M62 - Your Local History
A lot of finds were uncovered during the archaeological evaluation carried out for the M62 Junction 6 Improvement scheme so we thought it would be nice to provide an interactive website so you can see what we found.
Better information for your journey
The National Traffic Control Centre collects real-time information on road conditions
Lane Hog!
John Stapleton looks into why people Lane Hog and what effects it has on the driver hogging the lane and other road users.
Educating tomorrow's drivers
See how we are driving through key messages about safety on our network for the drivers of tomorrow.
Meet the Ancestors
Find out about the history of roads and the work the Agency does to preserve archaeological remains.
See when traffic will be lightest
Our traffic forecaster can help get you there quicker
FAQ - Stone Throwing
Frequently Asked Questions on Stone Throwing
Q –How bad is the stone throwing problem throughout the UK?
A – In the last six months there were 70 incidents reported to Surrey Police alone. Reporting structure varies and therefore it is difficult to gain a national picture.
Q. Have you produced these packs as a result of the Micky Little case?
A – No this is not a reactive resource the Highways Agency is actively working towards Safer Roads. These high profile cases have highlighted the need for this type of resource.
Q. What do you hope to achieve by using this pack?
A – A better understanding by the teenage group of the consequences of their actions and the need to take a responsible view. As far as we are aware this is a unique resource which addresses this subject and is in line with the National Curriculum.
Q - What is the initiative about?
A – This initiative has been developed to encourage teenagers to think about the consequences of their actions and to raise awareness of the risks associated with dropping objects from motorway bridges. It highlights to them the damage and devastation which can be caused by anything being dropped from an overbridge.
Q - Why are you doing this now?
A – The Police highlighted the increasing number of incidents to the Highways Agency and we have been working with them, Surrey County Council Road Safety team and ROSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) to develop various approaches which we believe will help to reduce these in the future.
Q – Why do you think this will work?
A – Our Key Stage 2 pack, “A stone’s throw”, has been very well received by the road safety teams who have delivered it at the Junior Citizen events. The Junior Citizen initiatives have a very successful track record of highlighting key safety messages in an engaging and informative way. Our work includes pre and post session work to enable schools to follow up and ensure that the message has been understood.
Q - Do you think by highlighting this problem, it could make it worse?
A – We can understand this concern and that is why we have worked very closely with ROSPA’s educational specialists, Surrey CC Road Safety Officers and the Emergency Services. By working in partnership with these organisations we have been careful not to promote stone throwing but instead to get children thinking about the consequences of their actions and how they might feel if someone they are close to was involved in an accident caused by an object being dropped from a bridge. We have been careful to ensure that Stone Throwing is not shown as an activity in any of our resources.
Q - Is the problem worse during school holidays?
A – This generally appears to be the case.
Q - Why do children do this?
A – The Highways Agency undertook a research project resulting in a report being produced in July. Generally, these actions are unplanned. Main offenders are under the age of 16, usually in groups mostly during the summer months. Advantage is taken of missiles readily available to see what would happen when thrown.
Q - What are the penalties for children who do this?
A – The offenders of any age can be taken into custody and ultimately prosecuted or cautioned. If after this they re-offend the cycle starts again. It is imperative that education in schools, colleges, media, community/detention centres and Prisons should take place to educate to prevent future incidents and to make them aware of the consequences of their actions.
Q - Why don’t you just enclose all the bridges?
A – Initial research has shown that this is not the easy solution that it sounds as many bridges would require major structural work to ensure that they could take these preventative measures. There could also be environmental issues to be considered if enclosing bridges in environmentally sensitive areas. There is also the feeling of increased vulnerability to crime (e.g. muggings) in some people who then refuse to use the bridge. It should be noted that those persistent offenders who still wished to drop objects would still find a way to do so. We therefore decided that this issue needed a co-ordinated and multi-pronged approach including educational awareness.
Q - How much is this going to cost?
A – In terms of the cost of a severe accident and the trauma that this could cause to all concerned, the cost in producing the packs is very small. In relation to the huge cost and disruption that bridge modifications/replacement would require it is again very little and even to develop the scheme nationally would be less than the cost of enclosing one bridge.
Q - How will you get your message across?
A – Some 1500 packs have been produced and will be distributed via Local Education Authorities to PSHE advisors throughout the country. They will also be distributed by HA Area Teams and some direct to other educational organisations.
Q - What kind of things have been thrown from Bridges?
A – Stones, rocks, snow balls, a car battery, concrete blocks, bricks, sandbags.
Q - Is there a certain location where the problem is worse?
A – Extensive research has been carried out by the Police and this has assisted us to target certain overbridges where the problem has been more prevalent.
Q – What other measures have you put in place to try and alleviate this problem?
A – Where the research has indicated that there is a problem we have employed some or all of the following measures:- Where CCTV cameras are visible from the bridge we have installed signs warning that 24 hour CCTV cameras are in operation. In Surrey, the Police and Surrey CC Road Safety Officers have visited schools in the vicinity of the bridges to deliver an educational message. Increased regular surveillance by M25 Sphere Route Stewards. (Should we now be referring to Traffic Officers?). I don’t know for sure whether Traffic Officers have been briefed nationally to increase surveillance of overbridges. Guidance has now been issued to all Area teams to ensure this is publicised).
Q - Have you put CCTV in place- has this worked?
A – As discussed above - on bridges which have been highlighted with this problem we have erected signs advising of 24 hour camera surveillance and the Police research has shown a marked decrease in occurrences at these locations.
Q – Is the problem worse at night?
A – No evidence. Most cases occurred late afternoon/early evening.
