Birmingham 20mph limit would be 'life saving'

A West Midlands transport boss has said that introducing a 20mph speed limit on Birmingham's non-A class roads would be a "life-saving measure".

Mat MacDonald is road safety commissioner for the region and says he backs Birmingham City Council's idea to introduce the limitations.

The measure would involve B, C and unclassified routes within city confines.

The authority has been discussing the measure for several years, after it declared a road safety emergency in July 2024, but plans would need to go through consultation before being adopted.

Speaking to BBC Radio WM, MacDonald said the limit could prevent tragedies such as the death of six-year-old Bobby Colleran, who was struck by a van in West Derby, Liverpool, in 2014.

"We know that if that van had been travelling at 20 rather than 30mph, which was the speed limit of that road… on a balance of probabilities he would still be alive today," he said.

When the council said it was exploring the possibility of the measure in 2024, it proved divisive both on social media and in the council chamber, with some arguing motorists were being unfairly punished.

MacDonald said he did not believe it would cause more congestion in the city.

He said the 20mph limit was "beyond doubt an evidence-based measure that saves lives".

He referenced that the introduction of the same limit in Wales had been met with about 100 fewer people killed or seriously injured on relevant routes in its first year.

"Anyone who opposes these measures has to come up with a set of reasons, advantages, and benefits that eclipse the value of the human lives that will be saved by this," he said.

The city council recently reaffirmed its stance on the limits by putting them in its Local Plan - a document which sets out how it can help shape the city's future in the coming years.

The council, now run by a coalition including the Lib Dems and Greens, said "local roads" would not include A class roads in Birmingham, which represented some of the "most important and busiest metropolitan routes" within the region.

The council said: "For all local roads (B and C class, and unclassified roads), 20mph speeds will continue to be implemented as part of a gradual rollout, through the delivery of the Birmingham transport plan."

It also has ambitions for active travel, like walking and cycling, to become how most people get around in local neighbourhoods.

The Birmingham Lib Dems group, which has a number of councillors in key leadership positions, says speed reduction will be a priority in its manifesto ahead of local elections.

Deputy leader of the council Julian Pritchard, from the Green Party, has also shown support, adding that there would need to be enforcement.

McDonald said he was "encouraged" by the direction the council had taken.

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