Flower power to help car journeys this bank holiday

Press release FLOWER POWER TO HELP CAR JOURNEYS THIS BANK HOLIDAY Highways England has reminded travellers of its ‘staycation’ road trip game card, designed to keep young passengers busy on

long journeys. Roadsides are busy green corridors, filled with all sorts of plants and animals and children are being encouraged to look for a variety of wildflowers and birds living

alongside England’s motorways and major A roads. Highways England Head of Biodiversity Stuart Wilson said: > As well as managing a road network that stretches for 4,300 miles, > 

connecting people and places from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Penzance, we > also look after around 30,000ha of green verge which contains a > range of habitats supporting interesting plants

 and animals. >  > I’m really pleased to see us release our star spotter game which > passengers can use to enjoy spotting the rich variety of wildflowers > and animals while on 

their journeys. >  > In preparing for these journeys, please remember to check your > tyres, oil, water, lights and fuel and if you’re on a long > journey, remember to take 

breaks. >  > It could be busy on the roads, so do check conditions before you > travel and try and leave plenty of time for your journey. Let’s > all enjoy summer safely. Those

travelling to tourist hotspots – including Cornwall along the A30, Devon on the A38 and the Yorkshire Dales on the A1(M) – are able to spot an array of wildflowers and wildlife in the road

verges. Among the flowers that can be spotted is knapweed. Also known as ‘Hardheads’ this wildflower is one of the toughest meadow plants and very popular with bees and butterflies. Other

wildflowers include oxeye daisies and rosebay willowherb, which has seeds fitted with tiny ‘parachutes’ to help them disperse. Passengers can also keep their eyes peeled on their journeys

for animals, including grey herons and Daubenton’s bats. With more people holidaying and taking day trips in the UK, Highways England has issued helpful advice to help you stay safe. Before

you set off on a journey, Highways England’s advice is: * Do your vehicle safety checks * Check loads are safely secured * Check travel conditions If you are towing: * Check you have the

correct licence and insurance to tow whatever the weight * Check your vehicle is connected correctly * Check the load is secure and within the limits for the vehicle. Highways England

traffic officers will be on patrol and working to help clear any incidents. Download the game card here GENERAL ENQUIRIES Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer

contact centre on 0300 123 5000. MEDIA ENQUIRIES Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press

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