More children die on roads in West Midlands than anywhere in UK

It's after a study has been carried out by road charity, Brake.

Author: Hannah RichardsonPublished 24th Apr 2024

New statistics show the number of children who die in road crashes is the highest in the West Midlands than anywhere else in the UK.

The survey from the road charity, Brake, shows four children aged under seven died due to road crashes in the West Midlands in 2022.

It's the highest figure out of any region in the whole of the country.

In a further breakdown, it highlights 39 children were seriously injured and 250 were slightly injured because of road collisions.

The latest was four-year-old Mayar Yahia who died after being hit by a car in Birmingham a little over a week ago (14 April).

Lucy Straker is from Brake and said: "It's horrific when we look at these statistics, really it should be zero.

"No child should be harmed on the road.

"The responsibility is on those people who are driving round in the areas where there a lot of children.

"Make sure you keep you speed down, take your time, make sure you can see everybody and keeping an eye out for those hazards."

The road charity is calling for changes to speed limits in residential areas to save more lives.

Lucy continued: "We say: 'why wait until somebody is harmed, or somebody is killed.

"If you set it at 20mph and then see if it needs to be upped to 30 mph.

"You are then putting safety at the priority of our young people."

The Government say they "are always looking at ways to help keep drivers and all road users safe."

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