Highways Agency: Journey planning tools for motorway drivers on the menu at the Good Food Show

New ingredients starting to appear at motorway service areas are being demonstrated alongside top chefs at the Good Food Show.

Visitors to the show can get a taste for the menu of information services offered by the Highways Agency whenever they take a break on their journey.

Visitors to the show can get a taste for the menu of information services offered by the Highways Agency whenever they take a break on their journey.

New screens that show information from traffic monitors, overhead message signs, CCTV cameras and other high-tech sources are being switched on at 15 of the country's motorway service areas between now and Christmas.

The Highways Agency, which manages England's motorways and major A roads, provides road users with live updates on traffic flow and its range of free journey planning tools are among the samples on offer at the Good Food Show (NEC, Birmingham, 25-29 November).

"We encourage people to plan their journeys as a way of reducing congestion. They can travel more safely, avoid delays and reduce their carbon emissions too," says Highways Agency director of customer solutions Simon Sheldon-Wilson.

"The Good Food Show at the NEC is an ideal place for us to talk to a large audience of the travelling public ahead of the winter driving season. Our message is that, just like a good meal, a good journey requires preparation too."

The Highways Agency's Traffic Radio will be broadcasting live from the show to promote its round the clock, continuous service available online, nationwide on DAB digital radio and at the NEC on 1386 AM.

Agency advice, especially at winter, is that people should take a little time to check the road conditions and weather before they set out. They can do this via the Highways Agency website www.highways.gov.uk/traffic, from an automated phone line 08700 660 115* or by tuning in to Traffic Radio.

Traffic flow on the motorway network is monitored using many thousands of sensors and information from the Agency's National Traffic Control Centre is passed back to road users via variable message signs and travel bulletins on more than 200 radio stations.

When road users stop for a break they can also check information displays at an increasing number of motorway service areas or use a mobile phone to check the Highways Agency website. This will help them see the traffic conditions for their onward journey and avoid delays.

Notes to editors

Issued on by the Highways Agency. For further information please contact Mik Barton, national press officer on 075 5445 8909 or mik.barton@highways.gsi.gov.uk.
Media enquiries out of hours should be made to the Highways Agency national press office on 020 7081 7443.

1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport. We manage, maintain and improve England's motorways and trunk roads on behalf of the Secretary of State.

2. Highways Agency Information Points: New large screens showing live updates on the traffic situation are being switched on at 15 RoadChef motorway service areas during November and December. A pilot version has been tested at Welcome Break service areas and these are still in place at 27 locations. These may be replaced by the new large screen versions during 2010.

3. Real-time traffic information for England's motorways and major A roads is available:
-From our Traffic Radio service, available on DAB digital radio and the internet at www.trafficradio.org.uk To tune into the DAB service, simply press the "scan" button on your radio. The radio will tune into all available channels and you can select the new service by scrolling through the channels until you reach "Traffic Radio".

-From the web at www.highways.gov.uk/traffic or www.highways.gov.uk/mobile if using a phone or mobile device.
Before using any mobile, find a safe place to park. Never stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway except in an emergency. Make sure it's safe and legal before you call.

-By phone from the Highways Agency 24-hour voice activated phone service on 08700 660 115.

* (Calls from BT residential landlines to 0870 numbers will cost no more than 8p per minute; call charges from other landlines and mobile networks may vary).

4. For more general information about the Highways Agency and its work, visit the Highways Agency website www.highways.gov.uk, or telephone the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 50 40 30 at any time (Calls to 0845 numbers will cost no more than 4p per minute from BT residential landlines. Call charges from other landlines and mobile networks may vary).

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Issued on by the Highways Agency. For further information please contact Mik Barton, national press officer on 075 5445 8909 or mik.barton@highways.gsi.gov.uk.

Media enquiries out of hours should be made to the Highways Agency national press office on 020 7081 7443.