What's the latest on HATO's?
Discussion
The ones who closed the road after the fatal RTA on London Road, Saffron Walden (the B4130? I forget)on Sunday afternoon were pretty professional, except that they f*cked off without telling us if we could go or not, and the Police more-or-less ignored us. We sat for an hour watching 2 HATOs, 3 fire engines, an ambulance and 4 Police cars sorting out the mess; I'd have turned round, but I had the TVR on a trailer (returning from the Debden Sprint) and doing a 3-point turn on a narrow road with a trailer is a bit beyond me.
I didn't see the accident, but many people were driving like utter knobs after the torrential rain we'd had for most of the day. AFAICS, it was a head-on between a Jag and a new Mini. The HATO told us it was a fatal.
I didn't see the accident, but many people were driving like utter knobs after the torrential rain we'd had for most of the day. AFAICS, it was a head-on between a Jag and a new Mini. The HATO told us it was a fatal.
zumbruk said:
The ones who closed the road after the fatal RTA on London Road, Saffron Walden (the B4130? I forget)on Sunday afternoon were pretty professional, except that they f*cked off without telling us if we could go or not, and the Police more-or-less ignored us. We sat for an hour watching 2 HATOs, 3 fire engines, an ambulance and 4 Police cars sorting out the mess; I'd have turned round, but I had the TVR on a trailer (returning from the Debden Sprint) and doing a 3-point turn on a narrow road with a trailer is a bit beyond me.
I didn't see the accident, but many people were driving like utter knobs after the torrential rain we'd had for most of the day. AFAICS, it was a head-on between a Jag and a new Mini. The HATO told us it was a fatal.
I didn't see the accident, but many people were driving like utter knobs after the torrential rain we'd had for most of the day. AFAICS, it was a head-on between a Jag and a new Mini. The HATO told us it was a fatal.
Are you sure they were HATO's, as only on the motorway network at the moment, (or on junction roundabout if asked by BiB for assistance) certainly not on B roads.
MrsMiggins said:
Ok. Here's a question. HATOs have all these powers. How is the public supposed to know? How do people know that the law says you have to stop if a HATO tells you to?
Public information film, anyone?
Public information film, anyone?
One of the things identified in the conference to discuss this clearly identified that a major risk area was public information and communicating change of responsibilities.
What has been done?
Some adverts above the urinals and hand dryers in motorway services toilets. Presumably something similar in the ladies?
Leaflets produced as follows.
Public Leaflet July 2003
Public leaflet July 2005
Newsletter Aug 2005 West Midlands
Similar Aug 2005 newsletters for
North East
North West
South East
South West
East
East Midlands
Now I have to say that apart from the previously mentioned adverts in the gents I have not seen anything else, the odd hoarding ad maybe, certainly not one of these leaflets and newsletters.
It seems to me that it is reasonable to consider that someone who finds and enters a site such as PH, registers and asks questions can be considered to be more interested in motoring mattters than the average person. The number of people who come on here and elsewhere and ask basic stuff about HATOs suggest that the communication message has totally failed for a significant % of the population, possibly in the mid 90%s?
The reason for this could be due to inadequacy in the communications or it could be deliberate.
Change by stealth? Dons tin foil helmet.
There's a cheaper easier way and that is to give them vehicles that look like police cars and even have clear lensed flashing lights, dress them up in clothes so that they look like policeman, give them white shirts and ties (hell may even throw in a cap) make no reference to HATO or VOSA on their vehicles or clothing just write "Traffic Officer" and then 99% of the public will think they are policeman and stop anyway, (along with panic braking on motorways for good measure)
Oh yes that's exactly what they have done
Oh yes that's exactly what they have done
gafferjim said:
zumbruk said:
The ones who closed the road after the fatal RTA on London Road, Saffron Walden (the B4130? I forget)on Sunday afternoon were pretty professional, except that they f*cked off without telling us if we could go or not, and the Police more-or-less ignored us. We sat for an hour watching 2 HATOs, 3 fire engines, an ambulance and 4 Police cars sorting out the mess; I'd have turned round, but I had the TVR on a trailer (returning from the Debden Sprint) and doing a 3-point turn on a narrow road with a trailer is a bit beyond me.
I didn't see the accident, but many people were driving like utter knobs after the torrential rain we'd had for most of the day. AFAICS, it was a head-on between a Jag and a new Mini. The HATO told us it was a fatal.
