Road workers wear body cams in crackdown on abuse

Roadwork crews in Staffordshire have begun wearing body cameras amid a rise in abuse from drivers, the county council has said.

Aggressive behaviour towards workers would not be tolerated, the authority warned after crews reported drivers ignoring road closure signs, carrying out dangerous manoeuvres and mounting pavements to bypass works.

In one recent incident, a road worker was knocked over after being clipped by a car, the council said. The worker was then threatened by the driver as they drove through barriers.

The council said its highways contractor Amey had recorded 76 incidents since the start of the year involving vehicles flouting restrictions or abusing staff.

Last year, a road scheme in Tamworth was paused for several days after aggressive behaviour from a member of the public.

As well as body-worn cameras, crews' vehicles have been fitted with dash cams, with footage of incidents being passed to police.

A spokesperson for strategic highways said: "While we understand roadworks can be frustrating for motorists there is no excuse for abuse or threatening behaviour.

"We have had incidents of abuse which not only threatened the safety of staff but also caused unnecessary delays to schemes. This will not be tolerated and we want to make it clear that incidents will be reported to the police, and we will support the police, Amey and all individuals affected to ensure action is taken against offenders.

"No one deserves to be abused at work. The safety of our road crews always comes first."

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