Birmingham has been ranked in the top ten most dangerous cities to be a pedestrian. The figures, which rank major cities in the UK by how dangerous they are to be a pedestrian, put Birmingham at number six, with 54.23 casualties per 100,000 people.
Blackpool came in as the most dangerous area in the UK for pedestrians with 63.83 pedestrian casualties per 100,000 of the population. London came in as fourth most dangerous place with 59.30 per 100,000 of the population.
As Birmingham lands just two spots below the capital, it makes for worrying reading, as campaigners call for better road safety in the city. The figures have been compiled by automobile experts at Ovoko, who analysed data from the UK’s Department for Transport to identify the areas in which the most collisions that involved pedestrian injuries occurred between 2013 and 2022.
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Explaining the figures, a spokesperson from Ovoko told the Blackpool Gazette how crossing the street in the UK, particularly in busy cities, can feel like a “gamble.” The spokesperson said: “Dangerous pedestrian areas in the UK are a growing concern, as more people rely on walking in busy towns and cities.
“In some areas, crossing the street can feel like a gamble, with fast-moving traffic, unclear signage, and limited crossings creating a hazardous environment for walkers.”
Campaigners from Better Streets for Birmingham have long called for tough action and better policy around making city roads safer. Most recently the group has called on the council, West Midlands Combined Authority and politicians to allocate more funding to road harm reduction, better enforce limits and properly fund road safety commissioner roles.
Back in September, the group group declared it had reached a point where “those travelling in the UK’s second city aren’t sure whether they will make it home alive”.
Speaking to BirminghamLive at the time, Martin Price, co-chair of Better Streets for Birmingham, said: “It is absolutely heartbreaking when you get word of yet another person killed or seriously injured on the roads.
“That’s not a nice feeling, that could be any one of us. It absolutely does depress you. We are fighting for better streets and with the slowness of everything, more lives are being lost.”
Also in the top 10 dangerous cities were Liverpool with 60.82 casualties per 100,000 of the population, Blackburn with Darwen with 59.99 casualties per 100,000, and Nottingham with 59.13 injuries.