A SUFFOLK highways inspector today told of the perils faced by those repairing the county's roads after it emerged two workers had narrowly avoided injury this year.

A SUFFOLK highways inspector today told of the perils faced by those repairing the county's roads after it emerged two workers had narrowly avoided injury this year.

The figures were released as part of the Highways Agency's Safety at Roadworks campaign to urge drivers to recognise the dangers of travelling too fast.

Two workers, on the A14 at Copdock and the A12 near Washbrook, had to take evasive action to avoid injury this year.

Nationally, four have died and five been seriously injured in incidents on the Highways Agency's routes in England.

This compares to one death and 17 serious injuries on the network in 2004, and two deaths and ten serious injuries in 2003.

In Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, there have been 11 incidents in which workers have been forced to flee to safety from oncoming traffic this year.

Bob Kent, who works as part of an Incident Support Unit for the Highways Agency network in Suffolk, based in Great Blakenham, is one of those who has been involved in a near miss.

He said: "I have a lot of experience of working on the roads and all too often see motorists travelling too quickly for the conditions. Even when working within a coned-off area I have had to jump out of the way of vehicles, and the sound we fear the most is the sound of tyres skidding.

"All I ask is that when motorists approach roadworks they slow down, keep their distance and concentrate on their driving – that will make it safer for them and for us."

The Highways Agency were this week handing out leaflets to drivers at the Haughley bends advising them of the need to comply with the 40mph speed limit through the nearby Rookery Crossroads project, on the A14 at Rougham. This scheme is due for completion in Spring next year.