Traffic

divert traffic

Traffic will be diverted through side streets while the road is being resurfaced.

hold up traffic

Traffic on the motorway was held up for three hours by a serious accident.

direct traffic

A policeman with white gloves was directing traffic from the middle of the road.

reduce traffic

The town council is examining ways of reducing traffic in the city. One extreme proposal is to close the city center to all traffic except buses and taxis.

traffic builds up / traffic thins out

The usual pattern on weekdays is that traffic builds up during the late afternoon and begins to thin out after 7 pm.

a build-up traffic

The road is quiet now, but there is a steady build-up of traffic in the evening.

a break in the traffic

We waited for ages for a break in the traffic so that so that we could cross the road.

the volume of traffic

We need new motorways to cope with the increased volume of traffic on our roads.

a queue of traffic

There was a long queue of traffic waiting to turn right at the lights.

the noise of traffic

Our house is on a main road, so we are always aware of the constant noise of traffic.

traffic accident

Twenty people died in traffic accidents in the first month of this year.

traffic congestion

There are plans to relieve traffic congestion in the city.

a traffic warden

When I got back to my car a traffic warden was putting a ticket on it.

a traffic jam

I was stuck in a traffic jam for over an hour yesterday.

Notes   

Note these adjective collocations:

• For your own safety, always walk facing oncoming traffic on country roads.
• If you leave before 4 pm, you should manage to avoid the rush-hour traffic.
• We’ve had an awful journey – there was heavy traffic all the way.
• The traffic was quite light, so we got through Leeds quicker than we expected.

Note these expressions:

• The holiday traffic heading for the coast has ground to a halt on the M4. Police are reporting tailbacks of up to ten miles.

Note these other types of traffic:

• Air traffic has increased by 50% in the last five years.
• Rail traffic was severely disrupted by last night’s heavy snowstorms.

Street

wander through the street

Thousands of tourists wander through the streets of Rome every day.

patrol the streets

It’s a very secure area because the police patrol the streets night and day.

cross over the street

We’ll have to cross over to the other side of the street to get to the market.

parade through the streets

Thousands of soldiers paraded through the streets to celebrate the end of the war.

go down the street

Go down the High Street and turn left. the post office is on your left.

clean up the streets

The local council has launched a campaign to clean up the city’s streets.

a one-way street

My brother was fined for driving the wrong way down a one-way street.

a deserted street

At 3 in the morning, the streets were deserted. There wasn’t a soul to be seen.

the High Street

Boots is a big company. There’s a branch of the store in every high Street.

a crowded street

A bomb went off in a crowded street, killing 20 people and injuring many more.

a side street

We left the busy main street and found a quiet bar in one of the side streets.

beg in the street

He was reduced to begging in the street in order to get something to eat.

come up to you in the street

Strangers come up to us in the street and say how much they enjoy our television show.

stop someone in the street

I stopped someone in the street to ask for directions.

bump into her in the street

We worked in the same area so we often bump into each other in the street.

live in the same street

As kids, we used to live in the same street.

Notes   

Note these expressions:

• In summer the streets of Brighton are filled with tourists.
• Many of the streets are lined with tall trees.

we use the verb ‘roam’ if we want to suggest somebody is looking for a flight.

• after the match gangs of football hooligans roamed the streets looking for a fight.

The ‘High Street’ is the main shopping street in the center of a town.

Route and map

plan a route

It’s always a good idea to plan the route before you leave.

mark the route

Here, take this map. I’ve marked the shortest route to the college in red.

take a route

I’d take the longer route via the bypass – it’s be quicker in the long run.

people line a route

Crowds of well-wishers lined the route, waving flags as the Queen passed.

a scenic route

We had plenty of time, so we took the scenic route through the mountains and enjoyed the magnificent views.

a roundabout route

I don’t know why it took us so long. I must have taken a really roundabout route.

an alternative route

Motorists are advised to find an alternative route during repairs to the bridge.

an escape route

Make sure you are aware of all the possible escape routes from the plane.

a popular route

The coastal path between Dover and Hastings is a popular route for walkers. There’s some amazing wildlife.

a direct route

The most direct route from the house to the stadium is through the town center. it’s shorter, but it isn’t any quicker.

read a map

Look! I can’t read the map and drive at the same time!

maps show things

All members receive a detailed map showing all the major tourist attractions.

draw a map

Francis drew a map on how to get to her house on the back of an envelope.

bring a map

We forgot to bring a map of the area, but it doesn’t matter as I know the way.

study a map

We studied the map carefully to see if we had enough time to reach the next hostel before it got dark.

