The number of incursions into cordoned-off National Highways areas nearly trebled in 2024, posing a safety risk to construction workers.
Data obtained by Construction News under the Freedom of Information Act shows there were 5,899 incursion incidents on the road agency’s network in 2024, or around 492 every month.
The figure was up from 2,034 in 2023, and 4,000 higher than in 2022 – when it stood at just 1,874.
The next-worst year for incidents in the past five years – the period for which CN obtained data – was 2021, when there were 3,886, more than 2,000 fewer than in 2024.
Such incidents put the safety of roadworkers and drivers at risk. The figures cover sites overseen by both National Highways and its contractors.
Civil Engineering Contractors Association chief executive Alasdair Reisner said: “Every day thousands of employees go to work to upgrade and maintain our vital highways networks. This is a challenging environment and companies work hard to minimise risk.
“Unfortunately there appears to be a growing culture among a small number of drivers to ignore the obvious dangers associated with incursions into roadworks.”
He added: “The industry is working hard to change behaviours. We hope that this work will help to turn around this rising trend, safeguarding the highways workforce.”
| Year | Number of incursions |
| 2019 | 2,171 |
| 2020 | 2,468 |
| 2021 | 3,886 |
| 2022 | 1,874 |
| 2023 | 2,034 |
| 2024 | 5,899 |
| Total | 18,332 |
A National Highways spokesperson said an increased amount of roadworks in 2024 could be partly responsible for the increase in incursions.
In 2020, the body, then called Highways England, released a compilation of CCTV incidents of incursions in a bid to raise awareness and reduce such incidents. There were only 2,468 cases recorded that year.
Separate data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act shows that the number of recorded incidents of abuse of roadworkers employed or contracted by National Highways has halved in five years.
In 2024 there were 132 such incidents, compared with 294 in 2019.
| Year | Number of abuse incidents |
| 2019 | 294 |
| 2020 | 290 |
| 2021 | 288 |
| 2022 | 126 |
| 2023 | 130 |
| 2024 | 132 |
| Total | 1,260 |
A National Highways spokesperson said the organisation encourages its traffic officers and supply chain partners to report abuse, but that “accurate reporting is always challenging”.
National Highways director of health, safety and wellbeing Mel Clarke added: “The safety and wellbeing of our own workforce and our supply chain workers is an absolute priority.
“Anyone who puts that safety at risk either intentionally or carelessly should be aware that it will not be tolerated and we will work with police to take action against those who do so.”
