Anyone Driving across the North West of England is being urged to take extra care on the region’s motorways and major A roads over the next 24 hours following a Met Office amber weather alert.
National Highways is advising drivers to check traffic and weather conditions before setting out on journeys and to take extra care when driving on the motorway network.
The Met Office amber alert for sustained periods of heavy rain covering Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and parts of Lancashire is in place from noon today (Wednesday 22 May) until noon tomorrow with a warning of difficult driving conditions as well as a wider impact on public transport and some communities.
National Highways’ round-the-clock regional operations centre at junction 23 of the M6 at Newton-le-Willows is responding to the alert with extra monitoring of the network and maintenance teams on stand-by to clear drains, gulleys and culverts and pump away standing water. Traffic officers are patrolling the network to respond to any incidents disrupting journeys.
Drivers are being urged to heed advice the operations centre sets on electronic signs, including temporary speed restrictions, while staff work to clear any standing water or other incidents.
National Highways has ‘Driving When It’s Raining’ advice on its website including a reminder to drivers how to avoid or tackle aquaplaning. Key messages to drivers include:
• If it’s time for your wipers, it’s time to slow down.
• Use dipped headlights, especially if visibility is seriously reduced.
• The roads will be more slippery than usual, so give yourself more time to react – increase the gap between you and the vehicle in front to at least four seconds.
• Look out for standing water – adjust your driving before and after encountering any
• Keep your eyes on the road at all times – spray from other vehicles can suddenly reduce your visibility.
• Visibility affects others too, so anticipate their actions and be prepared.
Drivers should check traffic conditions before setting out to travel. Live traffic information is always available at www.trafficengland.com or from National Highways’ 24-7 customer contact centre at 0300 123 5000. Updates will also be posted to @HighwaysNWest – National Highways’ regional Twitter feed.
