Birmingham drivers face slower journeys under new 30mph limit

National World - LocalTV

Birmingham is cutting speed limits from 40 to 30 on dozens of major roads by the end of 2025. Supporters say it’ll save lives. Critics call it a blow to motorists and local firms. Here’s what it really means for the city.

Transcript

00:00This isn't just a tweak it's a city-wide shift around 27 mine roads in Birmingham currently set

00:08at 40 miles an hour will be brought down to 30. The council said it's about saving lives

00:13they'd pointed to the data most serious crashes already happened on 30 mile per hour roads

00:19lower speeds they argue mean fewer deaths the new limits are already being phased in and the full

00:24rollout is expected to finish by the end of next year no new speed cameras have been promised in

00:29enforcement will rely on signage and markings supporters found the move as a public health

00:35measure they say slower roads protected the most vulnerable pedestrians cyclists and children

00:41especially in poorer areas where car ownership is lower and more people rely on walking or buzzes

00:47the challenge could mean safer journeys and fewer hospital beds taken up by road trauma they also

00:53argue Italy's pressure on emergency services and encourage more people to ditch the car entirely

01:00it's a shift in mindset not just about safety but about how we design our streets and who they're

01:05really for but critics aren't buying it small businesses and taxi drivers say it'll mean longer

01:12routes and higher costs they accuse the council of waging a war on motorists and warn the change will

01:18frustrate drivers without tackling the real causes of collisions there's also a wider agenda birmingham

01:24is considering a 20 more per hour default limit in future that would need government backing but

01:30the direction of travel is clear for now it's 30 on roads that used to be 40 whether that's a

01:37cyber city or a cyber city or a slower one depends on how it plays out

01:51you

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