New footage released by National Highways reveals a series of frightening incidents where traffic officers and road workers have narrowly escaped serious injury because of the actions of dangerous drivers.

Cameras captured one traffic officer jumping onto a verge as a speeding vehicle headed towards her, a car careering through the middle of roadworks and one vehicle ignoring a road block and almost hitting a traffic officer at the scene.

National Highways has shared the footage to highlight the risks that road workers face and urge people to think carefully about their actions or face the consequences. It comes as the highways industry comes together this week to mark Respect our Workforce Week.

Having suffered two frightening near misses on the M6 in the West Midlands, National Highways Traffic Officer Mickey Reitsma said:

“We don’t stop traffic for the sake of it, we are trying to keep the area safe. You are trying to do your job, trying to help people and protect them and there are some with a mindset to be abusive or behave recklessly. It is just not necessary.”

In one incident, Mickey had stopped traffic at junction 6 Spaghetti Junction because workers were in the carriageway repairing a pothole. An impatient driver decided to ignore the road block and go around the traffic officer vehicle – nearly hitting Mickey in the process as he was getting out of his car.

Mickey, who is based at the Bescot outstation near Walsall, said: “Before getting out of my vehicle I first checked my mirror and the vehicle in question was still there. As I opened the door they have come past. They had to squeeze between a wall and my vehicle and clipped the mirror – but it could have been me.”

(Picture – National Highways. Traffic officer Mickey Reitsma can only watch on as a vehicle disappears into the distance, past road workers in the carriageway, having ignored a road block and squeezed past him, hitting the wing mirror)