Danger: roadworks ahead
Page 5
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Truck drivers' lives are being threatened by dangerous roadworks, according to a Sunday Times survey.
The survey claims poor layout of roadworks and inadequate signposts are creating hazards on busy motorways and trunk roads.
An investigation by the Sunday Times, carried out in association with safety inspectors from the Automobile Association, revealed construction materials dumped in the road, forcing drivers into oncoming traffic, and open trenches and potholes marked only by fluorescent ribbon. Unsigned and unlit waste was found across roads, with main roads coned off for no apparent reason and temporary traffic lights causing long delays.
The AA says the problem is getting worse. "More than one in three roadworks have a serious defect. Many of the problems are caused by shoddy practices by contractors and a lack of supervision from councils," it alleges. "Some dangerous road repairs are just caused by a lack of planning. Motorists are diverted to avoid road repairs and they just find themselves on another road with roadworks.
Construction waste is also often left on pavements, forcing pedestrians to walk in the road."