KerbWatch guide
Road closures and disruptions: how to use community alerts
Road conditions can change faster than static planning information. A community report is useful when it gives nearby drivers early context, especially around events, works, incidents and temporary access changes.
Updated 7 October 2026
Quick answer
Community alerts can help flag a developing closure, queue or local disruption before every source has updated, but temporary traffic signs, emergency services and official highway information always take priority.
Key facts
Temporary signs and traffic management override normal assumptions about a route.
Community reports can become stale, so timestamps and expiry matter.
Emergency-service and highway instructions take priority.
A report should describe the effect on movement rather than speculate about causes.
When a community report is most useful
Short-lived disruption is where community reporting can add the most value: a newly closed street, an event queue, roadworks changing lane access or an unexpected obstruction can all affect local movement before a planned journey is complete.
Check the age of the report
A road situation can clear quickly. KerbWatch is designed around time-sensitive observations, so users should pay attention to when something was reported and whether other recent reports support it.
Use official information for critical decisions
For emergency incidents, major closures, legal restrictions or long-distance route planning, confirm details with the relevant highway authority, transport operator, police service or other official source.