Legal status of "Traffic Patrol"

[jon_harley]

Lately I keep seeing "Traffic Patrol" cars on motorways, particularly in Yorkshire. The back ends of these are marked just like police cars, and they have blue lights on top. But they don't have POLICE markings anywhere on them, just "Traffic Patrol" on the side.

Anyone know what the status of these things is? Are they police, or not? Do they, just out of academic interest, ever carry radar guns?

 

[Blobcat]

Lately I keep seeing "Traffic Patrol" cars on motorways, particularly in Yorkshire. The back ends of these are marked just like police cars, and they have blue lights on top. But they don't have POLICE markings anywhere on them, just "Traffic Patrol" on the side.

Anyone know what the status of these things is? Are they police, or not? Do they, just out of academic interest, ever carry radar guns?

Not Police and no police powers. They monitor the roads and attend accidents etc. Paid for by Highways agency I believe.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Their lights are orange - not blue.

They have no police powers, however to ignore the directions of a HATO is an offence. They cannot enforce speed limits - yet.....

My concern is that even though they perform useful duties, there is a temptation to further reduce the numbers of Trafpol on our roads - a very bad idea.

 

[Blobcat]

Their lights are orange - not blue.

They have no police powers, however to ignore the directions of a HATO is an offence. They cannot enforce speed limits - yet.....

My concern is that even though they perform useful duties, there is a temptation to further reduce the numbers of Trafpol on our roads - a very bad idea.

Now, now we all know that speeding is the only offence that is of interest, so a man in a van is much more financially viable than a traffic car and two officers. Drunk, drugged or dangerous driving is of no concern at all nowadays...

 

[Myros]

likewise

as they are already filling in for a lot of the "missing" traffic officers already.
Something to do with policing being intelligence-led. I know, I know, contradiction in terms in waiting, but it's obvious to me that if you reduce the number of traffic police on the roads, then the roads start to get a bit like town centres on a Friday night. Pretty soon, all the Traffic officers will be doing is attending the most serious incidents, after the event. That sounds a bit like a recipe for a fire brigade really.
Prevention and education are better than " I would have told you so if I had been funded to do so"
Come on guys, there's nothing like the sight of a jam or cheese sandwich to make us all drive properly, is there.

 

[Blobcat]

as they are already filling in for a lot of the "missing" traffic officers already.
Something to do with policing being intelligence-led. I know, I know, contradiction in terms in waiting, but it's obvious to me that if you reduce the number of traffic police on the roads, then the roads start to get a bit like town centres on a Friday night. Pretty soon, all the Traffic officers will be doing is attending the most serious incidents, after the event. That sounds a bit like a recipe for a fire brigade really.
Prevention and education are better than " I would have told you so if I had been funded to do so"
Come on guys, there's nothing like the sight of a jam or cheese sandwich to make us all drive properly, is there.

I agree, I would much rather have a friendly discussion with an officer on the side of the road than a letter on the door mat. I have no probelm with traffic officers as they take into account lots of issues. A man in a van is only looking at one aspect of driving.

 

[jon_harley]

Their lights are orange - not blue.

I got a good look at one on the M1 mid last week and I'm really sure that the lights were blue. The lights weren't on (and may have been orange inside) but I'm sure the transparent poly casing that they shine through was blue.

They have no police powers, however to ignore the directions of a HATO is an offence. They cannot enforce speed limits - yet.....

I thought that must be the case (that a car not marked police wouldn't have police powers). As much as anything it was the blue light that made me wonder.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Don't forget, a non-uniformed officer cannot in law pull you over.

 

[Biff]

This is the age old question of what is a non uniformed officer, or rather when is an officer in uniform. As long as the officer is clearly identifiable as a police officer they can. Done a bit of the covert policing and we got around this by donning our police baseball caps when hitting the twos and blues in our plain car. Courts accepted that we were clearly identifiable as Police therefore conviction stood.
Not at all interested in speeders or in any way shape or form generating revenue just targetting car thief's burgalrs and such like.

 

[Sprint'n'Go]

I got a good look at one on the M1 mid last week and I'm really sure that the lights were blue. The lights weren't on (and may have been orange inside) but I'm sure the transparent poly casing that they shine through was blue.



I thought that must be the case (that a car not marked police wouldn't have police powers). As much as anything it was the blue light that made me wonder.

As a very interested party due to my profession (Owner/driver covering 40kpa) I think I see where your mistake may be. The traffic patrol/highways agency vehicles are civilian road sweepers with very limited powers and orange lights while the VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) vehicles which are virtually indistinguishable (apart from saying VOSA where the Traffic patrol stickers normally sit) do have blue lights and do have the powers to stop vehicles for inspection or if suspected of breaking the many rules that regulate commercial vehicle useage. You will often see them before weigh bridges on motorways looking for customers!!!

They are not police but have ever increasing powers.

