> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.betterstreetsforbirmingham.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Marking two years of the road safety emergency - URL: https://www.betterstreetsforbirmingham.org/post/marking-two-years-of-the-road-safety-emergency/ - Published: 2026-09-05T12:05:54.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-05T13:25:37.000Z - Author: Better Streets for Birmingham - Tags: road safety emergency, 2026, road safety, Birmingham, Birmingham City Council More than 50 residents, politicians and officers turned out yesterday afternoon in Victoria Square for a moving event to mark the second anniversary of Birmingham's road safety emergency. The event happened within the context of a grim string of fatal collisions. The latest being a [68-year-old male pedestrian who was killed on Thursday evening in a hit-and-run on Stratford Road in Hall Green](https://www.westmidlands.police.uk/news/west-midlands/news/news/2026/september/appeal-to-trace-driver-after-man-dies-after-being-hit-by-car-on-stratford-road/?ref=betterstreetsforbirmingham.org), a stretch of road that will soon have long-promised average speed cameras installed. "You couldn’t get a more visible example that delay costs lives" said Co-chair, Paul Manzotti, during one of several emotional speeches given in front of 23 empty chairs. Each chair had a red rose placed on them, marking a life lost from crashes on the city's roads over the last year. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/e3/5de307d8-27e0-432e-b50c-e0c8ea14d7fb/content/images/2026/09/WhatsApp-Image-2026-09-04-at-18.22.02.jpeg) Empty chairs with red roses on. A red banner with Better Streets for Birmingham is laid on the floor in front of the chairs. As the demonstration came to a close, the sound of quad bikes illegally being driven along tram tracks roared throughout the city centre, underlining how deep the city's road safety emergency runs. Those in attendance included: - Police and Crime Commissioner - Simon Foster - Strategic Lead for Safer Roads - Corinne Brazier - Deputy Council Leader - Councillor Julien Pritchard - Cabinet Member for Transport - Councillor Rob Grant - Deputy Cabinet Member for Transport - Councillor Izzy Knowles - Chair of the Sustainability and Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Councillor Tim Huxtable - A range of cabinet members and ward councillors who have signed up to our [ten practical steps to address the road safety emergency](https://www.betterstreetsforbirmingham.org/birmingham-2026-ten-asks-to-address-the-road-safety-emergency/) In recent weeks, the city's transport policy has come under fire with a longstanding and evidence-based 20mph residential street policy making national headlines. ## Meeting with cabinet members The demonstration followed a meeting between Co-chair, Paul Manzotti, outgoing Chair, Martin Price and Cabinet Members for Transport. The meeting covered a range of topics, including: - the road safety emergency, the safe system including 20mph speed limits, camera enforcement and road design such as reinforcing the road hierarchy and tightening junction corners - transport scheme delivery and emerging future funding - making use of existing infrastructure - connectivity for new infrastructure - ensuring that all areas of the city benefit from transport system upgrades ## Circle the city The demonstration was followed by the [regular Circle the City ride](https://www.betterstreetsforbirmingham.org/circle-the-city/), where they were also joined by West Midlands Road Safety Commissioner, Mat MacDonald. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/e3/5de307d8-27e0-432e-b50c-e0c8ea14d7fb/content/images/2026/09/WhatsApp-Image-2026-09-04-at-19.22.25.jpeg) Scott Martin with a backpack flag promoting Circle the City, leaving Hippodrome Square every first Friday of the month at 6pm ## Paul Manzotti's speech Addressing the demonstration, Co-chair Paul Manzotti said: > Thank you all for joining us today to mark 2 years since the council responded to our request to declare a roads emergency. > > We made the request following a series of harrowing deaths of children. Sadly, this anniversary has been marked by two more children being killed on our roads. > > We called for the emergency because we firmly believe that it is possible to stop all deaths on our roads. We’ve seen it achieved in Helsinki and Oslo. > > But it requires political will, something the last council did not have enough of. Reducing the maximum speed limit on all but two of our city’s roads to 30mph was a welcome move, but our roads require significantly more action than that. > > We sincerely hope that the new administration are prepared to be bolder. You have the opportunity to be known as the councillors that saved lives and made our streets safer. Please grasp that opportunity. We are pleased that you have reaffirmed the long-standing commitment to reducing the speed limits on all non-A roads to 20 mph, a policy that has been shown to save a significant number of lives. But much more is required. > > It’s not just our more than a thousand members calling for change, people across the whole city are asking for their streets to be safer. > > What we need now is urgent delivery - and effective enforcement. The ambition that has been in Birmingham’s transport plans for years must finally be translated into action on the ground. > > But 20mph cannot be the whole answer. A radical overhaul of our road network is required. We need safer crossings, more School Streets, a cycle network, clear pavements, proper enforcement of the rules of the road, and residential streets designed to be safer and calmer. > > We set out ten practical asks earlier this year because we know what needs to be done. These aren’t radical new ideas - they are measures that Birmingham has already committed to or has the powers to deliver. > > Twenty-three people lost their lives on Birmingham’s roads last year. Behind every statistic is a person, a devastated family and community. We cannot keep accepting these deaths as inevitable. > > I note, with grim timing, the death today of another pedestrian, on a stretch of road we were promised average speed cameras on last year. You couldn’t get a more visible example that delay costs lives. > > The Road Safety Emergency was declared because the situation was unacceptable. Two years later, it remains unacceptable. Birmingham needs to treat it like the emergency it is. ## Photos ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/e3/5de307d8-27e0-432e-b50c-e0c8ea14d7fb/content/images/2026/09/WhatsApp-Image-2026-09-04-at-18.24.43.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/e3/5de307d8-27e0-432e-b50c-e0c8ea14d7fb/content/images/2026/09/WhatsApp-Image-2026-09-04-at-18.24.46.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/e3/5de307d8-27e0-432e-b50c-e0c8ea14d7fb/content/images/2026/09/WhatsApp-Image-2026-09-04-at-18.24.45.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/e3/5de307d8-27e0-432e-b50c-e0c8ea14d7fb/content/images/2026/09/Screenshot-2026-09-04-at-22.57.13-2.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/e3/5de307d8-27e0-432e-b50c-e0c8ea14d7fb/content/images/2026/09/WhatsApp-Image-2026-09-04-at-23.13.21.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5d/e3/5de307d8-27e0-432e-b50c-e0c8ea14d7fb/content/images/2026/09/WhatsApp-Image-2026-09-05-at-11.27.26.jpeg) Residents, councillors and officers demand safer streets and a more concerted effort to fix the city's road safety emergency --- 💭 What are you hoping for the Council to do to make progress on addressing the road safety emergency in its third year?