Vehicle incursions into roadworks have reached 2,833 incidents in 2025 alone, according to the IPV & Incursion Working Group Report. These incursions present a serious risk to on-site workers and road users alike. Hill & Smith Infrastructure’s new product, Incursion Defender, aims to reduce these incidents by physically stopping vehicles from entering live work zones.
Incursion Defender is a portable, modular barrier system that quickly brings an errant vehicle safely to a controlled halt. It fits a scheme’s specific lane or road width through adjustable units. The system assembles without tools or bolts, allowing operatives to deploy it swiftly from a van. Optional wheels improve mobility for temporary or emergency access, and units can also be delivered fully assembled.
Engineered for impact and safety
The barrier meets UK Vehicle Restraint System (VRS) standard CD 378 and the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) 2016. It is crash tested to highway standards, achieving Impact Severity Level A. This means it offers the highest occupant protection while minimising risk of injury in collisions.
Such certification is crucial for traffic management companies and contractors bound by the Traffic Management Act and CDM regulations to maintain safe working environments on the UK’s motorway and A-road networks. By mitigating vehicle incursions, Incursion Defender helps keep roadworks operational and avoids costly site shutdowns and investigations.
Rapid deployment cuts time on live carriageways
The tool-free assembly means operatives spend less time exposed to live traffic. Its modular design allows the barrier to be adapted quickly for varied site layouts, from narrow slip roads to carriageway closures. This flexibility supports rapid set-up on schemes ranging from temporary lane closures to emergency interventions.
The system is currently in a live trial on a Costain and Transport for London project, providing real-world data before broader rollout to UK authorities and contractors. This trial will help understand performance under typical urban and motorway conditions, including winter weather and surface water scenarios.
Protecting people and projects
Incursion Defender addresses more than injury risk. Vehicle incursions also cause delays that affect contractor programmes and driver journeys. David Todd, Managing Director of Hill & Smith Infrastructure, highlights that the barrier physically eliminates the risk of vehicles entering work zones, reinforcing duty of care responsibilities.
The product’s design responds directly to a persistent safety challenge on UK roads. It offers operatives a physical shield where conventional cones, signs or pedestrian barriers cannot prevent a vehicle from breaching roadwork boundaries.
The system aims to protect the workforce, road users and communities from the consequences of incursions, supporting the goal that everyone returns Home Safe and Well.
More information, including technical specifications, is available on Hill & Smith Infrastructure’s website or by contacting their team directly.
