Prolonged roadworks on m6 do affect number of accidents

ROAD safety experts accept that prolonged roadworks like those on the M6 at Cheshire do have a negative impact on accident rates. And congestion and high numbers of HGVs are also a problem.

But the biggest issue remains the behaviour of drivers themselves, argues Neil Greig, director of policy and research for the Institute of Advanced Motorists.

“This has always been a particularly difficult stretch of road which is why they are converting it into a smart motorway. But whenever you have motorway roadworks, especially along long lengths, the risk of a crash does tend to go up. That’s due to narrower lanes, people travelling closer together, things happening to distract people.”

But he said when there are crashes on roads like these, they tend to be ‘really really bad’. He said a higher percentage of lorries could also be impacting the safety record.

But he added the biggest factor remains driver behaviour and that they were working with Highways England to improve that.

A Highways England spokesman said the roadworks were monitored 24 hours a day and a free recovery service was provided if drivers break down or are involved in an incident.

He added: “We’re urging drivers to stick to the temporary 50mph speed limit on the M6 in Cheshire for their own and our road workers’ safety. Narrow lanes are in place while work is carried out to upgrade the M6 to a smart motorway. This involves adding an extra lane in each direction to increase capacity, and introducing variable speed limits on overhead electronic signs to keep traffic moving at a steady speed.”

There are no publicly available official figures on the number of accidents on this stretch. The M.E.N has made a conservative estimate from Twitter accounts which monitor the roads, including Highways England and M6 Motorway Traffic.