Sally Boazman, known to many of her listeners as "Sally Traffic", is a British radio traffic reporter on the national BBC Radio 2. Her reporting "revolutionised" United Kingdom traffic news with the addition of live reports from motorists on mobile phones and lorry drivers on CB radio. Boazman presented her last weekday traffic reports for Radio 2 on Friday 8 August 2014, and she now broadcasts travel news at weekends.
Career
Following a brief foray into acting, Boazman took a post in the current affairs department of London Weekend Television where she worked as a secretary for the futureBBC Director GeneralGreg Dyke. After later working as a traffic news announcer for the Automobile Association she went on to present traffic reports for a number of local radio stations before moving to Classic FM. Her first presenting role was for the British Forces Broadcasting Service after which she worked for the BBC World Service and commercial radio. She spent some time away from broadcasting following the birth of her son, Harry, but returned later to become Chief Travel Reporter for BBC GLR. She joined BBC Radio 2 as the network's first official travel news presenter in 1998, presenting travel updates during the afternoon and early evening. She has worked alongside Johnnie Walker, later Chris Evans and Simon Mayo on their respective Drivetime shows, Steve Wright during the afternoon, and Jeremy Vine at lunchtime. Boazman continues to provide traffic news at weekends for BBC Radio 2. In 2007, Boazman was described by Autotrader UK as the "sexiest voice on the radio" and by veteran broadcaster Steve Wright as a 'national treasure' who changed the way traffic reporting was done. Her fans have named a thoroughbred race horse after her, as well as lorry trucks.
Books, records, and activities
In 2003 she narrated the poem Crawl of The Light Brigade for the CD recording Guide Cats for the Blind. In 2007 she wrote the book The Sally Traffic Handbook and narrated a CD for the Highways Agency called Hear When the Going's Good, providing advice to lorry drivers. TomTom navigation has a Sally Traffic voice available for its GPS units. Proceeds from purchase of the voice driving set go to the charity BBC Children in Need Appeal. From 10 to 19 November 2007, she cycled across 400 km of Kenya's Rift Valley to support charity Transaid. In 2009 she presented the Gold level Sony Radio Academy Award for drivetime entertainment to her fellow broadcaster Chris Evans, while in 2007 the Gold level Entertainment award honoured the Chris Evans Drivetime show and staff, of which Boazman was part. She also won the Truck & Driver Driver's Choice award for Best Traffic Information in 2009. On 29 October 2011, she presented The Road to Nowhere for BBC One in London and South East England, a documentary celebrating the 25th anniversary of the M25. The programme sees Boazman journeying around the motorway and examining its economic and environmental impact, as well as other ways it has changed Britain's society.
Personal life and pastimes
She lives in Surrey with her son Harry, born 1987, who is a musician. Truckfest has her as a regular participant, appearing in every event since 2002. A self-professed Francophile, she occasionally takes the Channel Tunnel and subsequently drives from Calais to St-Omer.