 

[Blobcat]

On a side issue have you seen the number of governement agencies involved in roadside police stop checks these days. Police, Customs, Department of Work & Pensions, VOSA, and Immigration. At the last count.

 

[mlc]

Many members will remember that MrsC was involved in a motorway accident back in March. On that occassion the incident was attended by both traffic police and their new assistants. The police did all the work and were wonderful, the other bunch sat and watched. The real Police officers were clearly totally ****ed off by having to put up with the other bunch

Mark

 

[Scissorwoman]

Personally, I think the Traffic Officers are an excellent innovation. As a female (usually alone) who does junction 21 to 28 of the M1 twice daily, I find it reassuring that in the unlikely event my Merc does the dastardly deed and breaks down, that there's likely to be someone along who can help and who could potentially save me from being squished by some eejit who decides to use the hard shoulder as a fourth lane!

I see loads during my journey and if they can take the pressure off of what is an already stretched police force, then where's the problem?

As for whether or not they have police powers - if you ain't doing owt wrong, then you aint got nowt to worry about have you??????? :lol:

The way I see it, their role is to ensure that traffic flows as smoothly as possible and that any potential dangers posed by and to broken down or minor RTA's is minimised.

So thumbs up from me!!!

 

[Flying Scot]

On a side issue have you seen the number of governement agencies involved in roadside police stop checks these days. Police, Customs, Department of Work & Pensions, VOSA, and Immigration. At the last count.

well it is summer how else are they going to get skin cancer sadly (NOT) they will be missing the footy

 

[jberks]

Personally, I think the Traffic Officers are an excellent innovation. As a female (usually alone) who does junction 21 to 28 of the M1 twice daily, I find it reassuring that in the unlikely event my Merc does the dastardly deed and breaks down, that there's likely to be someone along who can help and who could potentially save me from being squished by some eejit who decides to use the hard shoulder as a fourth lane!

I see loads during my journey and if they can take the pressure off of what is an already stretched police force, then where's the problem?

As for whether or not they have police powers - if you ain't doing owt wrong, then you aint got nowt to worry about have you??????? :lol:

The way I see it, their role is to ensure that traffic flows as smoothly as possible and that any potential dangers posed by and to broken down or minor RTA's is minimised.

So thumbs up from me!!!

I'm inclined to agree. The quicker an official gets to a problem, the quicker it's likely to be resolved and the safer its going to be for everyone. There is no need to a copper with all their training and kit to attend to a breakdown or deal with a muppet who decides to have a picnic on the hard shoulder so a half copper is just fine. Came across a BMW last night, broken down in the outside lane of the M62. Too dangerous to stop as all the traffic funnelled round but at least with these guys around, I reckon someone wouldn't be too far behind.

What I find amusing is all the people who slow down when they see one of these guys. As far as I know they have no calibrated speedo, or the juristiction to deal with speeders. I guess they could alert a copper if they saw you, but you'd need to be doing dangerous speeds to be spotted and then probably deserve to be arrested.

 

[RichHammond]

Be careful, HATO's have amber lights and to my knowledge as yet have no Powers to display blue lights this includes when unlit. The vehicle you have described sounds like a Police Traffic patrol car. The only vehicles which can lawfully display blue lights are Police, Fire, Ambulance,Coasguard,Mountain rescue vehicles, this same legislation applies to Green lights for Doctors and Amber lights for Road maintenence/ Management etc. I agree with blobcat and I think we should keep our impartial traffic cops who have allegence to no one except the Crown and upholding the Law who can use descretion when required.

 

[Scissorwoman]

A quote from a Traffic Officer:-

“Traffic Officers help to manage the motorways, and are able to offer assistance in a number of different ways. We have some legal powers
to stop and direct traffic but do not have any enforcement powers, as we are not police officers."

So all you speeders and lane dodgers.....don't worry...they're not there to catch you but to help clear up the carnage that you leave behind you after your illegal actions have caused the accidents....!!!!!!

 

[mioba]

I thought that must be the case (that a car not marked police wouldn't have police powers). As much as anything it was the blue light that made me wonder.

What about all the unmarked police cars on the motorway nowadays

 

[jon_harley]

What about all the unmarked police cars on the motorway nowadays

I think they're a myth - I've never seen one

Traffic Officer cars aren't unmarked. From the back they look just like police.

 

[Myros]

just in case anyone got the wrong idea

I wasn't knocking HATOs, I think we need them, AND a large Traffic police presence on the roads these days. City centre driving is turning into some kind of spot-from-where-in-the-world-I-stole-this-stunt competition.
People launching off down the wrong side of the road past a queue of traffic to get to a right turning 500m ahead, or worse still, a left turn, when they can't see what's coming, overtaking on any side of the road you like, optional indicators, crossed indicators, perm any lane you like to turn whichever way you want.....I could go on, but we all see it everyday.
We could be witnessing the end of courtesous driving as we knew it.