Skip to main content

UK road maintenance industry’s new safe driving through roadworks radio campaign

Leading UK road maintenance companies have this week joined together with the Highways Agency to launch a national radio campaign to ask drivers to ‘take extra care’ through roadworks. Messages being aired on commercial radio stations across England from 21st October-3rd November consist of a series of three hard-hitting messages to raise awareness among the public of the need to drive safely through roadworks.
October 22, 2013 Read time: 3 mins
The UK’s road maintenance industry has launched a radio campaign asking drivers to ‘Take Extra Care’ through roadworks
Leading UK road maintenance companies have this week joined together with the 2309 Highways Agency to launch a national radio campaign to ask drivers to ‘take extra care’ through roadworks.

Messages being aired on commercial radio stations across England from 21st October-3rd November consist of a series of %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal three hard-hitting messages audioboo.fm/BalfourBeattyCSUK false https://audioboo.fm/BalfourBeattyCSUK false false%> to raise awareness among the public of the need to drive safely through roadworks.

The campaign is being run jointly by A-One+, 2958 Amey, 1146 Balfour Beatty, 2435 Carillion, Enterprise 2377 Mouchel, Connect Roads, Connect Plus (M25), Galliford Try, 3081 Sir Robert McAlpine and 2296 Skanska UK, who provide services to the Highways Agency. The companies are all members of the Roadworkers Safety Forum, a group dedicated to reducing accidents and injuries to roadworkers.  

Every year there are hundreds of incursions into roadworks which put road workers lives at risk and lead to deaths and serious injury. These adverts focus on the lack of awareness of some drivers that roadworks are a place of work for thousands of people and that all of us have a right to expect a safe working environment.

The first message consists of a series of sirens and bells and makes a direct appeal to HGV drivers to ‘wake up’ and a voice reminds them that roadworkers are ‘made of flesh and blood’.

The second message plays a recording of a ‘sat-nav’ voice instructing a driver to plough through orange cones and kill a father of two, and ends with the message “The next time you’re approaching road works, think about the road workers, think about their families.”

The final message replays the sounds of a crash and reminds listeners that roadworks are a work place like any other.

The adverts are being broadcast during the Highways Agency’s Road Safety Awareness Week which will see awareness events taking place across the country, including the release of some hard-hitting CCTV footage which shows some of the worst incursions into roadworks on a motorway.

Tony Gates, managing director Balfour Beatty, and chair of the 2479 Highways Term Maintenance Association, which represents companies that carry out roadworks, said,  “For some reason a small minority of drivers still find it acceptable to put road workers lives in danger by not taking care when they go through roadworks. These adverts are about reminding road users that road works are like any other work place, and our workers have just as much right to work in a safe environment.”

Andy Jamieson, managing director for A-One+, said, “We launched these adverts locally last year and they proved very successful so we were delighted our colleagues across the industry have joined to support us in the first ever national radio campaign to raise awareness of roadworkers safety.”

Highways Agency asset director David Brewer said, “Improving safety at roadworks takes real collaboration across the roads industry, and I am delighted that these companies have come together to jointly fund this advertising campaign. It epitomises the spirit of co-operation that exists in our supply chain on this important issue as we continue our work to ensure that nobody comes to harm as a result of working for us - which is what our health and safety strategy 'Aiming for Zero' is all about.”

The UK road maintenance industry radio campaign ads can be heard %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal <strong>here </strong> audioboo.fm/BalfourBeattyCSUK false https://audioboo.fm/BalfourBeattyCSUK false false%>

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Fairbanks Scales’ cutting-edge equipment at Conexpo 2014
    January 6, 2017
    Describing itself as the oldest industrial scale manufacturer in the U.S, Fairbanks Scales is showcasing its cutting-edge industrial scales at the Conexpo 2014 exhibition. Innovative products on display at Fairbanks’ booth will include the Talon HVX Series Portable Vehicle Scale, said to be designed to the highest standards in the industry. The Talon HVX is constructed with multiple 25.4cm and 30.5cm Structural Steel I-beams. These massive supports, said to be coupled with the highest deflection rating on
  • Wacker Neuson adds to telehandler range
    January 6, 2017
    Wacker Neuson has added two compact telescopic handlers to its range – the TH412 and the TH625. The machines offer maximum heights of 4.31m and 5.73m respectively, with lift capacities of 1.2tonnes and 2.5tonnes. Despite their compact dimensions they retain large telescopic-handler design features, such as all-wheel steering and generously-sized cabs, standard on the TH625 and optional on the smaller model. The two loaders are equipped with Wacker’s VLS vertical lift system, which avoids overloading throug
  • Wacker Neuson adds to telehandler range
    April 19, 2013
    Wacker Neuson has added two compact telescopic handlers to its range – the TH412 and the TH625. The machines offer maximum heights of 4.31m and 5.73m respectively, with lift capacities of 1.2tonnes and 2.5tonnes. Despite their compact dimensions they retain large telescopic-handler design features, such as all-wheel steering and generously-sized cabs, standard on the TH625 and optional on the smaller model. The two loaders are equipped with Wacker’s VLS vertical lift system, which avoids overloading throug
  • Contractors report DYNAVIS hydraulic fluid leads to cost savings
    March 6, 2014
    Contractors can realise substantial fuel savings and productivity gains through the use of a new hydraulic fluid, said DYNAVIS. DYNAVIS is making its inaugural trade show appearance in North America at Conexpo 2014. The company has provided contractor case studies that show fuel savings of 5% to 10%, with some reporting savings of 30%. The contractors also report a “noticeable improvement” in performance. One contractor said he achieved $8,000 in measurable savings that he attributed to switching his hydr