Female roadworker reveals all: From gun threats to urine being thrown

A female roadworker has revealed the road rage hell she has experienced at the hands of angry drivers. 

From fears of being ‘run down’, bags of urine being thrown, and even being threatened by a gun – there isn’t much roadworker Sinead Ryan hasn’t seen. 

According to Suffolk Highways, there has been a rise in physical and verbal abuse experienced by workers trying to keep roads across the county running smoothly. 

In an attempt to prevent abuse, signs have emerged at work sites warning offenders that they could wind up in trouble with the police. 

However, Sinead, 24, who is also an ambassador for the Stamp It Out campaign, has said the abuse she experiences on the daily is ‘worrying’.

Sinead Ryan (Pictured) has endured hell on the roads with furious motorist hurling urine and even threatening her with a gun

Although SInead, who has been in the role since she was 18, loves her job, she has found the abuse ‘worrying’

It comes as the total of abuse cases recorded against road workers between 2020 and 2023 was revealed to be 541, according to the BBC. 

The traffic management worker expressed her daily concerns about coming to the job she loves, adding roadwokers ‘don’t come to work to be abused.’  

She told the BBC: ‘I really enjoy my job, but I know people who have left the industry because why should they come to work just to get screamed at?’ 

‘Abuse is just like a normal thing for us and you even get drivers throwing bottles of urine out the window at you.

‘But it ranges from a swear word to someone actually trying to get to you – and, God forbid, but someone could actually run you down.

‘I’ve had to lock myself in my van because people have slammed their hands on the bonnet and tried to get in – people get angry really quickly and it is worrying.’

On one occasion a motorist pulled out a gun on Sinead as she was laying at cones to close a road. 

Detailing the terrifying ordeal she told BBC Breakfast: ‘We just shut one lane of traffic and he was like “What do you do?” at me.

Retelling of the shocking ordeal where she was threatened with a gun, Sinead said: ‘You just kind of freeze, you don’t really know, it’s sort of like a pinch me moment – like is that real?’ 

There has been an increase in abuse suffered by roadworkers, with Suffolk Highways erecting signs (Pictured) in a bid to combat the issue

It comes as the total of abuse cases recorded against road workers between 2020 and 2023 was revealed to stand at 541

‘And with that he unzipped his jacket and pulled a gun out on us and held it at my face.

‘You just kind of freeze, you don’t really know, it’s sort of like a pinch me moment – like is that real?’

‘So then I rang the police and then armed response were there within minutes and they were fantastic, and he was caught.’

She added: ‘Now every time I go anywhere I will take my vest, just to make yourself feel like less of a target.’

More recently both councils and companies across Suffolk have tried to install additional safety measures including bodycams. 

However despite initiatives trying to deter abuse, Darren Clark, who is an operations director at the Suffolk-based TBF traffic, claims offences haven’t reduced ‘at all’.

She revealed having urine hurled at them and tirades are a part of the job, and there are often fears of being ‘run down’

He claims there was one incident where police had to be called after a member of the public launched a tirade of abuse at a worker after trying to remove traffic light. 

Recounting the ‘vile’ behaviour he has seen, Darren added: ‘It seems to be common that members of the public just think they can abuse road workers.

‘They can’t accept we are there trying to help them.’

MailOnline has approached Suffolk Council for comment.