Plan your holiday journey

14 May 2010

Plan ahead for a smoother journey – that’s the message Derby and Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership is sending to motorists as the summer holiday season approaches.

Partnership chairman Mike Ashworth said: “During the holiday season, more people than usual will be using motorways and trunk roads to travel outside their own region.

“The Highways Agency - which is a member of the road safety partnership – is responsible for managing these roads and offers motorists a range of services designed to make journey planning easier.

“We’re encouraging holidaymakers to take the stress out of their journeys by taking advantage of what the Highways Agency has to offer.”

Motorists can get live updates about traffic and weather conditions by:

  • logging on to www.highways.gov.uk/traffic (opens in a new window)

  • listening to Traffic Radio on DAB digital radio or by logging on to www.trafficradio.org.uk (opens in a new window)

  • emailing: ha_info@highways.gsi.gov.uk

  • phoning Traffic England on 08700 660 115 – this is an automated service which allows you to select from a series of recorded messages about traffic conditions in different regions

  • phoning the Highways Agency information line on 08457 50 40 30 to speak to a member of staff  (calls to 08700 and 08457 numbers are free from some landlines but can cost up to 8p per minute; calls from mobiles usually cost more)

The partnership has 100 copies of Highways Agency DVD Fit to Tow? to give away in the lead up to the summer holiday season. Introduced by TV presenter Carol Smilie, the short film explains how to travel safely while towing a caravan or trailer. To request a copy of Fit to Tow? call partnership manager Robert Hill on 01629 538573.