Highways England gears up as CarFest hits the North West

Highways England is gearing up to support CarFest North with a something-for-everyone stand appealing to drivers – and would-be drivers – of all ages.

A high-visibility traffic officer vehicle will be the centrepiece of Highways England’s presence at this weekend’s event which is taking place at Bolesworth in Cheshire and is organised by BBC Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans in aid of Children in Need.

As well as having a look around the traffic officers’ 4-wheel drive Mitsubishi Shogun and getting to grips with all its gadgets, anyone visiting the stand can also get information on road safety and other topics such as smart motorways.

With many schools breaking up last weekend, there’s a particular emphasis this year on Highways England’s vehicle checks campaign – which encourages families and other road users to make sure they have trouble-free summer holiday journeys by completing simple checks on things like tyres, oil and fuel.

Highways England is also bringing its national exhibition stand to CarFest North for the first time with a real partnership presence involving its own commercial vehicles checking team alongside Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester police and the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

These have worked together over the last few years on a high profile campaign to tackle unsafe driving among truck drivers.

One of the HGV cabs used in the operation will be on display over the weekend and it is also being used to highlight the dangers of close following and blind spots which are two contributory factors in collisions involving cars and HGVs in the North West.

Highways England chief highways engineer Mike Wilson said: “We’re delighted to be supporting such a worthy cause. With schools breaking-up for the summer and many heading off on holiday we are asking drivers to get their vehicles ready for the road and cut the number of breakdowns by undertaking some simple checks on tyres, fuel, water and engine oil.

“This weekend’s show will also be a great opportunity for families to meet our traffic officers who provide vital support to holidaymakers and other road users keeping our network moving and customers safe.”

Highways England has produced five short instructional videos on how to check tyre pressure, tyre tread, oil and water levels and lights to help prevent needless breakdowns and cut the unnecessary delays they cause, which can be found online.

Almost half of all breakdowns are caused by simple mechanical problems which could be avoided with simple checks and nearly a quarter are caused by tyre problems – around 22 drivers break down each day during the summer months because they had run out of fuel.

CarFest North takes place at Bolesworth Castle in Cheshire between Friday and Sunday (July 27 and 29).

The brainchild of Chris Evans, it combines cars, food, live music and family entertainment and, in the last five years, the annual events have raised £7.4 million for BBC Children in Need.

More information is available here: www.carfest.org/welcome/welcome-to-carfest-north-2018.