Advice sought...
Discussion
Two or three times in the last few months, while driving up and down the A2/M25/M3/M27/A31 route from Kent to Bournemouth for work, I've spotted either broken down vehicles or debris in the live carriageway.
On each occasion I've dialled 999 (hands-free, natch) and gone through to Plod to report the obstruction (technically I should have stopped at the next emergency phone, but I take the view that vehicle_on_hard_shoulder=sh!t_magnet) but is this the right course of action? Should I phone Highways instead, to save blocking up a 999 line?
Replies gratefully received, sensible ones even more so
On each occasion I've dialled 999 (hands-free, natch) and gone through to Plod to report the obstruction (technically I should have stopped at the next emergency phone, but I take the view that vehicle_on_hard_shoulder=sh!t_magnet) but is this the right course of action? Should I phone Highways instead, to save blocking up a 999 line?
Replies gratefully received, sensible ones even more so
I would say that you are correct in dialing 999 as a vehicle/debris in a live lane are a potential serious accident waiting to happen.
Informing the Police by 999 should enable the motorway control room to immediately put up a warning on any matrix signs/variable message boards that are on the approach to the danger and enable the quick dispatch of a Police vehicle to sort the problem out. I believe that a vehicle/debris in a live lane would be treated as a "blues and twos" situation due to the potential danger involved.
If you phoned the highway authority I would expect that due to the immediate danger involved they would either tell you to phone the information through to the police on 999 or immediately pass the information onto the Police themselves.
In addition I would think that if the Police thought you were using the 999 system inappropriately in using it to report a vehicle/debris in a live lane they would have told you so and would have advised you to phone the Highways Agency in future.
( I stand to be corrected on the above by a BIB or someone that knows what they are talking about!! )
Informing the Police by 999 should enable the motorway control room to immediately put up a warning on any matrix signs/variable message boards that are on the approach to the danger and enable the quick dispatch of a Police vehicle to sort the problem out. I believe that a vehicle/debris in a live lane would be treated as a "blues and twos" situation due to the potential danger involved.
If you phoned the highway authority I would expect that due to the immediate danger involved they would either tell you to phone the information through to the police on 999 or immediately pass the information onto the Police themselves.
In addition I would think that if the Police thought you were using the 999 system inappropriately in using it to report a vehicle/debris in a live lane they would have told you so and would have advised you to phone the Highways Agency in future.
( I stand to be corrected on the above by a BIB or someone that knows what they are talking about!!
)911 Turbo said:
I would say that you are correct in dialing 999 as a vehicle/debris in a live lane are a potential serious accident waiting to happen.
As would I.We regularly get people call 999 to report debris in the carrigeway and I have never once heard anyone be criticised for calling it in. They will be graded at immediate response jobs too.
I may be just a brick in the road but to that motorcyclist it's a painful death.
Best bet, pick up the next orange phone. Unless you understand what marker posts are and can read them, use the orange SOS box.
Reasons why;
Call only take 30 seconds "Yes, car in Lane 3 about 800 meters before this box, one vehicle yes, looked like a crash, yeah ambulance probably needed, confirm the box number (reads box) 9123A. Cheers bye.
Call get to those who set the signals first, not through 999, police dispatch desk, waits 20 minutes because of an ongoing pub fight, passed to Highways Agency.
Better than 999 operators as most (in their defence not trained) don't understand motorways and often just pass the call on as M6 North past Keele service (34 miles just past Keele mind you)
HA operators are trained to gather all the required info
Your call is pin-pointed exactly, whereas your mobile phone isn't and by the time you are asked for your location you could have passed 3 junctions and thus give the wrong location (you might not though). That number on the box refers to the motorway (9=M60) and it is 12.3K from the datum point on the Alpha (clockwise) carriageway. The police and HA know exactly on the map where 12.3 is and know that they can access it from a certain junction. Signals can also be set more accurately instead of "blanket" signals for 3/4 miles.
Batteries and signal don't go on the SOS boxes
Reasons why;
Call only take 30 seconds "Yes, car in Lane 3 about 800 meters before this box, one vehicle yes, looked like a crash, yeah ambulance probably needed, confirm the box number (reads box) 9123A. Cheers bye.
Call get to those who set the signals first, not through 999, police dispatch desk, waits 20 minutes because of an ongoing pub fight, passed to Highways Agency.
Better than 999 operators as most (in their defence not trained) don't understand motorways and often just pass the call on as M6 North past Keele service (34 miles just past Keele mind you)
HA operators are trained to gather all the required info
Your call is pin-pointed exactly, whereas your mobile phone isn't and by the time you are asked for your location you could have passed 3 junctions and thus give the wrong location (you might not though). That number on the box refers to the motorway (9=M60) and it is 12.3K from the datum point on the Alpha (clockwise) carriageway. The police and HA know exactly on the map where 12.3 is and know that they can access it from a certain junction. Signals can also be set more accurately instead of "blanket" signals for 3/4 miles.
Batteries and signal don't go on the SOS boxes
Edited by Sgt Bilko on Saturday 24th November 19:00
only time i've seen dangerous stuff in the road i just stopped at the toll booth & told the woman there. but then the exhaust box i saw & almost hit while filtering was about 3/4 of the way over the QE2 bridge.
id say 999 is correct for that as well, good points about the emergancy fones though.
id say 999 is correct for that as well, good points about the emergancy fones though.
Hooli said:
only time i've seen dangerous stuff in the road i just stopped at the toll booth & told the woman there. but then the exhaust box i saw & almost hit while filtering was about 3/4 of the way over the QE2 bridge.
id say 999 is correct for that as well, good points about the emergancy fones though.
As mention above those orange phones at the road side is the way to go.id say 999 is correct for that as well, good points about the emergancy fones though.
plus the guy on the other end of phone can see you and or the problem on camera. Well he did I when I needed to phone something through.
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