"Zero tolerance" for abuse of road crews in Staffordshire
County Council's warning dangerous behaviour won't be tolerated
Road repair crews in Staffordshire have been facing increased levels of abuse and dangerous behaviour as the county council's road repair season continues.
With incidents such as motorists ignoring 'road closed' signs, performing risky manoeuvres, and mounting pavements to bypass roadworks, concerns have grown over the welfare of highway workers.
Recently, a road crew member was clipped by a car and threatened by the driver who drove through closure barriers.
From early 2023, Staffordshire County Council highway contractor Amey has reported 76 instances of vehicles violating restrictions and roadworkers being abused.
Previously, repair work in Tamworth had to be halted for several days after crews faced aggressive behaviour from a member of the public.
To address these issues, highway workers in Staffordshire have begun wearing bodycams and equipping vehicles with dashcams to capture incidents and aid police investigations.
Peter Mason, the Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways, emphasized the importance of these measures.
"While we understand roadworks can be frustrating for motorists there is no excuse for abuse or threatening behaviour," he said.
"We have had incidents of abuse which not only threatened the safety of staff, but also caused unnecessary delays to schemes."
Mason added, "This will not be tolerated and we want to make it clear that incidents will be reported to the police, and we will support the police, Amey and all individuals affected to ensure action is taken against offenders."
"The safety of our road crews always comes first."