Birmingham City Council has completed a major project to cut limits from 40mph to 30mph on 27 roads, as part of its drive to make streets safer and more welcoming for everyone.

The move forms a central part of the city’s Road Harm Reduction Strategy, which aims to reduce the number and severity of road traffic collisions and create a transport network that supports healthier lifestyles, cleaner air and more reliable journeys.

Evidence shows that even small reductions in speed can significantly lower the risk of a collision and reduce the severity of injuries when they occur. By introducing 30mph limits, the council is taking proactive steps to protect everyone using the road, whether they are walking, wheeling, driving, cycling or using public transport.

Councillor Majid Mahmood, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: “This is a really important measure to make our roads safer. However, it is about so much more than that; we want to encourage sustainable travel and reduce the impact of traffic on our local communities.

“Lower speeds mean safer streets, cleaner air and a more resilient transport network for everyone.

“I’d like to thank residents and businesses for their cooperation and patience during the rollout, and the council will continue to monitor the impacts of these positive changes in the months ahead.”

West Midlands Police is supporting the initiative with education and enforcement activity to help motorists adjust to the new limits. Officers will be incorporating these checks into their operations to ensure the benefits of the scheme are fully realised.

Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara, who oversees the Roads Policing Unit (RPU) at West Midlands Police, said: “We are completely focused on reducing the number of people who are killed and seriously injured on the roads of the West Midlands, and we know that speed is one of the main contributors to serious collisions.

“I’d urge drivers to play their part in reducing those tragic statistics, by not exceeding the speed limit so that we make the West Midlands a safer place for all road users.”

Before camera enforcement begins, all required signage will be in place in line with the Highway Code and national regulations. Temporary signs will also be used to alert drivers during the installation period and prior to enforcement going live.

This is one of the 27 roads where the council has recently reduced the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph.

The average speed enforcement cameras are funded through the Clean Air Zone net surplus revenues and the locations agreed based on the number and severity of road traffic collisions, with the full endorsement of West Midlands Police.

If drivers stick to speed limits, collisions are less likely to happen and tend to be less severe.

Average speed enforcement cameras are proven to reduce speeding and road harm risk. They work by monitoring a vehicle’s speed over a stretch of road rather than at a single point, encouraging consistently safe vehicle speeds.

Cllr Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “When we declared a road safety emergency we promised to take action and this is what is happening. This is the first of six new locations for average speed enforcement that will help make our roads safer.

“There is no excuse for dangerous driving. We are installing these cameras to stop those drivers who think it is acceptable to put people at risk by travelling too fast. Too many lives have already been lost as a direct result of a few reckless motorists on the Coventry Road and this cannot continue.

“Our message here is simple: Slower is Safer. Stick to speed limits and save lives. Stick to speed limits and save lives.

“Neither is it about money – most of the revenue will go to central government – it is about road safety and I would be happy if not a single fine was issued for excess speed.”

West Midlands Police chief constable Craig Guildford said: “I fully support this initiative, which will hopefully reduce the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on our roads.”

Funded via the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement along with Clean Air Zone revenue, it will improve active travel connections.

Work will include new surfacing, improved lighting and drainage as well as signage around New Street, Temple Street, Bennetts Hill, Lower Temple Street, Ethel Street, Upper Edmond Street and Eden Passage by the Council House.

Cllr Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “It is great to see work start on this important scheme.

“It continues the work we are doing to make walking and cycling around and through the city centre easier and safer, which will also help connections to public transport.

“We need to reduce reliance on private cars; as well as keep the city moving and support carbon reduction, it makes our roads and public spaces safer.”

Ths marks a major step forward in the region’s efforts to improve road safety.

The 18% reduction follows the implementation of the West Midlands Road Safety Action Plan, launched in November 2024. The plan, developed by the Regional Road Safety Partnership, includes increased enforcement action against speeding and dangerous driving, alongside coordinated efforts from regional leaders and communities.

The progress comes one year after a joint statement was issued by Mayor Richard Parker, Chief Constable Craig Guildford, Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster, and Birmingham City Council Leader John Cotton—all key members of the Regional Road Safety Partnership. Their united commitment to tackling reckless driving and saving lives has been central to the region’s progress.

To further strengthen these efforts, the Mayor appointed Mat MacDonald as the UK’s first-ever Regional Road Safety Commissioner, tasked with driving forward the action plan in collaboration with local authorities and communities.

Latest figures from West Midlands Police show that 471 people were killed or seriously injured on the region’s roads between January and June 2025—down from 575 during the same period in 2024.

Mayor Richard Parker said: “I’ve met families who’ve lost loved ones to dangerous driving and witnessed the heartbreak it causes. That’s why road safety is a top priority for me and why I appointed Mat to help turn our plans into real change.

“The latest data shows the action plan we put in place last year is beginning to get results. So far this year 100 fewer people have lost their lives or been seriously injured, that’s 100 families spared the heartbreak that comes with road traffic collisions.

