News: New Government Emergency Alerts: Advice for Drivers
On Sunday 23 April 2023 at 3pm, there will be a national test of the new UK Emergency Alerts service.
Emergency Alerts is a UK government service that will warn you if there’s a danger to life nearby.
In an emergency, your mobile phone or tablet will receive an alert with advice about how to stay safe.
The government does not need to know your phone number or location to send you an alert.
Reasons you might get an alert
You may get alerts about:
- Severe flooding
- Fires
- Extreme weather
Emergency alerts will only be sent by:
- The emergency services
- Government departments, agencies and public bodies that deal with emergencies
What you need to do
When you get an alert, stop what you’re doing and follow the instructions in the alert.
What to do if you receive the alert while driving
If you’re driving or riding when you get an alert:
- You should not read or otherwise respond to an emergency alert whilst driving or riding a motorcycle.
- If you are driving, you should continue to drive and not respond to the noise or attempt to pick up the mobile phone and deal with the message.
- Find somewhere safe and legal to stop before reading the message. If there is nowhere safe or legal to stop close by, and nobody else is in the vehicle to read the alert, tune into live radio and wait for bulletins until you can find somewhere safe and legal to stop.
It is illegal to use a hand-held device while driving or riding.
What will the Emergency Alert sound like?
Your mobile phone or tablet may:
- Make a loud siren-like sound, even if it’s set on silent
- Vibrate
- Read out the alert
The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds.
An alert will include a phone number or a link to the GOV.UK website for more information.
You’ll get alerts based on your current location - not where you live or work. You do not need to turn on location services to receive alerts.