The Highways Agency has launched a new digital radio service to help drivers plan their journeys.

Traffic Radio will be broadcast 24 hours a day over the internet and a DAB network covering 80 per cent of the country. Drivers with smartphones and other portable web browsers will be able to access the service when taking a break from journeys.

Broadcasters Trafficlink will compile data from the National Traffic Control Centre, which has access to 3750 road sensors and 1000 CCTV cameras around the country.

Traffic Radio is one of several initiatives set up with a £160m government fund. Other services planned for this year include the introduction of electronic roadside signs carrying live travel information, and a website providing images from the Highways Agency's CCTV network.

Transport minister Tom Harris says that the support for wireless devices is part of the government's overall efforts to connect with drivers.

'We know that people like to receive information in a number of different ways,' said Harris.

'The new services we are launching this summer give customers a choice of easy-to-use channels so they can make well-informed decisions when deciding how and when to use our network.'