Notes   

Note these expressions with ‘route’:

• I live on a busy bus route, so I can get to work more quickly.
• Accommodation won’t be a problem. There are plenty of B&Bs along the route / en route.
• We traveled by motorway to the match, but we returned home by a different route.

Note these expressions with ‘map’:

• Can you show me where you live on this map?
• The guide pointed out the best beaches on the map.
• It’s not on the map!
• Never go walking in these hills without a map and compass.

Accident

avoid an accident

This accident could have been avoided if safety procedures had been followed.

reduce accidents

The campaign against drinking and driving has reduced road accidents by 20%.

witness an accident

The police would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the accident.

have an accident

I’ve been driving for 30 years and I’ve never had an accident of any kind.

accidents happen

It was the kind of accident that could have happened to almost anyone.

cause an accident

It’s hard to say what caused the accident, but police think the driver fell asleep.

a freak accident

There was only a million and one chance of this happening. It was a freak accident.

a minor accident

Make sure you always check for head injuries, even if it is only a minor accident.

a serious accident

If you hadn’t acted so quickly, there could have been a serious accident.

a tragic accident

The boy drowned when he fell through the ice. It was such a tragic accident.

a fatal accident

Three motorists died in a fatal accident late last night.

the cause of the accident

After two months experts are still trying to establish the cause of the accident.

in the event of an accident

In the event of an accident, call this number – 0112254637770.

a series of accidents

After a series of accidents in the fog, the police warned drivers to slow down.

the scene of the accident

Both drivers were breathalyzed at the scene of the accident.

Notes   

Note these expressions:

• Careless/reckless driving was to blame for the accident.
• I walked away from the accident without a scratch.
• It was an accident waiting to happen. (likely to happen)
• This junction is a notorious accident black spot. (a lot of accidents have happened here)

Note the verbs we use to describe the effects of an accident:

• Remarkably, no one was seriously hurt in the accident.
• Twenty people died and over a hundred were injured in the accident.
• The accident left him paralyzed from the waist down / scarred for life / partially blind.

Injury

suffer an injury

The people nearest the explosion suffered horrific injuries from flying glass.

prevent injury

Always wear protective footwear on the site to prevent injuries to your feet.

be treated for injuries

Survivors of the plane crash were treated for injuries at local hospitals.

escape with only minor injuries

A man died in the accident, but I was lucky to escape with only minor injuries.

cause an injury

His appalling injuries had been caused by a blunt instrument such as a hammer.

recover from an injury

She has now fully recovered from the horrendous injuries she received to her hands and hopes to return to her work as a secretary soon.

a series of injuries

Unfortunately, he’s had a series of injuries since he joined the team.

reports of injuries

The bomb exploded outside a café, but there are no reports of serious injuries.

the risk of injury

Cyclists are advised to wear helmets to reduce the risk of head injury.

the pain of an injury

Morphine is used by doctors to deaden the pain of serious injuries.

the full extent of the …

The ambulance is on its way to the hospital. We don’t know the full extent of the casualty’s injuries yet, but we don’t believe they are life-threatening.

because of injury

He had to give up his football career because of a crippling ankle injury.

as a result of injury

The driver of the car died as a result of the injuries she received.

following injury

The British boxer Ali Ahmed may never fight again following his injury.

due to injury

Henman won’t be playing in today’s match due to a shoulder injury.

through injury

He had to pull out of the tournament at the last minute through injury.

Note   

Note the following expressions:

• Don’t try to lift these books by yourself. You’ll do yourself an injury.
• There is little doubt that a seat belt would have prevented his injuries.
• The murder victim had died from multiple injuries and stab wounds.
• A post-mortem examination revealed that he had suffered terrible internal injuries.

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