Drivers told to tie down straw amid flood fears

Highways authorities are urging drivers transporting hay to take extra care in securing their loads to ease the potential for flooding caused by blocked roadside drains.

Straw is prone to becoming loose from bales as it is transported at high speed on the motorway network and this can cause serious problems when the lengths build up around drains during periods of heavy rain, said Support Sergeant Mark Mitchell, of West Yorkshire Police’s roads policing team.

He said: “On the face of it, you would say that it is only a very minor problem. However it can lead to much greater safety issues. It only takes a few lengths of straw to cover a drain. This allows for other matter to build up and drains to back up in the event of heavy downpours.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The safest method of securing hay was with a fine netting, he said.

Managing agents did their best to keep the drains clear, he said, but heavy rainfall can occur before a drain is cleared.

Motorists shedding straw from their vehicles are guilty of bearing an unsecured load and could be hit with a £60 fine and three penalty points on their driving licence, he added.

The Highways Agency said: “Any vehicle which has an unsecured load and causes debris to be deposited on to the carriageway has the potential to block roadside drains. We ask drivers to assist us by securing their loads correctly and also taking their litter home.”