Not Police traffic officers but the one’s that rock around in 4x4’s, I think some of you call them ‘wombles’…
What powers do they have, can they pull you over?
I’ve not had a run in, was just curious
Q) What powers under the Traffic Management Act 2004 do Traffic Officers have?
The Highways Agency Traffic Officers have powers to:
Stop traffic and close roads, lanes and carriageways;
Direct and divert traffic;
Place and operate traffic signs;
Manage traffic and traffic surveys.
Failure to comply with a Highways Agency Traffic Officer’s directions or sign is an offence and could lead to:A fine of up to £1,000
Driving Licence endorsement; or
Disqualification.
Assaulting, willfully obstructing or impersonating a Traffic Officer is an offence and could lead to a fine of up to £5,000 or Imprisonment.
I’ve had three or four dealings with them and they have been helpful on every occasion.
Where have you been for the last 6 years?
On behalf of my colleagues, thanks Harry.
Dakota:
Not Police traffic officers but the one’s that rock around in 4x4’s, I think some of you call them ‘wombles’…What powers do they have, can they pull you over?
I’ve not had a run in, was just curious
no 
but, they can implement a rolling roadblock so that they can clear debris and other stuff from the carriageway
i saw one once. he was underground, or was it overground? no, no, no, can’t remember. but he was definatly wombling free. he appeared to be making good use of the things that he found.
Not quite correct shuttlespanker, they can ask you to pull over, but only for safety reasons to let you know that you’ve got a problem. NOT for any sort of enforcement.
It only happens very rarely, I can’t remember the last one, and when they do stop a driver, the ones that I’ve know about, the drivers have been very grateful to be informed of the problem.
limeyphil:
i saw one once. he was underground, or was it overground? no, no, no, can’t remember. but he was definatly wombling free. he appeared to be making good use of the things that he found.
That was a tinker.
Harry Monk:
I’ve had three or four dealings with them and they have been helpful on every occasion.
same as harry never had a problems always been helpful when i have broken down a couple of times, after all they are only doing their job keeping the traffic moving and keeping anyone fixing your truck safe from the other idiots on the road 
I applied to join, looks like a good number to me.
Thought I had some skills to offer too, st johns 1st aid training, hgv C+E, recovery experience, psv, people experience (although that’s hard to believe these days), knowledge of the road system etc…
Never even got an acknowledgement, except an email a year later saying that they’re putting recruitment on hold
■■■■ past them and give them a toot!
Broke down on the M4 with a snapped fan belt pulled on hard shoulder and within a few minutes they were behind me , gave me water to top the rad up advised me to creep along hard shoulder with them at my rear with their hazards on and to pull off at next Junct . These guys were more than helpfull .
Meathauler:
Broke down on the M4 with a snapped fan belt pulled on hard shoulder and within a few minutes they were behind me , gave me water to top the rad up advised me to creep along hard shoulder with them at my rear with their hazards on and to pull off at next Junct . These guys were more than helpfull .
they gave me 2 hours to get off the motorway when i broke down or they would orgainse a tow truck at my expense
Same as most of the other guys who have posted the 4/5 times I have been helped by Traffic Officer’s I’ve always found them helpful and courteous and had a laugh with a couple of them and that has been a consistent thing in different parts of the Country.
Regards
Dave Penn;
Always helpful and friendly; but to answer the poster’s query, assuming you mean in relation to speeding etc etc; they have no legal powers to issue tickets or penalties etc. They can request you to pull over, which you advised to comply with, if they spot a problem or fault with your vehicle which could lead to you or another vehicle having an accident etc
They are there to assist where required, keep the roads & users safe and keep the traffic flowing.
Muckaway:
limeyphil:
i saw one once. he was underground, or was it overground? no, no, no, can’t remember. but he was definatly wombling free. he appeared to be making good use of the things that he found.That was a tinker.
