Just found this website www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/1970.aspx
All you've ever wanted to know about HA.
|
|
|
Seen these myself too.
Definite blue lights and police style livery; but Highways Agency written on vehicle.
Not sure I would stop for 1 at side of road if pulled over by 1, not sure of their powers! But if it doesn't say police then i would want to drive to a public area before stopping (service station etc).
Wonder what would happen if this happened! Not intending to find out either!
|
Interesting, I've never seen one with blue lights, and the only writing I've ever seen is "Traffic Officer', usually on the rearmost side windows.
To change the subject slightly, and at the risk of offending the purists, I've been very impressed with what I've seen of them so far.
|
If you think you've seen a HA vehicle displaying blue lights then you're most definitely mistaken.
However the HA have been given special dispensation to show flashing red lights to the rear (in conjunction with amber).
|
|
Hmm ok but funny looking red to me !
|
|
|
HA vehicles DO NOT have blue lights. All the other shades of the rainbow yes, but NOT blue.
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
|
|
Ok no need to shout; obviously i am colour blind!
|
Have you got it now?
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
|
|
Well all the HA Traffic Officer vehicles I have seen have either had an amber coloured lightbar (earlier vehicles). Later fleets additions are fitted with a clear lightbar which looks white / grey when off but amber / red when lit as shown here; tinyurl.com/za658
|
|
Bit hypocritical having all these "gas-guzzling 4x4s" as government vehicles. Would've expected a fleet of Toyota Hybrids.... ;-)
|
|
The vehicles need to be fit for purpose, in this case that means capable of dragging stranded vehicles, from cars up to full size articulated lorries clear of the carriageway. You'd not manage the latter in anything less than a proper 4x4.
|
there used to be a chap who used the most southern section of the M5 who had his motorcycle (Honda Pan European) done up to look like a police bike..... stupid old goat used to cause big queues as well
caught him up once, on my bike and he had the cheek to wave me down as if to slow down.....
was cross enough to wave back, in a thoroughly ungentlemanly fashion
would have been a laugh (eventually) if i'd got it wrong and it WAS a police bike wouldn't it...
i was fairly safe cos there were no blue lights, although he did have a pole on the back where the blue light would have expected to have been, so you had to check carefully
|
Was stuck in another traffic jam yesterday because of it (even though the Highways Patrol was trying to do a steady 70 in the n/s lane).
>>
that is why the jam happens - nobody dares exceed 70 while they are thinking it is a police car.
if on the other hand the if the highways patrol did 55 or 60, most traffic would not fear to overtake at 70, and soon realise it was a highways car and then pass them by quickly.
p.s. their website lists each and every 4x4 they own, and when they are due for replacement, as well as the cost of running this patrol scheme.
|
Sometimes actually when the authority vehicle is on a rigid speedometer 70 people sidle past and then very gradually fade into the distance. I've seen it and even done it.
But I agree these stripy things have an inhibiting effect and mess everything up. They ought to drive at 80 out of decency as plod quite often does.
|
They're supposed to patrol at 50mph when not responding to an incident.
This is to allow observation for any approaching debris, broken down vehicles, damaged roadside fencing / barrier etc.
|
|
50mph patrols seem about right for the ones I see daily. They seem to do a good job actually, attending to nearly every vehicle stopped in the hard shoulder.
|
|
I'd have to agree - I was very cynical when they were first announced, but they do seem to do a good job. Saying that, I was heading round Manchester on the M60 a few weeks ago. There was a 3 seater sofa in the 3rd lane of four, which was a bit of a surprise, and a HA 4x4 on the hard shoulder just past it looking a bit flummoxed as to what course of action to take.
|
I saw a HA patrol attending to a car on the hard shoulder the other week. They had thoughtfully put six cones round the car while the owner waited for the breakdown service. I've not seen them do that before, looked a bit silly but probably reassured the driver a bit!?
I see them on patrol pretty regularly, 2 or 3 per week and I can now normally tell from a distance that they're not police, on the stretch of the M1 I use.
;o)
|
|
|
|
