Images from the scene have shown cars driving through closed smart motorway lanes as emergency services responded to a major accident on the M25 on Wednesday. Officers warned that some services were left “struggling” to get to the scene as “impatient motorists” had ignored the signs.
They warned this could have delayed the response of potentially life-saving equipment and staff.
Essex Police revealed that the roads were closed after initial reports suggested the driver wasn’t breathing and room for an air ambulance would be needed.
Officers have confirmed that they would take action against offenders after a “clear explanation” for the closures was given on the approach to the scene.
A statement said: “To update people we will indeed be prosecuting each and every driver who passed under the red X lane closure which was there to allow emergency services clear access to the scene (vital in this all lanes running stretch without a hard shoulder).
READ MORE: Police say over 40 drivers will receive penalties for this offence
Two lanes were reopened just before 4:30 pm to allow traffic to flow through the scene with four lanes reopened to traffic just before 5 pm.
Ricci Fothergill, a road user who witnessed the incident told Express.co.uk: “I came onto the M25 from Hatfield services and noticed that lane four was virtually empty.
“It wasn’t until I saw the next set of overhead LED signs that I realised why – lane four was red X and the info board said ‘Lane closed for incident access’.
“I pulled into lane three as did most of the traffic, then approximately half a mile later vehicles started pulling back into lane four, it’s almost as if they forgot the red X.
They say a closed smart motorway lane means the road must be kept clear to provide access for either maintenance workers or emergency services.
It is illegal to drive in a closed lane with offenders likely to receive a fixed penalty for breaking the law.
This starts at a £100 penalty and three points on a driving licence but penalties can be more severe under some circumstances.
Last year, Highways England set up new cameras on many gantries to automatically catch offenders which may have been missed by police patrols.