We’ll keep roads safe over the festive period
Highways staff working on December 25th to keep roads safe
WHILE most others in the borough will be tucking into their Christmas dinner, two traffic officers will be keeping our roads safe.
From their Milnrow base, Highways England workers Phil Palmer and Lee Davison will cover many of the region’s motorways on Christmas Day.
December 25th last year was the quietest day of the year for incidents on the motorway network but officers still dealt with 60 breakdowns, four collisions, one abandoned vehicle and one incident involving animals on the motorway.
Phil, 39, said: “You never know what you’re coming in to. There’s something different every day and you really have to think on your feet.
“I’ve never worked on Christmas Day before but, like the emergency services, we have to be on duty at Christmas because people will still be on the motorways and incidents could still potentially happen.”
The Stockport man joined Highways England as a traffic officer in April after previously working as a bus driver.
He’ll be working alongside Lee, from Hyde, on the early shift from 6am until 2pm - two of around 100 traffic officers working across the North West.
Lee said: “It is quite different on the roads as they’re much quieter but you get different types of incidents to attend. Some people are out on the motorways that don’t usually use them so they can be a bit confused sometimes.
“People are always very apologetic if we’re called out to a breakdown and don’t expect us to be working on Christmas Day.
“We’re happy that we’re able to help them and get them moving again.
“My wife and I should still manage a nice Christmas dinner after I’ve finished my shift and we’ll see our grandchildren, so it’ll be a hectic afternoon but hopefully a quiet morning on the roads.”
Phil and Lee are encouraging drivers from Rochdale to make simple checks to their vehicles to avoid spending Christmas Day with them on a motorway verge.
Lights: Ask someone to help you check all your lights, including your brake and reverse lights, are working properly before setting off.
Oil: Use a dipstick to check you have enough oil and prevent your engine from seizing up.
Fuel: Always keep your fuel tank at least a quarter full and fill it up to the top ahead of a long journey.
Tyres: Check the pressure and tread depth of your tyres to make sure they are safe and roadworthy.
Screen wash: Keep your screen wash container topped up so you can clear dirt off your windscreen.