Warning to West Yorkshire drivers as shocking footage shows road worker hit by flying debris

Traffic officers have issued a warning to motorists to secure their loads - after shocking footage shows a road worker being hit by flying debris.
An unsecured box van that fell onto the A1(M)An unsecured box van that fell onto the A1(M)
An unsecured box van that fell onto the A1(M)

Over just 10 months, 8,982 items were found discarded on motorways and major A roads in Yorkshire and the North East.

Figures show that there were more than 3,000 items recovered from the carriageway of the M62 between June 2019 and April 2020.

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A four-poster bed, a canoe and a bike were all found on West Yorkshire's roads and Highways England is urging all drivers to make sure their loads are safely secured.

On-Road Team Manager Jon Hammerton, who patrols roads in West Yorkshire, said: “I personally have dealt with bicycles, a canoe, a fully assembled four-poster bed, a metal shed, and many other weird objects.

"Often people buy items on social media market places and then the buyer turns up to collect it in a small car, with no trailer, and simply ties it to the roof hoping for the best.

“Shed loads can close a road for several hours as well as putting people at risk. You must secure your load before you set out. It could prevent an accident and save lives.” 

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Traffic officer Nick Ainsworth from West Yorkshire added: “I once had the entire rear of a box-van on the A1(M). It was huge. It was still intact but ended up on its side on the hard shoulder and we had to get a recovery truck to remove it.”

Highways England has warned of how dangerous unsecured loads can be.

Shocking camera footage shows the moment a piece of metal struck a road worker on the M6 in Staffordshire after it came off a passing HGV and hit his leg.

Ben Aldous, RAC patrol of the year, said: “Just a few minutes spent making sure things like bikes, roofboxes and caravans are completely secure, and then double-checking them can make the difference between a trouble-free journey and one that puts people’s lives at risk as well as causes long delays for other travellers.

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"We’d ask everyone checks loads at the same time as looking at things like tyre tread and pressure, and oil and coolant levels. The more care drivers take before setting out, the smoother their journeys.”

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