Drivers are being urged to be “respectful” to highways workers after a rise in incidents were their safety was put at risk.
Staffordshire County Council and contractor Amey say more than 500 reports were made by workers carrying out road maintenance over the past year.
They include incidents such as motorists ignoring signs and cones, travelling through road closures and mounting pavements to squeeze past roadworks.
Other cases saw traffic lights ignored and verbal abuse towards workers.
Cllr David Williams, cabinet member for highways and transport at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“Our workers have an important job to do in keeping our roads running and maintained. They work in all weather, often in very challenging conditions and they have the right to be safe when going about their work.
“It is unacceptable that some members of the public choose to behave in this way and put workers lives at risk just because they can’t be bothered to wait for traffic lights to change or work to be completed.
“We know it’s only a small number of people who choose to behave this way, but we want to let people know we won’t stand for it.”
Cllr David Williams, Staffordshire County Council
In one incident caught on a dashcam and reported to police, a driver mounted a footpath to get past a gulley emptier and almost collided with the worker.
Staffordshire Police say they have issued a number of warnings to motorists following dashcam footage being provided by highways crews.
Inspector Mark Joynson said:
“Highways workers should be able to do their essential maintenance and repair work on our roads without fear of being verbally abused or sustaining injury through dangerous driving.
“We urge drivers to be patient and safe, when driving through road works, in order to protect themselves and others from harm. We will take robust action against any person found to be abusing Highway workers or driving in a dangerous manner on our roads.”
Inspector Mark Johnson, Staffordshire Police
