Dog owner victory in Solihull as road gets new safety measures after death of pet

New safety measures are being introduced to a road in Solihull after a dog was killed by a motorist who then fled the scene.

A petition started by the dog’s owner received almost 150 signatures and pleads with the council to act before a child suffers the same fate. Aylesbury Road in Hockley Heath is now set to receive a speedvisor, a sign telling speeding cars to slow down, and some parking restrictions to improve visibility.

The council has said that despite the tragic incident with the dog, Aylesbury Road is not traditionally a hotspot for speeding and would not qualify for further expensive traffic calming measures.

Speed tests undertaken since the incident have generally seen motorists travelling just over 30mph, with max speeds around 36mph. There have also been no recorded road traffic accidents on the road since 2019.

However, officers said they wanted to address the case personally and introduce some measures that would encourage drivers to slow down. Aylesbury Road has a 30mph speed limit in place and connects Hockley Heath with Dorridge and Knowle.

The petition was submitted by a Mrs Powles of Aylesbury Road whose petition garnered 149 signatures after her dog was killed. The petition reads: “People speeding on this road have no respect for the lives of the families who reside here.

“My dog was killed by a speeding driver on this road who then drove off. Let’s not wait for this to happen to a child. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.”

At a meeting on Monday, head of highway management at Solihull Council Paul Tovey said: “The petition was on the back of a very unfortunate incident where one of the residents’ dogs was tragically involved in a hit-and-run accident.

“It’s always very emotive, but from a road safety perspective, there have been no collisions that are on our radar at the moment that would justify any actual road safety concern.”

Mr Tovey added the council would be looking at putting in a speedvisor along Aylesbury Road and some parking restrictions at a residential junction, which he said would help visibility. There will also be a road safety audit conducted to make sure there are enough signs along the road.