are calls for tougher punishments on dangerous drivers.
Last updated 11th Aug 2023
Parents living at the edge of a major dual-carriageway in Birmingham are calling for tougher punishment for dangerous drivers – fearing their children may be killed without robust action.
Motorists have been found to routinely jump red lights at Belgrave Middleway junctions in Birmingham.
This was evident when police pulled over a number of motorists within a short two-hour window as part of Operation Triton earlier this week. Drivers were stopped for running red lights at Horton Square junction near the scene of where a cyclist was fatally struck by a car in May.
A mum-of-three living on an estate by Belgrave Middleway said she has “seen too many crashes” on the major road “in my lifetime”. The 55-year-old, who chose not to be named, said: “There have been far too many deaths; I’m scared for my children.”
The mum said she collects and drops off her children every day to “make sure they’re not crossing any roads”. “I see school kids walking to and from school without their parents and that sends my stomach funny,” she said.
“They’re not old enough and I always think, with all the crashes we’ve had here, how can parents let them do that? There needs to be better policing on these roads because we can’t just wait around for one of our children to die before we pay attention.”
Mr Woolley, a dad who lives on the same estate, said: “Traffic here is tremendous and I see a lot of speeding. Quite a lot of crashes happen.
“When the lights are on red, sometimes I see five or six vehicles going through the lights at the same time, which I think is wrong. Also you have to be careful when you cross because otherwise you get knocked over. We have to run across the road for safety.”
The 64-year-old added that “more should be done” to “keep people safe” and suggested extra speed cameras might deter drivers from breaking the law. “There’s quite a lot of children in this area because of the school just over the road,” he said.
“It’s very bad for them in the morning – they have to take precautions. If the council can do more in this area then we can have a better and more peaceful life.”
Another dad said he’ll never forget when six people died in a horror crash on Belgrave Middleway in 2017. An inquest into the crash found that speeding driver, Kasar Jehangir, had lost control of an Audi S3 as he was trying to navigate a bend.
The dad said: “It was the worst crash I’ve ever seen. What we need is tougher sentences in courts to ensure we put an end to this awful driving.”
Operation Triton was launched following a spate of road tragedies over the last 12 months. It is a coordinated response between West Midlands Police, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), Birmingham City Council and the region’s Police and Crime Commissioner. Targeted enforcement is set to be carried out by police at known danger spots.
Cllr Liz Clements, cabinet member for transport, said: “Belgrave, a 40mph zone, is one of the roads we’re going to consult over reducing the speed limit to 30mph. We’re also looking at priorities at signal junctions to make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to cross.
“Police are clamping down on speeding drivers and we’re working with them to try and expand the network of average speeding enforcement sites across Birmingham. We need people to recognise that speeding is what kills on roads.”