Police backing up traffic on the motorway ... why?
Discussion
I often see this - driving down the motorway (lastime was M3 on Thursday) I noticed a police car backing up all the traffic up so as to make the section ahead free of cars.
What's all this about?! Surely there's no one THAT important that warrents a 5 mile traffic jam behind them?
And what if people ignored the police car and just carried on their way - what could the police do?
Curious, of Surrey.
What's all this about?! Surely there's no one THAT important that warrents a 5 mile traffic jam behind them?
And what if people ignored the police car and just carried on their way - what could the police do?
Curious, of Surrey.
The first time icame across this was in the States.
I was just about to drive over the Bay Bridge into SF one glorious morning when the traffic in my lane slowed down, I nipped left and that traffic slowed down so i nipped left again and the realised that i was approaching a cop car in my right hand lane and another one was about to block my lane off. I did not want to be held up so i floored the loud pedal on my RX7 Got out of the jam before they closed the door.
They just let me go, but I was the only car out on the Bridge, it was really strange experience, i started to worry that they knew something I didn't and the bridge was about to collapse or something!
I was just about to drive over the Bay Bridge into SF one glorious morning when the traffic in my lane slowed down, I nipped left and that traffic slowed down so i nipped left again and the realised that i was approaching a cop car in my right hand lane and another one was about to block my lane off. I did not want to be held up so i floored the loud pedal on my RX7 Got out of the jam before they closed the door.
They just let me go, but I was the only car out on the Bridge, it was really strange experience, i started to worry that they knew something I didn't and the bridge was about to collapse or something!
Er indoors got run off the road a while back and ended up stranded in the fast lane median unable to move.
Fortunately there was a police car about 500 yards back who saw the incident, they held up traffic briefly, dragged her out and sent her on her way shaken but fine.
Theres usually a perfectly valid reason even if you cant see it at the time.
Fortunately there was a police car about 500 yards back who saw the incident, they held up traffic briefly, dragged her out and sent her on her way shaken but fine.
Theres usually a perfectly valid reason even if you cant see it at the time.
keithyboy said:
I think they call it a "rolling road block". Used to temporarily clear the road ahead for whatever reason. I'm sure one of our BiB will confirm?
I encountered a rolling road block one day last summer on the A1(M) southbound, just north of Wetherby. The traffic was being held back by a couple of marked police cars, and I was following about 50 yards from the front of the queue. Suddenly a white Peugeot 406 whizzed past us on the hard shoulder, hotly pursued by another marked Trafpol car. I reckon it was a police driver training exercise.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
Here`s a scenario for you....If a Rigid truck blows a back axle or loses a wheel on the motorway, the only way to recover it is by picking up the raer end. We would call for a rolling block to shut the road while we turned the wrecker round to pick it up and then again to drive off.
I have also had road blocks while picking cars out of the central res. It`s inconvenient for you I`d agree, but far less than closing the road.
Steve
I have also had road blocks while picking cars out of the central res. It`s inconvenient for you I`d agree, but far less than closing the road.
Steve
I had a front propshaft fall off my Discovery on the M25 once, I phoned the BiB and they did a rolling road block to recover it. Better than it being kicked up by someones tyres and going through a windscreen or worse.
I didn't hang about to claim it back.
How did that get undone, in the first place. colud have been nasty if axle end pitched into road as youre going along.
I didn't hang about to claim it back.
How did that get undone, in the first place. colud have been nasty if axle end pitched into road as youre going along.
TripleS said:
I think they call it a "rolling road block". Used to temporarily clear the road ahead for whatever reason. I'm sure one of our BiB will confirm?
I encountered a rolling road block one day last summer on the A1(M) southbound, just north of Wetherby. The traffic was being held back by a couple of marked police cars, and I was following about 50 yards from the front of the queue. Suddenly a white Peugeot 406 whizzed past us on the hard shoulder, hotly pursued by another marked Trafpol car. I reckon it was a police driver training exercise.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
I very much doubt it
We are not allowed to do that sort of training on public roads!
No control room supervisor would sanction a rolling road block for a training excercise. Their pension may be at stake
gone said:
I very much doubt it
We are not allowed to do that sort of training on public roads!
No control room supervisor would sanction a rolling road block for a training excercise. Their pension may be at stake
Ah, but it still can inconvenience motorists:
www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/131/131409_six_car_crash_in_police_training_bungle.html
Gareth
gone said:
I very much doubt it
We are not allowed to do that sort of training on public roads!
No control room supervisor would sanction a rolling road block for a training excercise. Their pension may be at stake
Maybe not a rolling roadblock but plenty of training and TPACS (sic) are done on public roads by police "learning" in a real uncontrolled environment.
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