On motorways these officious looking vehicles are often mistaken for police cars, do they carry any powers to stop speeding traffic or irrational driving, or is their job purely to monitor fallen items and road surfaces, and clear up at scenes of accidents
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not yet but their power will creep that way over time
at the moment they are like military police cars, you can laugh at them if youre a normal civilian only modestly over the speed limit
the highways agency i think are driving 4 x 4 s which are only type approved with the spare wheel fitted to the rear door (to pass the rear end crash worthyness) but they seem to routinely drive with the spare in the boot, are these type approval rules not enforced once they are on the road? or is it another case of one law for them and another for the rest of us?
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The reason that they have no spare is that some time after they started someone though it might be a good idea to weigh the whole vehicle! They carry a massive amount of kit & were over weight..... I must NOT laugh.
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They are only thought to be Police by the numpties who need to go to Specsavers. The side Battenberg panels are BLACK & the have HIGHWAYS OFFICER written across the back in big etters.
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They have the power to stop and direct traffic, close lanes etc and manage traffic. Fines and points may await those who ignore directions. Offenders are presumably reported to the police who then intiate prosecution through CPS. Traffic officer would be a witness in any subsequent proceedings.
Thread on here a few months back where, IIRC, motorist was convicted on traffic officer witness evidence that he ignored the flashing red lane closed wig/wags.
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Rest assured they have no power what so ever to enforce any moving traffic offence!!
You can pass them at what ever speed you want and there is nothing they can do.
The only power they have is to direct traffic at incidents,ie shut lanes for rtc,s etc, move vehicles that are causing an obstruction.
There is no doubt how ever some of them are "closet policeman" and thank they are more important than they actually are.
{amended wording to remove UPPER CASE text as is classed as shouting at people}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 05/07/2008 at 17:51
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As someone who works with them on a daily basis, they do a darn good job. They get a lot of undeserved stick.
Edited by midlifecrisis on 05/07/2008 at 13:46
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Not quite sure of the need to shout broadgates. {I've lowered the volume of his post now}
they may have no actual powers as you mention but remember they are in close contact with the people that have such powers.
Try speeding blatantly past 1 or ignoring their directions and I think you would be brought to their attention.
They may only be mobile trafic wardens etc but breakdown on the motorway or report an obstruction and somebody has to sort it/move it!
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 05/07/2008 at 17:51
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If you have the misfortune to break down, they will provide protection for your vehicle from rear end shunts.There is a place on the network for them, but I hope they don't take away more responsibilities from the police.
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Yes, they have no police powers, but a serving policeman on here has described them as very helpful.
That tells me any motoring offence reported by a Highways Agency officer is likely to receive more attention than one reported by you or me.
I would risk passing one at an indicated 75/80mph, but no more.
My brother broke down on the M40 and was unimpressed by the Highways Agency crew that attended - found them to be officious, pretendy policemen.
Mind, my brother is ex-RAF and can be prone to ordering people about....
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Agree with Yorkie - not the best vehicle to speed past at 120 mph - they might just flag it to the local Traffic team.
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Mimsers & Wombles with jumped up powers?
Just their presence on the roads alone creates absolute traffic havoc.
Then they add to this misery by shutting lanes for minor shunts and they hold traffic up by travelling slowly in a vehicle that even as described has a blatantly different 'cake mix colour pattern' on its side than that of a police car.
Some panic as soon as they a Highways Agency vehicle and slow down to whatever speed it is doing because they fear passing it. All because just don't know if it is The Plod or not.
I accept they may help when needed - but until they do - they are like a spanner of an odd size!
Useless, take up space and are there for special reasons only.
I dislike over zealous officialdom at the best of times - don't get me going on security guards Grrrrr! As in those that have the, ?It?s my building and you ain't coming in' attitude.
Far too many 'establishments' now that hire 'civilians' that have 'police type ' powers and the right to say what happens to the rest of us.
These establishments employ people that are nothing more than 'wannabe police officers' but for whatever reason would not make the grade as one if they applied directly.
Rant over...
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"These establishments employ people that are nothing more than 'wannabe police officers' but for whatever reason would not make the grade as one if they applied directly."
Actually, quite a few are ex-Police. So your argument falls down there I'm afraid.
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When i was a recovery operative, these guys where a god send. There is nothing worse than having to pick up a breakdown on the M25/M23.
They give a high visabilty to other road users and i felt a thousand times safer when they where there, than when i would have to attend without any assistance from them.
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I agree fully adam f. but.............. they do seem to upset a lot of people that cant carry on at their 100mph or whatever just because a little car has broken down!
Until you have been out to one you just wont understand!
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Dont get me wrong, i think they can be a pain and they do tend to go a little OTT.
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As someone who works with them on a daily basis they do a darn good job. They get a lot of undeserved stick.
I agree. They do a fantastic job, and they free the Police to get on with doing other high worth jobs.
As for their powers, see:
www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/601.aspx
www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/1966.aspx
".. the Traffic Management Bill successfully completed the Parliamentary process and received Royal Assent, becoming the Traffic Management Act 2004. This new legislation provides newly created Traffic Officers with special powers so that they are able to perform certain traffic management tasks previously carried out by the police. The new powers allow Traffic Officers to:
- Stop traffic and close roads, lanes and carriageways
- Direct and divert traffic
- Place and operate traffic signs
- Manage traffic at traffic surveys.
Highway Agency staff are now working on secondary legislation to provide a further extension of powers. These will cover:
- the removal or arranging removal of abandoned or broken down vehicles which are causing an obstruction or are a safety hazard on the network; and
- authorising exceptions and relaxations for other road users from the motorway regulations, such as the use of the hard shoulder. "
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I've only had contact with these HA lads twice, both for truck tyre blowouts.
Both times they've been courteous and helpful, have seen what the score was, were quite happy with the way things were being done and cleared off, as both times the flats were on the nearside.
If they were offside flats they would probably have coned the n/s lane off and kept a vigilant eye on the traffic to make sure no one was likely to hit the poor tyre chap.
If all drivers could look further ahead than 5 yards in front of the bonnet, then the lads wouldn't be quite so needed.
The last tyre chap that came out to me had almost lost his life when a vehicle had rammed his tyre van up the back on the hard shoulder, and smashed it into the back of the truck where he was changing the tyre. And thats with strobe amber flashers all over the thing. He said its quite amazing how quickly some chaps can vault over the armco.
All those boys and girls that work the roads earn every penny.
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I too don't see the need to pointlessly crticise these individuals. But then again I have no issue over PCSOs and think our local community patrol officers are great too - however my neighboour hates them - comments like "if you didn't park in resident only parking bays they wouldn't give you a ticket" only enrages him more :)
The only times I've been involved with them they have been incredibly helpful.
As to them acting to slow traffic down, I really don't see that as a problem. I travel around at 75 ish on motorways on the cruise control, much faster and I find that I don't make much more progress and the constant speeding up and slowing down just stresses me.
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i'm mostly in favour for the reasons stated above
my only gripe was that when they were introduced they all got decent kit, yet the exisiting police had to make do with some stuff past it's sell by date or not fit for purpose
i don't begrudge the HATOs the right equipment, but would have liked to have seen the decent kit extended to traffic police as well
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