Drivers in the East of England hold the highest regional percentage in the UK for deliberately ignoring roadwork closures to skip queues.
Between January and July this year, 85 drivers in the region deliberately entered closed-off roadwork areas.
New data from National Highways shows 57% of these local incidents involved motorists trying to avoid queues, closures or diversions.
This figure sits above the national average of 53% and is the highest rate of this type of incursion recorded across the entire road network so far in 2026.
Severe safety risks
These incidents are raising concern across the road transport sector because of the extreme danger they pose to roadworkers.
The unsafe behaviour has previously led to full motorway closures and significant delays for Bedfordians trying to get home.
After a series of close calls, a section of the M1 in Hertfordshire was closed to protect workers, forcing motorists onto a 10-mile diversion.
| Year | SRN (National) | North West | Yorkshire & North East | Midlands | East | South East | South West |
| 2020 | 47% | 50% | 20% | 57% | 41% | 58% | 46% |
| 2021 | 51% | 52% | 48% | 51% | 57% | 50% | 32% |
| 2022 | 51% | 40% | 46% | 56% | 56% | 60% | 45% |
| 2023 | 51% | 46% | 35% | 52% | 47% | 69% | 34% |
| 2024 | 44% | 38% | 36% | 47% | 45% | 47% | 42% |
| 2025 | 48% | 41% | 49% | 58% | 48% | 46% | 55% |
| 2026* | 53% | 25% | 67% | 58% | 57% | 56% | 57% |
Protecting workers
Melanie Clarke OBE, director of health, safety and wellbeing at National Highways, said: “These figures show a worrying number of drivers wilfully ignoring roadworks to save time, putting roadworkers and other people at risk.
“Our roadworkers have the right to carry out repairs and improvements safely, and we ask all drivers to follow signed routes and never enter restricted areas.”
Adding to the safety plea, traffic management foreman for HW Martin Sinead Ryan said: “People don’t always realise how dangerous our job can be.
“We work close to live traffic and, while we can do everything possible to keep ourselves safe, we can’t control the actions of drivers.
“When someone ignores a closure or drives into a work area, it only takes a second for someone to get hurt.
“There are real people working behind those cones, and all we’re trying to do is get home safely at the end of the day.”
National Highways is continuing to work with supply chain partners to reduce the risk of these incidents.
