Highways Agency Vehicles views??

[stickyr6]

Was just wondering what are your views on the Highways agency vehs that patrol the motorways?

Have any of you dealt with them? good or bad?

Think there needed?

Questions you want to know about them?

I work for the highways agency but im not one of them, i wont stick up for them, just generally intrested in what everyone thinks!!

[fatboy b]

My experience of them is wannabe policemen. They haven't got the authority, but put them in a uniform, and they think they have. Over cautious in closing roads for minor incidents. If the incident is serious enough, the police will be there. If they're not, don't close the road.

So IMO they're another product of our nanny-state.

ETA:
I see no reason for the police forces in this country to be diluted by HATOs. If the HA have the funding for these types of people & vehicle, then why not just divert the funding to the police force, and have a single body to deal with all incidents on the roads. All we have now is confusion about their authority & responsibility (and purpose I guess).

Edited by fatboy b on Wednesday 30th June 07:23

[t11ner]

The answer to that is simple enough - it's much cheaper to run HATOs than coppers and 90% of what coppers were previously doing could be done by HATOs.

Given that they are already talking about budget and staffing cuts in the police force, more of this kind of thing is inevitable I would think.

[stickyr6]

Fair point, alot of them are ex coppers, usualy out of retirement so its hard to shake off 30yrs of policing, but there is a few that 'think' they are police or want to be.

The government wanted more police on the streets so that freed alot of them off the motorway and hatos are cheaper, but like you said, police only go to injury RTC's or anything 'juicy'!!

H.A.T.O's are pretty much the dogs bodies, doing all the stuff the police hate and moan about.

[fatboy b]

If HATOs are 90% of the cost of a copper, then why not make the police motorway patrols part of the qualification/training process, and put "Police" on the cars rather than "Highways Agency". That way you can pay them a lower wage, and they know that they will move out of motorway patrolling to become a real copper at some point.

[Strawman]

t11ner said:

it's much cheaper to run HATOs than coppers and 90% of what coppers were previously doing could be done by HATOs.

fatboy b said:

If HATOs are 90% of the cost of a copper, then why not make the police motorway patrols part of the qualification/training process,

Be interesting to know what the difference in cost per hour of a manned cop car versus a manned Hato is.

Edited by Strawman on Wednesday 30th June 07:50

[Busa_Rush]

This has been discussed many times . . . for the cost we should have police not hato or pcso.

[t11ner]

[redacted]

[stickyr6]

That way your just getting a conyeyor belt of people that dont want to be there,
HATO's arn't police, will never be police or have the powers, they are a whole different devision,
Like the ISU guys that litter pick and enforce closures with there bigger cones and crash cusion vehs, They all have there roles to keep the traffic flowing but if the polce are needed they will be called.
The police manage to do more operations, concerntrating on speeding, mobiles or drink driving and reacting to there ANPRS dotted around the network.
They dont have to stop at every breakdown they see,
so they get to give out more tickets, which mean more fines which means more money!!

[Scuffers]

t11ner said:

The answer to that is simple enough - it's much cheaper to run HATOs than coppers and 90% of what coppers were previously doing could be done by HATOs.

Given that they are already talking about budget and staffing cuts in the police force, more of this kind of thing is inevitable I would think.

if you want to save money, just cut all the choppers out, you any idea how much they cost to buy and run?

and what do they get used for? you only have to watch 'Police Interceptors' to see what a total waste of resources they are (along with their powerful Scoobies/Evo's etc)

[Snoop Bagg]

I'd rather see police than the highways agency, effectively we pay them to drive round with a few cones in the back of their cars and some emergency elastoplast, wipes, and eye wash and a few flashing light thingies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZood5m2D1g

The arguements for the HATO are that they deal with accidents, fatalities, and breakdowns.

Well they can't actually deal with emergencies other than direct the traffic by putting cones out unless you need a plaster. Besides if I had a proper accident I'd want the emergency services dealing with me and not some HATO called Keith with some eyewash.

Should you unfortunately die at the scene of an accident they can at least put cones out and divert the traffic and brush up whilst the real emergency services deal with things.

