THERE are proposals to reduce the number of cars in Brighton and Hove to "address the high numbers of people killed on the city's roads each year".

The city council discussed plans yesterday to sign up to the Road Danger Reduction Forum charter which "which looks at ways to make roads safer for all road users".

In 2019, 168 people were killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents in Brighton and Hove, Department for Transport figures show.

This was a decrease of 8 per cent on the year before, when there were 182.

But last year, when the UK was plunged into lockdown, the number of deaths and serious injuries fell dramatically.

Brighton and Hove's Green group say this shows the need to reduce the number of cars on the city's roads to prevent future fatalities.

Councillor Elaine Hills, member of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee said: "We’ve spent the past century engineering our public spaces to make driving more convenient and other forms of transport less convenient.

The Argus: Brighton city centre during a quiet morning of the coronavirus pandemicBrighton city centre during a quiet morning of the coronavirus pandemic

"Consequently, more and more people are driving. No matter how much safer we make cars, the casualty numbers remain high.

"But, during the first lockdown last spring, deaths and serious injuries on our roads plummeted by 70 per cent. I think this makes it clear that we need to look at ways of reducing the number of vehicles on our roads to keep people safe.

"We’re conditioned into accepting that the price we pay is the freedom for our children to play outdoors or walk to school without being chaperoned, due to parents’ legitimate fears that one false move and their child could be the next road casualty.

"We have a responsibility to do what we can to prevent tragic collisions on our roads - whether it be drivers, cyclists or pedestrians.

"We also need to ensure roads are safer for those who do need to use cars. Right now, we do not take a preventative approach to road danger and we want to change this. If we are to see more people walking and cycling, and make roads accessible for all users, we must consider safety and put this at the heart of transport projects."

The Argus: Brighton seafront during the coronavirus pandemicBrighton seafront during the coronavirus pandemic

Brighton and Hove's Labour group also supported plans to sign up to the Road Danger Reduction Forum.

Cllr Gary Wilkinson said: "Safe mobility around our city is central to the quality of life of all who live and work in Brighton and Hove.

"An updated road safety strategy will set out our vision for road safety and inform policies to achieve that goal.

"The citizens of Brighton and Hove should be able to go about their daily lives without being placed under undue risk of injury from traffic.

"More can and must be done."

The councillor's comments come amid proposals to amend The Highway Code to define cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders as "vulnerable road users".

This would create a "hierarchy" that "ensures that those road users who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to others".

One of the main areas of concern in the city is dangerous crossings.

In September 2017, 85-year-old Catherine Akehurst lost her life while crossing Old Shoreham Road just outside her home near Lullington Avenue in Hove.

She was hit by a black Toyota Celica and thrown into the air as she neared the north side of the road, where friends said she frequently caught the bus.

The fatal incident came just 24 hours after her neighbour Sylvia Harwood emailed The Argus warning of the likelihood of an elderly person being killed on the road.