We, the undersigned, request that the National Highways Agency together with all local Councils raise the height of the barriers to  motorway bridges. The height is not sufficient to protect vulnerable members of the community, which is supported by the number of suicides and attempted suicides that have taken place from motorway bridges across the Country.

The raised barriers would help to prevent easy access to the motorway and possibly prevent suicides from being carried out at this location, but would also protect the motorists travelling along the M61.

On Sunday 27th August 2025 there were two suicide attempts on the M60 in Greater Manchester within hours of each other -at least one was successful. The weekend before on the 20th August 2025 a 15 year old boy jumped from a motorway bridge ending his life,. These are just three in the last two weeks  - only a fraction of what is happening regularly across the Country. 

In 2023 there were 7,055 deaths in the UK officially registered as suicide - which equates to an average of 19 per day. In 2017 the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety said that there were likely to be around 50 deaths each year by suicide on UK roads. A figure that has likely now risen. 

We would hope that National Highways urgently reconsider their recommendations regarding the height of all barriers leading to motorways or dual carriageways.