Warning after worrying increase in number of drivers ignoring road blocks in the East
The number of road infractions on roadwork areas could double this year
Alarming figures show how common incursions – which is when a vehicle drives through a blocked off section of a road – have become in the East of England.
National Highways recorded a total of 142 infractions for the first half of the year 2023, compared to 123 in the whole of last year.
These numbers are worrying to Karl Brooks, Programme Delivery Manager at National Highways.
He said: “The danger here is that we could be on a doubling trend for the number of incursions we are seeing.”
Incursions not only pose a danger to vehicle users who drive through roadworks. They also put the lives of road workers at risk.
Mr Brooks said: “It’s not an easy job they do. The main thing from our perspective is that everybody respects the law of our signage because it is there to protect everybody.”
“My concern is that somebody could be killed or seriously injured as a result”, he added.
In addition to safety risks, road users can face serious sanctions.
"It also put me in an incredibly dangerous situation..."
When recorded, infractions can result in three points on a driver’s license as well as a minimum fine of a hundred pounds and, in some cases, a court appearance.
Earlier this year, dashcam footage of a woman moving cones to make her way through a blocked off carriageway in Essex went viral on social media.
The footage shows National Highways contractor Adam Craig speaking to the driver.
In response to the incident, Mr Craig said: “There had been a collision further up the A12 – which was the reason for the congestion. I was driving towards the incident to help when I came across the lady moving cones and trying to get her car in a more free-flowing lane.”
“Stopping my vehicle to deal with it delayed me getting to the collision and helping those affected. It also put me in an incredibly dangerous situation, which was completely avoidable.”
National Highways have recently launched a social media campaign to educate road users on the dangers of ignoring road closures and driving dangerously around roadworks.