Talking Politics column with Kim Leadbeater MP: Campaigning for safer roads in Spen Valley
People have been contacting me about road safety since I became an MP. It’s something that I care passionately about and I have been campaigning on for years. People in Spen Valley deserve safer roads and I am working hard both in Spen Valley and Parliament to make them safer.
In 2023 I ran a campaign called Pavements are for People where I highlighted that cars encroaching on pavements aren’t just a nuisance, they can also be a serious safety hazard for people who can’t get past them. If someone is pushing a pram or using a wheelchair and is forced into the road because they can’t get past a car, then that person has been put in danger by the car.
I also speak frequently with Kirklees Council, West Yorkshire Police, and West Yorkshire Combined Authority about how we can make roads safer in Spen Valley. Alison Lowe, the Deputy Mayor, leads on the Vision Zero campaign to reduce road deaths in West Yorkshire and I am proud to support that work. Schools are another important area where road safety comes up and I regularly speak to teachers, parents, and pupils about pick up and drop off times and keeping children, staff, and families safe.
In Parliament I am campaigning for Graduated Driving Licences (GDLs) which would place temporary restrictions on newly qualified drivers. In 2024 I introduced a piece of legislation that would have brought GDLs in after consultation with the public but frustratingly there wasn’t enough time to pass it because the General Election was called. I have relaunched my campaign for GDLs and I have written to and had meetings with the Minister responsible for road safety.
While I know GDLs aren’t a fix-all solution, statistics show that newly qualified drivers are significantly more likely to be in road safety incidents when doing things like having multiple passengers in the car. This is about taking an evidence-based approach to support newly qualified drivers while they get used to driving without an instructor or under the supervision of an experienced driver, reducing the stress and pressures that a lot of new drivers can feel.
I got the opportunity to ask the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, a question at his first PMQs and I highlighted antisocial behaviour such as speeding and dangerous driving, inappropriate use of e-scooters and off-road bikes as well as fireworks. I was pleased that the Prime Minister agreed about the importance of tackling anti-social behaviour and stressed that it isn’t something that we can accept as the “daily norm in our communities”.
Getting input from people in Spen Valley regarding road safety and other local issues is a priority for me.
Constituents have been in touch about a large number of hotspots all across Spen Valley, showing just how much of a problem speeding and dangerous driving is.
Please get in touch if you would like to know more about my work on road safety or any other issues.