In modern times I think around 80-90% of people have their own breakdown cover anyway and if I had kids and a wife I'd get the best cover for them just in case.

The worst thing is that these people are sub contractors anyway rather than any kind of official body!

[stickyr6]

[redacted]

[stickyr6]

Snoop Bagg said:

I'd rather see police than the highways agency, effectively we pay them to drive round with a few cones in the back of their cars and some emergency elastoplast, wipes, and eye wash and a few flashing light thingies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZood5m2D1g

The arguements for the HATO are that they deal with accidents, fatalities, and breakdowns.

Well they can't actually deal with emergencies other than direct the traffic by putting cones out unless you need a plaster. Besides if I had a proper accident I'd want the emergency services dealing with me and not some HATO called Keith with some eyewash.

Should you unfortunately die at the scene of an accident they can at least put cones out and divert the traffic and brush up whilst the real emergency services deal with things.

In modern times I think around 80-90% of people have their own breakdown cover anyway and if I had kids and a wife I'd get the best cover for them just in case.

The worst thing is that these people are sub contractors anyway rather than any kind of official body!

"In modern times I think around 80-90% of people have their own breakdown cover anyway and if I had kids and a wife I'd get the best cover for them just in case"


Thats where i come in, im the guy on the other end of the S.O.S/E.R.T box, i wish that 90% of people had cover, its more like 20%, in an average 8hr shift in the North West alone you can deal with upto 200 breakdowns, some that use the boxes, some that the hato's come across,
Going back to coning out behind emergancy services, if you were trapped and in serious need of assistance, wouldnt you want all the emergancy service people to be on you rather than setting out cones, i know i would!

And there not sub contractors, they work for the civil service and government like coppers, ISU and motorways maintance are!

What happens if your stuck in lane 3 with your kids in the back, Would you not want the HATO to do a Rolling block for you so you can get onto the h/s? What about a lone female in the dark in the night, HATO's have the time to sit there and offer support, police dont stop,
You've over heated and just need water but you dont have recovery, cost of a firm coming out? £200 plus! Hato to give you some water to get you on your way, free, police wont!
Again, no recovery, 200yrds from a junction, if its safe, hato will tow you off, police wont! Until you've been on the h/s for what ever reason you wont realise what its like and what you think you might need, 9/10 a hato will sort it!!

Edited by stickyr6 on Wednesday 30th June 08:12

Edited by stickyr6 on Wednesday 30th June 08:16

Edited by stickyr6 on Wednesday 30th June 08:26

[eybic]

It makes me laugh when people say all they do is this or all they do is that. That is exactly why they are there, if they didn't do those stty little jobs then they would be left to the emergency svcs to do which means response times would be slower. Their vehicles look like police cars as funninly enough they need to be visible which means they have fluroescent stickers all over the place.

If they didn't close roads for accidents and someone was killed as a result of someone "bottle-necking" they would get no end of grief for not closing the road I'm sure.

[stickyr6]

[redacted]

[fatboy b]

[redacted]

[stickyr6]

[redacted]

[A205GTI]

I have seen them close off lane one of a motorway and await a breakdown vehicle to change a tyre!! surely they should be allowed/able to do this themselves to help the driver on his way. But I guess they are told not to incase there is any comeback!!

Also why drive big thirsty 4x4's they were the jackets all the time which means the air con is on all the time.

Seen as they never go over 65mph surely a frugal estate car would be better?

But 22k to sit on my ass doing nothing I can see why they do it!

[fatboy b]

stickyr6 said:

.... no one said they have, need or want authority!

That may be clear for you and me, but a large % of motorists see them as the authority, and treat them (incorrectly) as such. The HATOs know that, and cause havoc by driving at 65 mph, as has already been mentioned.

[eybic]

fatboy b said:

stickyr6 said:

.... no one said they have, need or want authority!

That may be clear for you and me, but a large % of motorists see them as the authority, and treat them (incorrectly) as such. The HATOs know that, and cause havoc by driving at 65 mph, as has already been mentioned.

Also as has already been said is its not them that slam on the brakes and panic, it's ill educated motorists. A bit of an extreme example but it's like saying a black man encouranges racism because he is black.