“But every life lost is one too many and we still have much work to do. We will continue to invest, innovate, and work together to make our streets safer for everyone.”

Key to delivering the improvement has been a tripling of speed enforcement in the region. In June 3,781 offences were captured by mobile enforcement vans, 4,582 captured on motorway speed cameras and 28,287 offences recorded on the average speed enforcement network.

Chief Constable Craig Guildford said: “We have significantly invested into policing our region’s roads over the last two years, and are absolutely committed to working with partners to bring down the number of people killed and seriously injured.

“Our dedicated Roads Policing teams work to save lives and prevent serious injury by focussing on the main contributing factors to fatal and serious injury accidents.

“This isn’t about ‘persecuting innocent motorists’ but about changing long-term driving behaviours though education and enforcement.

“The reductions we are seeing in the West Midlands region are bucking the national trends, which is a testament to the genuine collaborative approach taken by all partner agencies.”

Measures taken by the partners include:

• Stepping up of speed enforcement and reviews of dashcam footage to identify dangerous drivers
• Funding and support identified to further roll out more average speed cameras, red light cameras and other enforcement initiatives across the region
• More school streets schemes introduced to block traffic around schools at the start and end of each day.

Future plans include a new charter with food delivery companies to better protect their staff and other road users and working with councils to maximise safety through design of road infrastructure.

Mat MacDonald said: “The drop in deaths and serious injuries on our roads is fantastic news. We will continue to observe the data over the coming years in the hope that this is the beginning of a long overdue trend in these grim statistics.

“Each and every one of these numbers is a real life which has been forever ruined or brutally cut short, and we must do better as a region. The graft of partners across the board to achieve these results has been exceptional, but we know from over 1,200 places across the world that it is possible to create roads where no-one is killed or seriously injured in a collision.

“There is no reason we should expect anything less in the West Midlands, and all of us must double down on our efforts to get there.”

Cllr Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport with Birmingham City Council added: “It is really encouraging that there is a downward trend in the number of casualties, but I know that is no consolation to communities who have lost a loved one.

“Together we must do whatever it takes to make roads safer for everyone, which is what our Road Harm Reduction strategy sets out.

“We are making the speed limit on virtually all roads a maximum of 30mph – this will be implemented later this year. We are also working with police on red light cameras and we have just announced six new locations for average speed cameras across the city. Working with our police partners, swift and decisive action will be taken against those who break the rules of the road. Driving is a privilege not a right.”

A key aim is to secure local retention of road related fixed penalty fine income so it can be reinvested in making local roads safer.

Simon Foster, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner added: “I made it clear a year ago, we needed to bring more careless, reckless and dangerous drivers to justice, particularly those driving at excess speed – and now we have tripled that number, which is pleasing.

“This is in part, a result of the investment, that both the Chief Constable and I have made, including additional police officers and staff allocated to roads policing and my having doubled the number of mobile speed enforcement camera vans.

“The 18% reduction is of course welcome. However, that number is clearly still far too high. I am not in the least complacent. We all need to continue, to collectively commit to constant and unremitting action, to do what it takes, to improve road safety in the West Midlands.”

The average speed enforcement cameras will be funded through the Clean Air Zone net surplus revenues and the locations agreed following joint working with West Midlands Police.

Routes have been selected and prioritised based on the number and severity of road traffic collisions along the route and/or where compliance with speed limits is poor which leads to an increased risk of road harm.  All the routes chosen have the full endorsement of WMP.

Cllr Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “Safety on our busy highway network is paramount and these cameras have an important role to play – far too many collisions on our roads involve excessive speed.

“However, they can never be a solution on their own. We all have a role to play in keeping our roads safe and everyone has a duty to think about others, whether pedestrians, cyclists or other motorists. This is not about making money – the majority of revenue goes direct to government – it is about road safety. I would be happy if no fines were issued as that means people are not speeding.

“We also need to rethink how we move people and goods around the city and regions, which is why our Birmingham Transport Plan and Road Harm Reduction Strategy are looking at redesigning street in a way that put people first, and not only reducing speed but reducing the number of vehicles on our streets.”

BCC and WMP entered into a new Joint Working Agreement covering camera enforcement of traffic offences in April 2025. This not only secures ongoing enforcement of existing ASE locations, but also paves the way for new ASE, spot speed and red-light camera locations to be brought forward.

Chief Constable Craig Guildford said: “I fully support this initiative, which will hopefully reduce the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on our roads.”

The new camera locations are:

1. A45 Coventry Road (extension of existing operation from Berkeley Road to Bordesley Middleway)
2. A47 Nechells/Fort Parkway (A4040 Ring-road to A452 Chester Road)
3. B4121 West Boulevard (Selcroft Avenue to California Way)
4. A34 Walsall Road (Wellinton Road to Newton Road/City Boundary)
5. B4114 Washwood Heath Road (Ward End Park Road to Bromford Lane)
6. A34 Stratford Road (Coniston Close to Robin Hood Lane)