Road worker abuse in West Midlands highlighted by Stamp It Out
More than 360 incidents of physical or verbal abuse directed at road workers in the West Midlands have been recorded over the past year.Most of the abuse is targeted against traffic officers setting up roadblocks after accidents or when problems occur on the motorway network.The research was carried out by Stamp It Out, a campaign group that aims to highlight the increasing problem of road rage. One worker described being kicked by a pedestrian who had crossed both carriageways of the M6 motorway to attack him.
Mickey Reitsma, a National Highways officer based in Walsall, said drivers had thrown missiles at him as well as verbally abusing him. He said it often occurred when frustrated drivers were stuck in congestion."It's just the way of the world unfortunately," added fellow traffic officer, Lee Henderson,"It shouldn't be accepted but it just seems to be more common."
Campaign group Stamp It Out said of the 360 incidents recorded in the past year, 324 attacks were verbal and 36 were physical. In the most extreme cases there is anecdotal evidence of workers being threatened with knives and a crossbow, the report said. A Midlands company at The Security Event at the NEC, in Birmingham unveiled the latest technology to help protect staff. It includes an ID card with a hidden button to record abuse and bodycams which record footage monitored in real time at a remote control room.The technology would help enable successful prosecutions of those carrying out the abuse, said Adam Barrett of Clearway Technology."So people recognise you can't get away with road worker abuse, be it physical or verbal."
Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Wife died after police not told when car broke down in live motorway lane
A Mercedes crashed into the vehicle in which Nargis Begum had been travelling on the M1 in South Yorkshire, and the impact led to the 62-year-old woman's fatal injuries More than 150 drivers passed by a stopped car on the motorway without calling the authorities - before a horror crash led to the death of a mum. The vehicle in which Nargis Begum, 62, was travelling broke down on a section of the All Lanes Running SMART motorway of the M1 in South Yorkshire. Her husband, 69-year-old Mohammed Bashir, pulled over to the hard shoulder on the northbound carriageway but the offside wheels of the vehicle remained on the road in the first lane of the motorway. Some 16 minutes and 21 seconds later - after 153 other cars had passed - a Mercedes crashed into the rear of the stationary car, propelling it into Nargis and causing her fatal injuries. None of the 153 drivers alerted Highways England/National Highways, or the emergency services, Mrs Begum's inquest heard yesterday. One witness the coroner spoke to said he had discussed calling National Highways with his partner, but thought cameras on the motorway would detect the stopped car. The coroner investigated the stationary vehicle detection technology, and heard evidence that it was believed it would detect 80% or more of stationary vehicles in a timely fashion. But Mrs Begum, from Darnall, Sheffield, succumbed to injuries sustained by the impact after the Mercedes ploughed into her car on the M1 which, in some sections, is still a SMART motorway. READ MORE: Driver who killed baby in pram during 'lapse of concentration' has sentence cut After investigating Mrs Begum's tragedy, the coroner said there were three matters of concern for Highways England to take action on. These were the "lack of public understanding regarding the need for them to call National Highways should they identify a problem on the motorway network", the lack of emphasis on the importance of the responsibility of road users to alert the authorities of problems like stationary cars and the lack of a priority for this message despite public information during the SMART motorways rollout. National Highways responded by saying: "Mrs Begum's death was a tragedy, and our sympathies remain with her family and friends. National Highways is the Government-owned company, sponsored by the Department for Transport (DfT), charged with operating, maintaining and improving England's motorways and major A-roads. Responsibility for local roads rests with local highway authorities and the road network in other parts of the UK rests with the devolved administrations." They say the government published a 'Smart Motorway Safety Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan' in March 2020 which sought to increase safety, and that National Highways had published reports in 2021 and 2022 showing the action they had taken towards achieving this. They said there was an ongoing programme of road safety activity intended to make roads safer, including a section on breakdown advice, and that action needed to be taken in wider consultation with others. The response added: "We worked with stakeholders to launch England's first major campaign, in 2021, to raise awareness of the eCall or 'SOS' button function, which increasing numbers of newer cars come with and which can be used to call for help, by the driver or someone else needing help, if a situation requires emergency services." Mrs Begum died on September 9, 2018 after her husband's Nissan Qashqai car, which had no safety defects and had been serviced, lost power suddenly, Doncaster Coroner's Court heard.
South Wales Argus
4 days ago
- South Wales Argus
Woman dies, nine injured in M4 crash involving multiple vehicles
The incident occurred at around 11.30pm on Sunday, June 22, between junctions 16 and 17 near Swindon, Wiltshire. A seven-seater Toyota Corolla and a Volkswagen Tiguan were involved in the collision, and police say there are reports that a third vehicle, possibly a white car, was also involved and left the scene. The woman who died was one of seven people travelling in the Toyota. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and her next of kin have been informed. Another woman in her 50s suffered serious injuries, which are not believed to be life-threatening. The remaining five occupants of the Toyota were treated for minor injuries. All occupants of the Volkswagen were taken to hospital as a precaution. Wiltshire Police have launched a full investigation and are appealing for witnesses, especially anyone who may have seen the third vehicle leave the area. National Highways confirmed that the westbound carriageway will be closed until Monday evening while emergency services complete their work at the scene.
South Wales Guardian
4 days ago
- South Wales Guardian
Woman dies and nine others injured in M4 car crash
A seven-seater Toyota Corolla and a Volkswagen Tiguan collided between junctions 16 and 17 on the motorway at around 11.30pm on Sunday, while there were reports that a third vehicle may have been involved, Wiltshire Police said. The woman, one of seven people travelling in the Toyota, died at the scene. Her next of kin have been informed. A second woman, in her 50s, suffered serious injuries which are not thought to be life-threatening, the force said. The other five occupants of the car were treated for minor injuries. The #M4 west between J16 #Swindon & J17 #Chippenham remains closed for @wiltshirepolice collision investigations. Closure is likely to remain into the afternoon and possibly into the evening rush hour. Diversion can be found via the attached link: — National Highways: South-West (@HighwaysSWEST) June 23, 2025 The occupants of the Volkswagen car were taken to hospital as a precaution. An investigation into what happened is currently taking place at the scene. Police said they had received reports that a white vehicle may have been involved in the incident and subsequently left the scene. National Highways said the motorway could remain closed westbound until Monday evening.
