You are almost twice as likely as a driver to have an accident in roadworks than on a road without roadworks

Picture yourself for a moment: You've had a hard day at the office and now all you want to do is get home. So, you're driving along quite happily, in reasonable traffic, doing about 60mph. The radio is on and you'll be home before you know it. Then you see it and your blood pressure starts to rise. You grip the steering wheel tighter as you pass the sign that says; "Roadworks ahead"; in front of you the brake lights of cars slowing down.

You're into the roadworks now, passing one of those stupid 40mph signs. Who takes any notice of them anyway? You just want to get home. Go on, just press your right foot to the floor. Who's going to know? Everyone else is speeding and breaking the law - why should I be any different? Then it happens. You didn't really notice it at first. "I hit a cone. I hit a cone. I hit a cone didn't I?" You open the door. The air is cold. The body on the tarmac doesn't move. The frustration we all feel when we're delayed for any reason is natural enough. We all know that driving at 40mph or less through roadworks can also be irritating, but the speed limit is there for a reason as these areas are more dangerous than most. You are almost twice as likely as a driver to have an accident in roadworks than on a road without roadworks. Spare a thought also for the many thousands of roadside workers while you speed past. These men and women often work in the middle of the night in all weathers to keep the roads open and safe. You probably don't event think about them, unless you're driving slowly through roadworks.

Latest figures show that there were 812 accidents in stretches of our roads that had roadworks. This lead to almost 1,500 casualties and 22 deaths. Five of those deaths were of roadside workers. People who were just doing their jobs. That's something to think about.
In fact the Highways Agency which maintains, improves and operates England's motorways and trunk roads, has thought about this subject and is doing something about these shocking statistics to increase public awareness. In July 2002, Transport Minister David Jamieson launched the campaign to encourage safer driving at roadworks. Since then all press notices on the subject of roadworks carry six messages intended to remind drivers of the importance of driving safely, particularly at roadworks. These are:

• Keep to the speed limit;
• Get into the correct lane in good time;
• Concentrate on the road ahead, not the roadworks;
• Be alert for works traffic leaving or entering roadworks;
• Keep a safe distance;
• Observe all signs.

The next phase of the campaign took place at the Motorshow in Birmingham this year when a video was launched to be shown on major TV and satellite channels. Through information and knowledge we can start to encourage drivers to help make aspects such as speeding or switching lanes in roadworks as unacceptable as drink driving or not wearing a seatbelt.

For more information and to see the video visit www.highways.gov.uk