I didn't see the accident, but many people were driving like utter knobs after the torrential rain we'd had for most of the day. AFAICS, it was a head-on between a Jag and a new Mini. The HATO told us it was a fatal.
Are you sure they were HATO's, as only on the motorway network at the moment, (or on junction roundabout if asked by BiB for assistance) certainly not on B roads.
Absolutely certain. I was no more than 20 feet from their Battenburged Discovery 3, which said in large letters on the side of it "Traffic Officer", and I spent several minutes talking to him. He was *definitely* a HATO.
TPS said:
They can not pull you over for speeding etc but can radio this through to the police who may look out for you.
They can pull you over for 'not speeding' - the latest Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs newsletter mentions two instances of slow moving vehicles having been stopped by HATOs for causing congestion.
puffpuff said:
TPS said:
They can not pull you over for speeding etc but can radio this through to the police who may look out for you.
They can pull you over for 'not speeding' - the latest Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs newsletter mentions two instances of slow moving vehicles having been stopped by HATOs for causing congestion.
So speed kills congestion. Just one extra word and they got it right after all
zumbruk said:
gafferjim said:
zumbruk said:
The ones who closed the road after the fatal RTA on London Road, Saffron Walden (the B4130? I forget)on Sunday afternoon were pretty professional, except that they f*cked off without telling us if we could go or not, and the Police more-or-less ignored us. We sat for an hour watching 2 HATOs, 3 fire engines, an ambulance and 4 Police cars sorting out the mess; I'd have turned round, but I had the TVR on a trailer (returning from the Debden Sprint) and doing a 3-point turn on a narrow road with a trailer is a bit beyond me.
I didn't see the accident, but many people were driving like utter knobs after the torrential rain we'd had for most of the day. AFAICS, it was a head-on between a Jag and a new Mini. The HATO told us it was a fatal.
I didn't see the accident, but many people were driving like utter knobs after the torrential rain we'd had for most of the day. AFAICS, it was a head-on between a Jag and a new Mini. The HATO told us it was a fatal.
Are you sure they were HATO's, as only on the motorway network at the moment, (or on junction roundabout if asked by BiB for assistance) certainly not on B roads.
Absolutely certain. I was no more than 20 feet from their Battenburged Discovery 3, which said in large letters on the side of it "Traffic Officer", and I spent several minutes talking to him. He was *definitely* a HATO.
HA have no jurisdiction over B-roads, so it won't have been them that closed the road. Ergo, it wouldn't up have been up to them to tell you it was OK to go.
Flat in Fifth said:
One of the things identified in the conference...
O/T the ABD rep's input / feedback mentioned long delays due to road incidents not being cleared up quickly enough, but acknowledged the police requirement to investigate a possible scene of crime and that HA must take account of this...senior plod delegate replied that when there is a similar incident on the railways, the police are under constant and severe pressure from the operating authority to get the line open again due to possibility of service requirements not met / fines / complaints etc, but there was NO pressure from the HA when motorways were closed or flow was severely restricted..senior plod hoped that new technology would allow relevant evidence to be gathered much more quickly in the near future.
For info.
turbobloke said:
Different conference news - an ABD representative attended a Highways Agency conference in Birmingham yesterday. The HATO role is shortly to be rolled out to 'all purpose trunk roads', this is now being looked at and may happen soonish (they said) as motorways are now covered (they said).
ahem
Death by a thousand cuts.......
turbobloke said:
O/T the ABD rep's input / feedback mentioned long delays due to road incidents not being cleared up quickly enough,
This reminds me of an incident I saw on the M23 southbound the other day.
Circumstances were I was going northbound and suddenly became aware there was no southbound traffic. Shortly later slowed due to congestion, caused by people looking at the accident on the southbound carriageway. There was a 4x4 towing a trailer which had jacknifed, and the trailer had obviously turned over. On the trailer was some form of steel container.
There was a Police or HATO 4 X 4 in the middle lane of the motorway facing north (remember this was on the southboun carriageway) and the trailer was at 45 degrees to the vertical possibly even lying on the 4 X 4. The steel container load was still on the motorway. In the outside lane of the motorway there was an individual in a flourescent jacket lying on the motorway being giving first aid by other police/hato. I hope they were not badly injured.
My guess is that the police/hato had tried to right the trailer to clear the road, and something had gone wrong injuring one of them. If that is the case I hope that this incident is not used by Health & safety to argue that they cannot attempt to clear road blockages until specialist recovery equipment arrives as we'll all be going nowhere!
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