Abuse of roadworkers remains a huge issue across the UK as frustrated drivers take out their anger on the people fixing up the highways.
Despite increased security measures and media awareness campaigns, “the level of abuse doesn’t seem to have reduced at all,” said TBF Traffic Operations Director Darren Clark, speaking to the BBC for its latest report on the subject.
Indeed, Suffolk Highways this week released a statement saying it had noticed an increase in the amount of abuse received by its operatives.
Figures published by the BBC in March showed 541 cases of abuse towards highways workers recorded by National Highways between 2020 and 2023. There are likely to be many more unreported incidents.
Lane incursions – people driving through road closures or partial lane closures, sometimes leading roadworkers to run for cover – are another danger, with National Highways figures suggesting thousands of occurrences per year.
Traffic management firms, including TBF, have introduced security measures like bodycams, but many aggressive motorists seem undeterred. “It’s quite vile sometimes – it’s people who have no respect for what we’re trying to do,” Darren told Radio Suffolk.
Earlier this month, a TBF Traffic Management Operative was assaulted after a member of the public tried to remove a set of temporary traffic lights. The police were called, as they are in all such events – but serious incidents like this, as well as regular ‘lower level’ abuse, such as verbal attacks and food thrown from vehicles, take their toll on roadworkers’ mental health.
“The abuse not only threatens an operative’s physical and mental well-being, but also compromises the safety of our roads, putting everyone in danger,” said Ben Licence, TBF Traffic Health and Safety Advisor, during Respect our Workforce Week in March.
The continued high rates of abuse show that security measures can only go so far without a change in public perceptions of roadworkers. One of the major goals of the Stamp it Out campaign against roadworker abuse is to make it socially unacceptable to abuse those working in public-facing roles. TBF Traffic supports Stamp it Out and will attend the campaign’s London summit in September.