Bereaved mum backs £1.6m road safety plan

A bereaved mother is backing a campaign to spend £1.6m generated by driving offences on improving road safety.

Avril Child, whose daughter Sarah was killed by a speeding driver in Birmingham in 2012, said the proposal would "save lives".

"There's nowhere near enough being spent on road safety at the moment," she added.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster said the money should be ring-fenced and invested in reducing the number of fatalities and serious injuries on the roads. The Department for Transport said it would deliver a new road safety strategy.

Sarah Child, a pedestrian, died after being hit by a car in Great Barr as she made her way home with her two sisters.

Her pregnant sister Claire was also struck and badly injured, but later gave birth to a "miracle" baby, the family said.

The driver was sentenced to four years in jail, and banned from driving for five years.

"I still live in 2012. I can't get away from that year," Mrs Child added. "I don't even have photos around because I can't look at them anymore.

She believes the PCC's plan would "save lives".

"There's nowhere near enough being spent on road safety at the moment and that's why I want to campaign with Simon."

Mr Foster said an average of 16,654 fixed penalty notices processed by West Midlands Police each year raised £1.6m for HM Treasury.

The money goes into the government's Consolidated Fund and is spent on public services across England and Wales, the PCC added.

Mr Foster said his proposal was previously rejected, but he hoped the new Labour administration will reconsider.

"My heart goes out to Avril and to every single family who have been devastated as a result of an entirely avoidable and needless road collision," he said.

"Enforcement of excessive and reckless speeding on our roads, should not come at a cost to local authorities or the police."

He wants the funds to be used on interventions such as driver behaviour-change programmes and infrastructure changes to make roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "We are committed to ensuring everyone feels safe on our roads.

"That's why we will deliver a new road safety strategy – the first in over a decade - and will set out next steps in due course."

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