Red X safety initiative launched in West Yorkshire

A red X response vehicle carrying automatic number plate recognition cameras is being used as part of the joint initiative between Highways England and West Yorkshire Police to raise awareness and improve compliance and safety. The initiative is part of Highways England’s ongoing campaign to raise awareness about smart motorways. CCTV footage has also been released showing an incident on the M1 near Wakefield where a van narrowly avoided striking a worker and a stationary vehicle when it travelled in a clos
September 16, 2016 Read time: 2 mins

A red X response vehicle carrying automatic number plate recognition cameras is being used as part of the joint initiative between 8101 Highways England and West Yorkshire Police to raise awareness and improve compliance and safety.

The initiative is part of Highways England’s ongoing campaign to raise awareness about smart motorways. CCTV footage has also been released showing an incident on the M1 near Wakefield where a van narrowly avoided striking a worker and a stationary vehicle when it travelled in a closed lane with a red X above.

A red X is used on all smart motorways to close a lane when there has been a breakdown or accident. The closure is in place for the safety of drivers and also Highways England’s traffic officers and emergency services that may be working in the lanes ahead.

The red X response vehicle being used in West Yorkshire will attend incidents on the M1 between junctions 39 and 42 and on the M62 between junctions 25 to 30, capturing images of vehicles driving in a closed lane.

Letters will then be sent from West Yorkshire Police to drivers who did not comply with the red X to advise them about the risks to safety. A similar awareness event was carried out on the M25 back in 2013/14. More than 700 letters were issued and only four per cent of those identified were spotted travelling under a red X again.

Highways England’s operations manager Rob Beckitt said: “A red X above a lane indicates it is closed because of a breakdown or accident. It is used to keep drivers, our traffic officers and the emergency services safe. Hopefully our initiative will raise awareness of the red X sign, and protect people driving and working on our motorways.”

Sergeant Gary Roper of West Yorkshire Police said: “West Yorkshire Police is committed to working with our partner agencies to improve road safety. This initiative provides the opportunity to educate those drivers who contravene the Red X signals, however it should be noted that prosecution remains an option for those drivers who continue to ignore the Red X sign.”

Urban Traffic Control Air Quality & Weather Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Enforcement suppliers highlight industry best practice
    March 15, 2012
    Major suppliers of enforcement technology highlight the countries, regions or cities that they consider to be leading the way in reduction of road traffic violations. The French government’s ambitious programme of enforcing traffic law violations has proven to be an unrivalled success and is continuing to bring improvements in road safety with innovative enforcement technology.
    Read More
  • Auckland Transport launches distracted driver campaign
    April 15, 2015
    Auckland Transport, New Zealand, has launched a new campaign highlighting the high numbers driving while using their phones. In Auckland between 2009 and 2013, there were 5 fatalities as a result of drivers being distracted. The “Oi! Mind on the road, not the phone” campaign targets 16 to 39 year olds and includes a cinema ad plus radio and digital advertising. Research by Auckland Transport shows 30 per cent of those who make calls have their phone up to their ear and 70 per cent of those who make ca
    Read More
  • Bedfordshire police speed camera proposals ‘unhelpful’
    November 9, 2015
    A UK enforcement expert and the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) have branded as ‘unhelpful’ the proposal by Olly Martins, Police Commissioner for Bedfordshire to use money from speed camera fines to fill a shortfall in police funding. Martins told the Home Affairs Select Committee that the force was ‘stretched to the limit’ and said, "We’ve extensively lobbied the Home Office for fair funding but they haven’t listened and the Chancellor's spending review at the end of the month means we face more c
    Read More
  • MVIS, HRS partner on workzone safety
    September 19, 2014
    Mobile Visual Information Systems (MVIS) and the creator of the Intellicone temporary work zone safety system, Highway Resource Solutions (HRS), have teamed up to create the Safelane automated traffic management system and the Multisafe Smart VMS. The companies say these are the first temporary road maintenance safety solutions to combine industry-leading modular electronic perimeters and variable message signs (VMS), providing a cost-efficient method of improving the safety of both road workers and road
    Read More

Highlighted Content