Traffic lights

Information about what traffic lights we are responsible for and how to report a fault online.

Traffic lights are used to manage the flow of traffic to minimise congestion and delays.

Highways England (telephone 0300 123 5000) are responsible for traffic lights on all motorways and trunk roads, including the A1(M), A19(T), A64(T) and A64(T). Traffic lights on all other A, B and C class roads and most unclassified roads are our responsibility. Contact details for temporary traffic lights are usually available on site.

We are responsible for the provision and maintenance of all permanent traffic signals on the roads which we maintain. This includes:

junction signals; and
pedestrian crossing signals including:
- pelican;
- puffin;
- toucan; and
- pegasus, equestrian and zebra crossings.

Temporary traffic lights

Contractors may apply to use temporary traffic signal controls where roadworks are being carried out to help manage traffic flow while work is carried out. We do not provide or maintain these lights, and faults should be reported to the contractor using the details which are usually written on the generator.

Report a highway problem online

If the issue is causing an immediate danger to the safety of road users, it is classified as an emergency. You should contact us by telephone to report an emergency rather than using our online form. Our opening hours are Monday to Friday 8am - 5.30pm. Dial 999 outside office hours for our emergency service.

You can tell us about the issue by registering / logging in to the 'my account' section of the website. 'My account' also allows you to view details of services you have previously applied, booked and paid for. You can also see updates on their progress.

If you prefer, you can tell us about a highway issue anonymously, but please be aware that you will miss out on the benefits of having an account ie. you will not receive progress updates.

You can provide feedback about your experience of reporting a highway issue here.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check the progress of a previously reported highway issue?

Updates to issues you reported whilst logged into your account are available here.

How can I request new traffic signals or a new pedestrian crossing?

Traffic signals and pedestrian crossings are expensive and the cost of surveying the proposed site is also very high.

Parish and town councils have an important role to protect the visual character of their villages and towns. As representatives of the local community, they provide a key communication link between residents and the county council. The local parish or town council is consulted with on most service requests that we receive for new highway assets e.g. road signs, road markings, pedestrian crossings etc to ensure that they are in support.

We would therefore encourage residents who consider there is a need for new traffic signals or a pedestrian crossing to discuss the request with the local parish or town council. This is so that they can indicate if they are in support of the request. We are unlikely to authorise requests that are not supported by the parish or town council.

It would be helpful when making your request to the parish or town council and the county council if you could provide the following details to support your request:

The type of new traffic signals or pedestrian crossing required;
The proposed location of new traffic signals or pedestrian crossing;
The reason for new traffic signals or a pedestrian crossing to be provided; and
Your contact details.

It should be noted that we only have funds to carry out a small number of requests received. Therefore, approved requests will be placed on a list in priority rank order. The available budget and the type of schemes required will determine how quickly we can work down the list.

How do you decide where to put a new pedestrian crossing?

When we receive a request for a new pedestrian crossing it will be considered on its individual merits to assess the level of need and to ensure an effective use of available funding.

For pedestrian crossings we will consider:

The degree of conflict between pedestrians crossing the road and the two-way traffic flow;
The age and ability of pedestrians;
The different types of vehicles in the flow of traffic;
The length of time pedestrians have to wait to cross;
The width of the road;
The speed of traffic;
The pedestrian injury accident record at the site;
The feasibility of alternative types and layout for the junction; and
The engineering feasibility and cost.

The level of justification is the essential starting point in comparing different sites.

How quickly will a traffic signal fault be repaired?

Our response times to traffic signal faults depend on the urgency of the fault and the time of day the fault is reported.

Some fault repairs require specialist equipment, cable repair or traffic management; these may take longer to resolve.

Type of fault	To be attended	Attended (within)	Repaired
Urgent faults e.g. lights all out, damaged equipment or red lamps out (in normal working hours)	8am - 10pm Monday to Friday	3 hours	16 hours
Urgent faults e.g. lights all out, damaged equipment or red lamps out (outside normal working hours)	10pm - 8am Monday to Friday and 24-hours a day at weekends and bank holidays	4 hours	16 hours
Non-urgent faults e.g. all other lamp faults	8am - 6pm Monday to Friday	8 hours	16 hours
Deferred faults	8am - 6pm Monday to Friday	-	32 hours

Where there is a problem with the electricity supply, the electricity company aims to attend to the fault within three hours. The time to restore the supply will depend on the amount of work involved.

How can I apply to place temporary traffic signals on the highway?

We authorise contractors to use temporary traffic signals on our highway where roadworks are being carried out to help manage traffic flow whilst work is being progressed.

Contractors who are planning to carry out roadworks on the highway are required (as part of their streetworks notice application) to submit a traffic management plan which includes the use of temporary traffic lights where needed.

If you are a contractor, you can apply to place temporary traffic signal controls on the highway whilst works are being undertaken by downloading and completing the relevant application form below and returning it to the appropriate office, detailed at the end of the application form, for them to process.