highways agency

[mindbullets]

what powers do the highways agency vehicles have ? i.e the rangerovers with the yellow and black squares on the side that are often on the motorways.

can they pull me over if i go past them at 80 mph ? or are they just there to attend breakdowns and accidents.

thankyou

[Glossopswift]

No, they can�t pull you over for speeding. Their role is a bit deeper than breakdowns and accidents, this is from the HA website.

Where incidents occur the police will still retain responsibility for investigation of criminality and, for major accidents, will be in charge at the scene and in control offices. However, additional Highways Agency resources will help to coordinate resources of other emergency services, manage traffic and re-open routes when the police have completed their investigations.

Traffic Officers work with the police but their role varies with the severity of the incident. The Highways Agency Traffic Officers are not able to fine you, but it is an offence not to comply with their directions. The police still enforce the law.

Highways Agency Traffic Officers are trained and operate to agreed protocols, allowing them to operate in support of the police. Police expertise has been drawn upon in developing the role of the Traffic Officers and the training for them. Traffic Officers are trained to a high standard in everything from First Aid and safety, to dealing with customers, traffic management and the use of technology.

[H8o]

Hi mindbullets

I am a traffic officer, working for the Highways Agency. So its me you see patrolling up and down in the battenburg marked up vehicles. There will be around 1500 of us eventually!

Glossopswift is right in his answer. Tax discs, speeding, mobile phone use etc. is really outside of our scope. Whilst we do have the powers to stop and direct traffic, we would not be interested in 'ciminality', unless it directly compromised public safety.

That said, if a car sped past us, in a dangerous condition, whilst the driver was on the phone - we would be duty bound to report it. It would be negligent of us not to do so. In fact I'm sure you would want us to - as it makes the motorways even safer than they already are. Don't forget it could be me or you, or our children that a dangerous driver crashes into.

So its probably best to edge past us at 10% + 2 (ie.79 mph), if you really have to break the speed limit!

By the way - our normal speed for patrols is around 50 / 56 mph. So if were doing 70 mph - we're probably responding to a call.

We don't have blue lights or sirens, and always have to keep to the speed limits, even when its an emergency. We do however have special dispensation re. driving on the hard shoulder and using flashing red lights,

Hope this helps.