HGVs have been banned from overtaking on a three-mile stretch of the northbound M42 in Warwickshire during the day.

The aim is to reduce congestion and cut the risk of accidents caused by slow-moving traffic on the long uphill section, which is only two lanes wide. By keeping heavy vehicles to the inside lane only, the Highways Agency hopes to ensure a clear outside lane for faster, lighter traffic.

The overtaking ban will run daily from 0700 to 1900, starting on October 10 and will run for 18 months.

Roads minister, Dr Stephen Ladyman, says: "We are committed to tackling congestion and making journeys on our roads more reliable. This stretch of the M42 gets congested with lorries going slowly up the hill, causing car drivers to get frustrated. I'm hoping that this new restriction on heavy lorries will make journeys safer and the roads less congested."

Iftikhar Mir, Highways Agency area performance manager, said: "In the Netherlands, where lorries are banned from overtaking on 1,000 miles of motorway, road capacity has been increased by 4%.”

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