What’s a tinker ■■
peewee:
Meathauler:
Broke down on the M4 with a snapped fan belt pulled on hard shoulder and within a few minutes they were behind me , gave me water to top the rad up advised me to creep along hard shoulder with them at my rear with their hazards on and to pull off at next Junct . These guys were more than helpfull .they gave me 2 hours to get off the motorway when i broke down or they would orgainse a tow truck at my expense
You obviously weren’t near to an exit, or unable to make it to one. The 2 hour rule applies to everyone that breaks down on the motorway. It was brought in well before HATO’s were ever thought of. The problem was that various police forces had their own take on it. I believe the wording actually says something like “a reasonable time allowed” with 2 hours being the maximum. Some police forces used to have BDV’s recovered after 30 minutes (I kid you not!) the HA (with guidance from ACPO) said that they’d apply the 2 hour rule as standard throughout HA roads. There are some locations /or/ times were it doesn’t apply.
In the dark without lights but usually HATO will put cones and flashing beacons behind the vehicle instead, providing recovery is arranged.
Broken down in a dangerous position; This can include blind bends (sliproads etc) or in a live lane when the brakes have seized on and can’t be moved.
Vehicles that have been in an RTC and are so damaged would cause drivers to “rubber-kneck” or keep calling 999 with it if left for normal recovery to attend especially if that recovery would be a drawn out time.
If the driver of a vehicle involved in an RTC is taken to hospital and been unable to arrange their own recovery.
The other one is if stopped on a “Nodel point” These are predetermined locations that are noted as possible terrorist targets. (Think about large viaducts, motorway interchanges, places where if the c/way was blown up, it would be more than an inconvenience, more like impossible) At these locations the police 9/10 INSTRUCT use to have the vehicle removed after 30 minutes.
The proceedure say as soon as the 2 hours are up, the statutory organised HA recovery should be on scene to remove it, in practice, HATO will return to the vehicle after the 2 hours have expired, check on any progress with drivers own recovery and make a decision.
If you guys want to put pressure on your transport dept to get recovery to you, when you break down, call us on the SOS box with your details, we’ll call your boss/ Transport dept and inform them that they have 2 hours to attend, you’ll be surprised just how it focuses them into action, we don’t let up until we get confirmation that recovery has been organised and will get there in a reasonable time. we’ll also keep you, the driver updated.
As above, the few times i’ve had dealings with them, they have been courteous jovial and friendly, once established i had the situations under control and help on the way they simply left me to it.
No complaints from me.
Meathauler:
Broke down on the M4 with a snapped fan belt pulled on hard shoulder and within a few minutes they were behind me , gave me water to top the rad up advised me to creep along hard shoulder with them at my rear with their hazards on and to pull off at next Junct . These guys were more than helpfull .
This is a problem for us. None of these HATO’s are fitters.
I’ve been out to a horsebox, the lady pulled up because the wheels were making a funny noise. HATO’s checked it out and advised her to drive off the motorway (about 4 miles) and they’d follow her.
Front wheel bearing had collapsed, when I jacked it up the wheel literally fell off. It was dangerous for her to have driven it on when she knew it wasn’t right. She said she was reluctant to drive it but the HATO’s said if she didn’t they’d have it recovered and it’d cost her a fortune.
Same thing with a car overheating. The HATO’s had helpfully supplied some water, topped the rad up and followed the car off the motorway. Great, very helpful, except the reason it had over heated was because the waterpump bearing had collapsed. The water pump is driven by the timing belt. The timing belt came off on the sliproad and wrecked the engine. That cost the customer over a grand for the sake of a £30 pump.
Another where the oil pressure light came on the car so the guy pulled straight over on the hard shoulder. HATO’s checked the oil for him and there was plenty of oil in. They told him it was probably an electrical fault and to drive it to the services. He refused and got us to recover the car. Which is just as well. Yes, there was plenty of oil in it but the oil pump had failed, driving it on would have wrecked the engine.
Another customer, we got the job to recover the car home for him. Had a puncture, HATO’s tried to change his wheel for him (disabled guy). They rounded the locking wheel nut key off, making it nigh on impossible to get the wheel off.
Sure, these guys are just trying to be helpful and they’re always friendly, but if you’ve broken down FFS don’t try to drive it unless you’re sure what the problem is, and you know it won’t cause any further damage.
I think things will be changing towards a lot more stat removals peeps, stand by your wallets 
.
Have a look at the ‘statutory’ charges (someone may post the link up, I’m on moby) & get saving 