From surfboards to kitchen sinks

The Highways Agency and the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) are reminding drivers to secure their luggage and top-boxes before setting out this summer, to avoid items falling into the road.

In the last 12 months Highways Agency workers recovered a wide range of items from England’s motorways, showing that people load their vehicles with everything up to and including the kitchen sink.

Between 1 July 2008 and 30 June 2009 the Agency recorded 7370 reports of debris on its motorways. Many of those items found during the summer months came from unsecured luggage and top-boxes, and included surf boards, bicycles, a hot tub, greenhouse and even a kitchen sink.

Derek Turner, Network Operations Director at the Highways Agency, said: “The risk of lost luggage can easily be avoided with a few simple checks. What seems secure when you leave home can easily work loose on motorways at high speeds. Our advice to drivers is to stop in a safe place and check your luggage before you join the motorway in case items have worked loose. Many people don’t even realise they have lost something until they reach their destination.

“Such incidents lead to danger and delays for other road users, not to mention the risk of losing valuable or treasured possessions on the motorway. If drivers make sure their luggage is properly secured before setting out, and again when they take a break, they will be saving themselves time, money and heartache.”

Peter Rodger, Chief Examiner at the IAM said: “How you prepare the family car can make a big difference to the quality of your journey. A poorly prepared vehicle, or one that’s not loaded properly, can spoil the family holiday before it starts.

“Being systematic will pay off. Start with tyre pressures. Many cars have a different tyre pressure setting for when the car is fully laden. And remember to check the tyre pressures when they are cold, not once the journey has started. Then follow up with oil and water checks to avoid overheating.

“Once you are travelling, if an item does fall off on the motorway, do not attempt to retrieve it. Stop at the next emergency roadside phone and seek assistance.

“Remember, there will be lots of drivers who are not used to having the vehicle heavily loaded. If you see a car ahead that is poorly packed, give it space. Increase your following distance if you suspect something may fall off a vehicle or a trailer in front of you.”

Highways Agency Traffic Officers regularly have to undertake rolling road blocks to retrieve debris from the carriageway and prevent it being a hazard for other road users. Such incidents take time for Traffic Officers and the emergency services to manage, cause delay for other road users, and can carry heavy cost implications.