MOTORISTS have been deliberately driving through puddles to splash highway workers during the wet weather.
On Monday, one worker contacted the police after being splashed twice. The police issued a warning to motorists to stop the behaviour.
Now the Department of Infrastructure has also issued a statement about the practice.
The operations division of the DoI has been attending to flooding, damaged roads and fallen trees during the bad weather.
A DoI statement reads: ‘Often working in the road in poor visibility and severe weather conditions, roadworkers are frequently and increasingly being put at risk by motorists driving recklessly.
‘There have been recent cases of motorists deliberately driving at workers in order to soak them in flood water.
‘The department finds this dangerous behaviour totally unacceptable.’
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The statement says that some drivers do make mistakes.
However, it adds: ‘This is not what we are describing here. This is motorists driving in a reckless manner in order to deliberately cause harm to roadworkers.
Minister for Infrastructure, David Cretney MHK said: ‘The way that some motorists drive through road works and past our workers is really not acceptable.
‘Speed limits are imposed for a reason. Working in the road is dangerous and that danger is increased when the very people you are trying to help have no respect for your personal safety.
‘The men who work on our roads are fathers, sons and brothers, imagine how you would feel knowing that your loved ones were being put at such risk by careless, malicious or selfish drivers.
‘We will be notifying the police of any incidences of such driving behaviour through our works and past our workers and will be actively pursuing prosecution.’
The DoI urged motorists to slow down and be aware of the safety of roadworkers at all times, but especially during winter months when workers are attending to problems, often in dark and very wet conditions.