Connect Plus joins Highways Agency’s plea to drivers to take care through road works

Connect Plus, the design, build, finance and operating company for southern England’s M25 and its adjoining trunk routes, last week joined with the Highways Agency to convey vital messages to drivers passing through road works. The company, a joint venture consisting of Balfour Beatty, Skanska, Atkins and Egis Projects SA, was participating in the Highways Agency Road Worker Safety Week (21-28 October), which aimed to get across to the public some of the dangers road workers face in their work close to fas
October 30, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Connect Plus staff with members of the public at South Mimms services during the UK’s Road Safety Week

Connect Plus, the design, build, finance and operating company for southern England’s M25 and ITS adjoining trunk routes, last week joined with the 2309 Highways Agency to convey vital messages to drivers passing through road works.

The company, a joint venture consisting of 1146 Balfour Beatty, 2296 Skanska, 3005 Atkins and 2376 EGIS Projects SA, was participating in the Highways Agency Road Worker Safety Week (21-28 October), which aimed to get across to the public some of the dangers road workers face in their work close to fast moving traffic. In the last three years, eight road workers have lost their lives in accidents at the UK roadside.

Connect Plus, which maintains the M25 and employs over 200 road workers, held an information session at Cobham Services where the public were able to view the latest awareness videos about road worker safety and talk to road workers about some of the dangers they face.  A similar session was held at South Mimms services.  

Connect Plus has been working with the Highways Agency and ITS supply chain partners to reduce the risks road workers face, including trialling systems to reduce live carriageway crossings (one of the greatest risks for road workers) by nearly half, as well as introducing vehicles which offer greater protection from collisions.

To support Road Worker Safety Week, Connect Plus also jointly funded the first ever national road worker safety radio campaign, ‘Take Extra Care’, which is being broadcast until 2 November and features three hard-hitting messages focusing on the lack of awareness of some drivers of road workers.

Tim Jones, chief executive of Connect Plus, said,  “Some drivers still find it acceptable to put road workers’ lives in danger by not taking enough care when they pass through road works and this can have tragic consequences.

“Our road workers deserve to work in an environment as safe as that of any other and we fully support the Highways Agency’s campaign to increase awareness among motorists of the need to respect road works.”

Road Markings, Barriers & Workzone Protection

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • TransCore debuts GPS-based device for infrastructure-less tolling and safe driving applications
    May 1, 2012
    TransCore has today launched ROVR, a GPS device with GSM communications that allows infrastructure-less tolling and includes an optional driver safety monitoring feature shown to dramatically reduce accidents, improve fuel economy, and decrease Greenhouse gases (GHG).
    Read More
  • Improving safety for cyclists
    November 29, 2013
    New systems in development for protecting vulnerable road users - Mike Woof writes In many European countries the number of people using bicycles for commuting are increasing. This is being actively encouraged by city authorities as it offers an effective way to reduce traffic congestion, lower exhaust emissions and also improve public health. The Netherlands and Denmark have long had high percentages of commuters opting to use bicycles and other European countries are looking to capitalise on the experienc
    Read More
  • Improved road safety in Irish capital
    April 9, 2014
    The latest data available through Pan European safety body TISPOL reveals that road fatality levels have reduced in the Dublin Region in recent years. However, the information shows that pedestrians are still at risk. Since 2008, almost 40% fatal road traffic collisions involve pedestrian fatalities. A Casualty Reduction campaign has been run in the Dublin Region to tackle the problem. A key police strategy has been to improve pedestrian awareness of the dangers. Chief Superintendent Aidan Reid, head of Dub
    Read More
  • ERIC 2016: What shape the ‘Smart Road’?
    February 7, 2017
    Optimism about the future of highways worldwide abounded at the inaugural European Road Infrastructure Conference (ERIC) in Leeds, UK Around 500 delegates passed through the varied sessions during the three-day event at the Royal Armouries Museum in the northern English city of Leeds. They came away with many visions of what a motorway and road could look like. But what speakers at the event - co-organised by the Brussels-based European Union Road Federation (ERF) and the UK’s Road Safety Markings Ass
    Read More

Highlighted Content