Road Safety

'For the One I Love' Campaign | Sandwell College

On 10th February, Sandwell Council’s Road Safety Team reminded the students at Sandwell College of the potentially catastrophic consequences of inappropriate driving behaviour. 

The ‘For the One I Love’ campaign is launched annually around Valentine’s Day and focuses on looking out ‘for the one you love’, e.g., a girlfriend, boyfriend, mates or family members and identifies the terrible consequences for both drivers and passengers when things go wrong.

There was a visual display of roses representing 150 individuals, who were fatally or seriously impacted by a road traffic collision in Sandwell during 2024.

This year, we were also joined by National Highways, St John Ambulance, West Midlands Fire Service and Transport for West Midlands.

16–24-year-olds are more likely to be involved in a road traffic collision when compared with all other age groups, due to lack of experience at the wheel, taking more risks and being influenced by friends.

The campaign encourages young drivers and those who plan to drive in the near future to take responsibility for themselves and their passengers. Coping strategies were also provided to encourage passengers to speak out if they feel uncomfortable in a vehicle. 

Road Safety ‘Tree of Life’ | Transport for West Midlands

From 12th – 20th February, the ‘Tree of Life’ installation was displayed at Sandwell College, before moving to Sandwell Council House. During its stay, students, staff and visitors were invited to stop, reflect and make a personal pledge to be safer road users – whether driving, cycling, walking or using a scooter.

Please visit our Latest News and TfWM to find out more.

Beep Beep! Day and Brake's Kids Walk | Spring 2026

Autumn Term Update | Bikeability

Bikeability have announced the results of their latest prize draw. The winner received a £300 Amazon voucher for the school / classes that took part in Bikeability Level 1 /2 training in December.

Congratulations Bleakhouse Primary School!

Well done to Bleakhouse Primary School, Brandhall Primary School, Hateley Heath Primary School, Moat Farm Junior School, Old Hill Primary School, Temple Meadow Primary School and The Meadows School, as they achieved 80% and above attendance and were entered into the £250 half termly draw.

Well done to Al Khair School, Bleakhouse Primary School, Brickhouse Primary School, Hateley Heath Primary School, Moat Farm Junior School, Shireland CBSO Academy School and The Westminster School, as they achieved 95% and above attendance and automatically received a £50 voucher.

Driving Test Booking Rules Update and Ready to Pass | DVSA

From Spring 2026, the rules for booking and managing car driving tests will change. The new rules will mean that, as a learner driver:

• Only you will be allowed to book your own driving test – your driving instructor will not be able to book it for you
• From 31st March 2026, you will only be able to make 2 changes to your existing booking, e.g., changing the date or time, the test centre and swapping your appointment with another learner driver who already has a test booked. You will only be allowed to move your test to centres near to where you originally booked.
• If you need to make more changes after you have used your 2 changes, you will have to cancel your test and book a new one.

From 2026, car and motorcycle theory tests will include new cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) questions to boost cardiac arrest survival. This means that hundreds of thousands of people annually will gain knowledge of life-saving skills through the enhanced questions.

Please visit DVSA to find out more about the changes and their Ready to Pass campaign.

Autumn Term Update | Living Streets

Living Streets have published the results of their Autumn 2025 WOW Top Ten Challenge and we are pleased to announce that four schools in Sandwell featured in the Midlands Top Ten Leaderboard.

Congratulations to Abbey Junior School, Yew Tree Primary School, Abbey Infant School and Wednesbury Oak Academy.

Well done to everyone who took part!

This challenge enables schools to compete regionally and nationally with the aim of topping the WOW Top Ten Leaderboards. It boosts engagement and increases walking rates to support pupils’ health and wellbeing while helping to reduce congestion and pollution.

All Saints C of E Primary School invited Living Streets to have a WOW stand at their parents evening. This provided the opportunity for productive conversations with parents, pupils and staff regarding incorporating walking to school into their morning routine.

They were able to connect with others who already walk so that children could walk to school together. Teachers and children also chatted about their excitement of receiving badges and how walking to school has reduced lateness with some pupils as they are not stuck in traffic.

Hargate Primary School and Harvills Hawthorn Primary School are the latest schools to join the Living Streets programme.

Please visit Living Streets to find out more about their campaigns.

