CCTV footage reveals the risks faced at roadworks

Videos released today by the Highways Agency show the risks that people working on England’s motorways and major roads face at the hands of careless driving.

The videos show examples of road workers narrowly escaping injury after drivers ignored important signs and did not slow down.

The Highways Agency released the footage after 2013 saw the highest number of serious injuries for incident response teams in seven years. 10 road workers suffered major injuries last year.

The roads minister John Hayes said in a statement: “The safety of those who work around the clock to carry out vital improvements and keep drivers moving after incidents is absolutely paramount. It is not worth putting road workers’ lives at risk, let alone the tragic impact on their lives and those of their families, simply to shave a few seconds off your journey.”

The first video shows a lorry coming extremely close to hitting a Highways Agency Traffic Officer vehicle that was attending a broken-down vehicle on the M6. Despite a large red “X” being displayed above to indicate the lane was not in use, the lorry still hurtled down the route.

The other video shows another lorry also ignoring a large “X” being shown on an overhead gantry, leading the driver to crash through traffic cones protecting a maintenance crew.

The Highway’s Agency reiterated its advice for driving safely at roadworks: keep within the speed limit, get into the correct lane within good time, concentrate on the road ahead, be alert to road work vehicles, keep a safe distance and – crucially for lorry drivers it seems – observe all signs.