Automatic traffic cone-laying lorries are to be deployed on the M25 motorway to reduce the risk of road workers being injured.
The “automated cone laying machines” were unveiled on Wednesday by construction company Balfour Beatty after trials for several years.
They can lay a cone in less than 10 seconds and can also collect them after the completion of road works.
It is unknown how many road workers are killed or injured on UK roads but there are around 175 “incursions” a month into work sites by motorists.
Efforts are being made to reduce the risks that many workers face.
The lorries, operated by Highways Care, were recently approved by National Highways.
They were being unveiled on Wednesday at a depot in Dartford.
They will initially be used by Connect Plus Services on the M25 but the aim is to expend their use across the UK’s motorway network.
The machines, built on a Scania lorry chassis, will minimise the amount of time that highway workers have to spend on the road network.
Normally one or two workers would lean out of the back of a lorry to lay the cones.
Phil Clifton, Balfour Beatty managing director for highways, said: “We hope the machines will radically improve the lives of highways workers by reducing their direct exposure to a live road environment - demonstrating our commitment to achieving Zero Harm and to sending our people home safe and well every day.”
Martin Bolt, of National Highways, said: “We are continuously looking at ways to innovate and pioneer new products that improve safety on the road for both road workers and users.
“The automated cone laying machine takes out the human element in the laborious task of putting out cones as well as eliminating an element of potential risk. It also frees up workers who can be redeployed to other traffic management duties.”
