ROAD USERS WHO find themselves near the border with Northern Ireland on Sunday should be aware that the UK is due to test its Emergency Alert system, the Road Safety Authority has said.

The system will send a test ‘alert’ message to all mobile phones and devices across Britain and Northern Ireland on Sunday afternoon.

People with mobile phone networks based in Ireland will not receive the message, but customers near border areas in Ireland who roam onto a UK mobile phone network during this time will receive the alert, the RSA said.

Recipients of the alert will hear a loud, siren-like sound and their phones will vibrate in a distinctive way. 

A message will appear on the home screen of the phone until it is acknowledged, the RSA advised.

The UK Emergency Alerts System, which is operational across Britain and Northern Ireland, was launched in March 2023 and was tested in April 2023. The system enables the UK Government to send an alert message to all mobile phones and devices (such as certain tablets) if there is an emergency where lives are endangered. 

Such events could include extreme weather or terrorist attacks. 

The UK government has used the system to issue real warnings five times, including in January during Storm Eowyn to warn people in Scotland and Northern Ireland about severe weather.

The RSA has advised members of the public that they do not need to take any action when they receive the alert, other than dismissing it.

The RSA said road users are advised of the following advice if they get the alert while travelling this coming Sunday:

• Do not be alarmed or startled if your phone makes a loud alarm sound, vibrates and flashes to flag the incoming test message.
• Do not read or otherwise respond to an emergency alert while driving or riding a motorcycle.
• If driving, continue to drive and do not respond to the noise or attempt to pick up the mobile phone and deal with the message.
• Drivers are reminded never to use their mobile phones while driving. You either turn it off, switch it to airplane mode, put it on silent or simply put it out of sight.

With reporting from Press Association