Traffic Officer 4x4s
Discussion
I've recently seen a lot of these going up and down the M5 between Bristol and Gloucester. Most drivers treat them as police cars and overtake them at circa 72 while the TOs are doing 69. They have orange chevrons on the back.
What are they? Police? SCPs? road works crews?
I've seen two or three every day for a few weeks now.
Curious.
Edited to add-
I saw one of these with twinkling lights on J14 bridge yesterday. Possible mobile SCP site?
What are they? Police? SCPs? road works crews?
I've seen two or three every day for a few weeks now.
Curious.
Edited to add-
I saw one of these with twinkling lights on J14 bridge yesterday. Possible mobile SCP site?
Edited by cymtriks on Friday 23 June 12:42
They are there to help with breakdowns, accidents / traffic flow.
They are not allowed to break the speed limit so must drive at 70mph.
They have been introduced onto the M3 too this week. To free up warrent card holding officers for other duties.
They donot have blue lights, just orange and red ones. They also cannot arrest you.
They are not allowed to break the speed limit so must drive at 70mph.
They have been introduced onto the M3 too this week. To free up warrent card holding officers for other duties.
They donot have blue lights, just orange and red ones. They also cannot arrest you.
They're highways agency traffic patrols. As has been mentioned, they're there to assist in the free and safe running of the motorways. So if you're broken down on the hard shoulder, you're likely to get one parked behind you with the lights flashing to be of assistance etc.
What worries me, is when our wonderful Labour Government decide that to make this service pay for itself, they're going to transfer speed enforcement duties to them as well. Don't think it would happen? What about the civilians who now man mobile scameras?
What worries me, is when our wonderful Labour Government decide that to make this service pay for itself, they're going to transfer speed enforcement duties to them as well. Don't think it would happen? What about the civilians who now man mobile scameras?
Edited by 10 Pence Short on Friday 23 June 12:56
They do, however, and for some reason beyond me, tend to sit in the police observation platforms during the morning rush hour, pretending to be plod. Much to the alarm of the passing traffic who, on seeing the vehicle revealed from behind the customary bush obscuring the platform, tend to nail the brakes and cause a tailback. Which is nice.
10 Pence Short said:
What worries me, is when our wonderful Labour Government decide that to make this service pay for itself, they're going to transfer speed enforcement duties to them as well. Don't think it would happen? What about the civilians who now man mobile scameras?
I have no doubt it will happen
jasandjules said:
deva link said:
jvaughan said:
They also cannot arrest you.
Anyone can arrest you.
Only if you have committed or they have reasonable grounds to believe you have committed an offence which is imprisonable for 5 years or more.
In time-served terms, that doesn't leave very much...
They can also issue fixed on-the-spot fines for things like speeding. If the offence is serious enough they can pass forward evidence for further investigation, but in reality they are there to keep the flow of traffic moving and make sure that there is a visible deterent for obsessive speeders.
Personally they actually seem to have an effect. They have been on the M4 for a while now and I see them mainly at the side of the motorway helping people. Ok, they are restricted to what they can do. But they do the whole positioning to protect and ensuring breakdown respons thing - which has got to be a good thing. Additionally I have seen the aiding in traffic incidents - albeit not directly but again aiding in cone deployment etc. The idea is to free the real Traffic Cops to do their bit. The RA vehicles do the general stuff while the Police concentrate on the serious stuff - obviously the RA vehicles are cheaper to run.
So for what I have seen they actually do something and maybe we should wait and see if its as crap as some seem to think they are.....
Personally they actually seem to have an effect. They have been on the M4 for a while now and I see them mainly at the side of the motorway helping people. Ok, they are restricted to what they can do. But they do the whole positioning to protect and ensuring breakdown respons thing - which has got to be a good thing. Additionally I have seen the aiding in traffic incidents - albeit not directly but again aiding in cone deployment etc. The idea is to free the real Traffic Cops to do their bit. The RA vehicles do the general stuff while the Police concentrate on the serious stuff - obviously the RA vehicles are cheaper to run.
So for what I have seen they actually do something and maybe we should wait and see if its as crap as some seem to think they are.....
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