Watch motorway traffic-jam clips on your mobile

A peek at the queues before you join them

Drivers will be able to download video footage from Highways Agency CCTV cameras onto their mobile phones as part of a 12-month trial.

The footage was previously only available to road contractors, the police and emergency services.

The trial starts with 100 cameras on the motorways including the M25, M1, M4 and M40 and will extend to the full Highways Agency CCTV network by the end of the year.

Highways Agency information director Denise Plumpton said in a statement: "We're carrying out this 12-month trial to see if we can help our road users plan their journeys and avoid any delays on the network."

She added: "You'll be able to check real-time traffic conditions on the busiest parts of our network from the convenience of your mobile phone."

The Highways Agency is working with MX Data on the trial. The service, which supports more than 100 handsets and the networks O2, Orange, T-mobile and Vodafone, already provides local authority, Scottish and Welsh CCTV images.