Too Close for Comfort? Stay Safe, Stay Back and Have a Safe T.R.I.P. | National Highways

The latest National Highways campaign reminds us of the consequences of tailgating and the importance of maintaining a safe following distance of at least two seconds. By doing this, you actively reduce the risk of collisions and ensure a more comfortable and secure experience for every driver, cyclist, and pedestrian using the road.  

Remember:

• Driving too close to the vehicle in front creates a sense of pressure for the other driver and evokes the same unsettling feelings as standing unnecessarily close to someone in everyday life. 
• To use the two-second rule, pick a fixed point ahead like a bridge or sign. When the vehicle in front passes it, say to yourself ‘only a fool breaks the 2-second rule’. If you reach that same point before you finish counting, you're too close – slow down to create more space.
• To double this gap in wet weather and increase it even more when it's icy for safe stopping, e.g., four seconds. Motorcycles and large vehicles, such as HGVs, will need a greater distance to stop safely.

Don’t get too close for comfort. Stay Safe, Stay Back

They also want everyone to be safe on the roads this winter. As temperatures drop and the risk of snow, ice, and heavy rain increases, they are reminding us to prepare before we set off.

Winter driving can be unpredictable, so before you travel, use a route planner and check for traffic updates. Do not leave for a long journey without an ice scrapper, sunglasses for low winter sun, water, snacks, a blanket, jump leads, and a fully charged mobile phone.

So, remember T.R.I.P.:

T: Top-up fuel, check your oil and screen-wash, ensure you are charged (Electric vehicles use more energy in colder temperatures)

R: Rest every 2 hours for at least 15 minutes

I: Inspect your tyre tread and pressure (Replace your tyres if the tread is less than 1.6mm)

P: Prepare for the weather and check your route before setting off

Please visit National Highways to find out more about their campaigns.

Don’t Put Drugs in the Driving Seat and Drink a Little, Risk a Lot | THINK!

The latest ‘THINK!’ campaigns from the Department for Transport remind drivers of the risks and consequences of drug driving and drink driving. Drug driving can impact your night, your life and your future, as well as the risk of injuring yourself or others. Driving on drugs isn’t worth it. Leave the car, call your mate, get home safe.

THINK! Don’t put drugs in the driving seat.

They are also challenging perceptions around personal limits by raising awareness that even a little bit of alcohol can put you and your licence at risk. THINK! 0% is a new platform that encourages drivers to always opt for 0% over an alcoholic drink if they are getting behind the wheel. You can set new and safer habits without missing out on good times.

Don’t take the risk, THINK! 0%.

Please visit THINK! to find out more about their campaigns.

Digital Road Safety

Digital Road Safety is still available completely free of charge for all Sandwell schools. Research shows that children learn road safety best by being immersed in the environment.

Following recognised pedestrian training techniques, children view the roadside from the unique viewpoint of the pedestrian and by looking right and left they are in a tangible situation.

Visit Digital Road Safety and get started!

Coming soon! 

A new app-based version with new content for KS1 and Year 6. Why not contact us if you would like to be one of the first to get involved.

Help us to pilot this new exciting resource. For more information email Road_Safety@sandwell.gov.uk

Record, Report, Result! Operation Snap | West Midlands Police

West Midlands Police want to make sure our roads are as safe as possible for all users, and they need your help with Operation Snap.

Did you know you can now send footage of dangerous drivers to West Midlands Police, so that action can be taken?

Each piece of footage, whether recorded on a dashcam, CCTV or a mobile phone held by a passenger, is reviewed by specially trained staff. If an offence is identified, the driver can be prosecuted or told to take a driver improvement course.

Offences might include:

• dangerous driving
• using a mobile phone while driving
• not wearing a seatbelt
• failing to stop at a red traffic light
• using a trailer in lane three of a motorway
• crossing solid white lines
• other offences where a driver is clearly not in proper control of a vehicle

Thousands of people have already sent in dashcam, helmet cam and mobile footage showing careless and reckless driving that puts lives at risk.

Four in five reports sent in by the public have resulted in a positive outcome, including warning letters, education courses, fixed penalties and prosecution.

Reports must be submitted within 10 days of the alleged offence and footage should include the whole incident (and, wherever possible, one minute prior to and after the offence).

Along with the footage, submissions need to include details about the date, time and location of the incident, and the registration, make and colour of the vehicle.

If you are reporting an incident that involves a collision, please do not use this service. Instead, please call West Midlands Police on 101, select option 1 and provide details within 24 hours of the collision taking place.

Submit your footage here.