ROADWORKS ENCOUNTERS - INDEPENDENT ROAD AUDITS
Don't wait for the complaints. Find the problems first.
Sonar's Roadworks Encounters service puts trained Public Liaison Officers behind the wheel - and on foot - before complaints arrive. We drive and walk your live scheme, film everything and give your team hot feedback the same day.
The problem
Roadworks affect real people. Most teams find out what went wrong the next day.
According to Transport Focus, management of roadworks is the lowest-scoring aspect of road user satisfaction (49%), against an overall satisfaction score of 71%. When a road closure, diversion, or traffic management scheme goes live, your Public Liaison Officers are the ones who field the fallout. Poor signage. Confusing diversions. Hazards that should have been caught. That gap exists because most schemes are designed to be compliant, not to consider the customer. By the time complaints arrive, the reputational damage is done. We go in before that happens.
"We're being really proactive and not waiting for complaints - at the end of a roadworks encounter audit we report back to the company what we found so they can correct it straight away."
Paul Valentine, Founder, Sonar Engagement
How it works
A live, independent audit of your scheme — delivered in real time.
Our trained PLOs complete a structured walkthrough or drive-through of your roadworks. Everything is filmed. Issues are flagged immediately, not filed away in a report two weeks later.
Mystery shopper approach
We travel the route as an ordinary driver or pedestrian, with no advance warning to the site team.
Day and night visits
Road conditions change after dark. We inspect when it matters most, including overnight and out-of-hours.
Video-recorded evidence
Every audit is filmed throughout. You get clear, timestamped footage of every roadworks issue we encounter.
Live feedback report
Issues are reported directly to your traffic management team the same day, so you can address problems faster.
Three structured reports. Evidence you can act on and evidence you can keep.
Every Roadworks Encounter produces a scored assessment across three areas, with comments against each criterion. You get a clear picture of what's working, what isn't, and what needs to be fixed immediately.
Roadworks assessment
Signage visibility, workforce presence, lane definition, safety, lighting and overall customer experience through the works.
Diversion route assessment
Clarity and accuracy of diversion signage, driver confidence, actual vs expected journey time and route safety.
Mystery shopper
How site personnel respond to a member of the public: their knowledge, helpfulness, appearance, and how safely they manage the interaction.
Hot Alert escalation
Any safety-critical finding is flagged directly to your project team the same day, not buried in a report that arrives two weeks later.
Following transport-focused guidelines, from the driver's seat.
We audit against industry standards including Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual and the Safety at Streetworks Code of Practice, but we go further, assessing real customer experience at every stage of the route.
Signage and wayfinding
Missing, incorrect or confusing signs. Diversion routes that don't make sense to drivers.
Safety and compliance
Hazards, lighting failures, displaced cones and conditions that create risk for road users.
Pedestrian experience
We walk the route too - assessing accessibility, path continuity and pedestrian safety.
Stakeholder engagement
We interact with the traffic management team as a member of the public would, testing real responses.
Who this is for
Anyone putting a planned road closure on the public network.
National Highways
SDF 2 framework schemes
Network Rail
Possession and closure works
Utility companies
Planned streetworks and diversions
Local authorities
Planned road closures and events
Traffic management companies
Client assurance and framework compliance
Tier 1 contractors
Highways, rail and infrastructure schemes
Track record
Trusted by the teams who take road safety seriously.
10+
audits completed in the last 3 months
3
audits in one scheme - roadworks, diversion route, and mystery shopper, all in a single visit
Same day
live feedback, not a report two weeks later
Sonar works with National Highways, Kier, Tarmac, Carnell, Balvac/Balfour Beatty, Route One Infrastructure, HW Martin, and Devon County Council. Our PLOs are experienced Public Liaison Officers, many are ex-police, who bring a level of customer and community intelligence that a standard compliance check simply doesn't.
Frequently asked questions
Request an audit
If you have a planned road closure, diversion, or traffic management scheme - anywhere on the network - talk to us. We'll find what your customers will find, before they find it.
Talk to Us