CityShift Road Safety Ambassador Programme
Young people leading the change for safer roads.
The CityShift Road Safety Ambassador Programme is empowering young people across the West Midlands to play an active role in improving road safety.
Led by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and in partnership with Youth for Road Safety - (YOURS) and a team of Road Safety Ambassadors (aged 18–25), the programme gives young people the opportunity to share their experiences, influence decision-makers, and help shape a safer transport network for everyone.
CityShift was created in response to the disproportionate impact that road harm has on young people. Through peer-led engagement, consultation and co-production activities, the programme is building a stronger understanding of the challenges young people face when travelling around the region and identifying practical solutions that can make a difference.
Why it matters?
Road harm remains one of the leading causes of death among young people globally, and the West Midlands reflects this urgent challenge. Young people are among the most affected by unsafe mobility systems, yet their perspectives are often missing from how these systems are designed.
Key facts In the West Midlands :
- 32% of road deaths are under 25
- 36% of serious casualties are under 25
Young people are uniquely placed to help tackle these challenges. Their lived experiences, ideas and insights are central to creating meaningful and lasting change.
What will the programme do?
Through a combination of learning and community engagement, participants will be:
- Upskilled to facilitate peer-to-peer conversations/discussions to better understand everyday mobility experiences, risks, and opportunities for change.
- Using insights to inform a Youth Action Roadmap, contributing to ongoing efforts to improve road safety and mobility in Birmingham and across the West Midlands.
Programme outcomes
CityShift is designed to create both community-level and systems-level change by integrating youth perspectives into decision-making processes.
Through the programme:
- Young people from Birmingham are upskilled as active contributors and paid for their contribution
- Over 150 young people are reached through peer-to-peer community consultations
- A Youth Action Roadmap for Road Safety is developed
- Youth perspectives contribute to the Regional Road Safety Action Plan 2024–2030
- Stronger connections are built between young people, communities, and institutions
- Participants are connected to the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety (3,200+ members across 126 countries)
How can you get involved?
Take part in the Mobility Pulse Survey
If you are under 30 years old and live, work, or regularly visit Birmingham and the West Midlands region (The Black Country, Solihull, and Coventry) we want to hear from you!
The Mobility Pulse survey captures young people's individual mobility challenges, including how you move around your area; what feels safe or unsafe when you travel, what barriers you face, and what changes would make journeys safer or easier for you. The survey gives everyone a chance to share your own experience and the feedback gathered will help:
- Shape a Youth Road Safety Action Roadmap for the West Midlands.
- Influence future road safety policies and projects.
- Ensure young people's voices are heard by decision-makers.
- What's in it for young people?
- A chance to influence real change in their communities.
- The opportunity to share their experiences and ideas directly with peers.