Highway Agency Traffic Officer (HATO)

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

We have another problem to contend with now with these wannabee coppers. Were they turned down for the AA so decided to become HATO.

On the A1M last week there is a great queue of traffic for no apparent reason, eventually someone realised this was not a copper and passed them.

This HATO was driving along at about 52 mph, who do they think they are? they are pretending to be policemen using motorway slip roads to park on, police perches and the hard shoulder.

I have seen 2 or 3 of them parked up behind a broken down car wondering why the traffic is so heavy at that point. Its because you have parked 2 or 3 four by fours on the hard shoulder. If they didnt do that the obstruction would only be a broken down car. If they want to help ease congestion, tie a ■■■■■■■ rope to the front of the car and tow it off the motorway.

Most of the congestion on the roads in Britain, isnt caused by accidents, its caused by cars with punctures, boiling radiators or a family of pakistanis praying on the hard shoulder that cause people to slow down and stare.

Driving standards are terrible because the only deterent is a HATO or a traffic camera which also cause queues because people driving 10mph under the speed limit still brake when they see a yellow box.

my rant is over, please continue

2

These people are otherwise known as “wombles”,as i see there quite good at picking rubbish up on the motorway.

3

Traffic police refer to them as “TIPPOS”…[zb]s impersinating proper police officers :smiley: :smiley:

4

If I was a proper copper I would do them all for that. or at least do them all for driving without due care and attention, parking on the hard shoulder for a chat and just been arses in general

5

Came down the M6 through Birmingham today. Came to the roadworks by spaghetti and two of the Hato’s 4x4’s were driving through the roadworks at 33 mph. They were obviously causing a hold up, as drivers didn’t want to overtake them as they thought the were police. I overtook them by the end of the roadworks just coming out of the 40mph section, they immediately then overtook me, then slowed straight back down to 50mph, causing me to brake and re-overtake them :imp: , what was the point. Who decided to give the vehicles livery virtually identical to police vehicles, and why do they need posh 4x4’s( Range Rover’s in Coventry area), surely they would be better of with crew cab vans to carry all the gear in. Just a tremondous waste of tax payers money having them in 40 grand 4x4’s.
Mind you I could be prejudiced as they gave me a telling of for stopping on a slip road at 3 am in the morning to answer the call of nature :laughing:

6

dean36014:
They were obviously causing a hold up, as drivers didn’t want to overtake them as they thought the were police.

No, the incompetent drivers who wouldn’t overtake them were causing a hold up.

Paul

7

dean36014:
Mind you I could be prejudiced as they gave me a telling of for stopping on a slip road at 3 am in the morning to answer the call of nature :laughing:

If you had not long passed a services or was one was less than say 3 miles away then they do have that right , however if there is none for miles what else do they expect you to do , do it in your pants ?
I,d have told them where to step off if there was no services for miles .

8

Same old ■■■■ again, havent we all seen this post before? :unamused:

On the A1M last week there is a great queue of traffic for no apparent reason, eventually someone realised this was not a copper and passed them.

That’s just idiot motorists. So you mean it would be ok for people to follow a police car at 52mph but not a HA vehicle? I overtake either of them unless they’re obviously not wanting you to.

This HATO was driving along at about 52 mph, who do they think they are? they are pretending to be policemen using motorway slip roads to park on, police perches and the hard shoulder.

I often drive along at less than the speed limit, nothing says i have to do 70 all the time!?
You forget the Highways agency do actually own the motorway network, so if they want to park on motorway slip roads in a safe manner then they’re pefectly entitled to. As for the police perches, again the HA own them and even put the signs up on them, so why shouldnt they use them? Perfect place if you ask me. I can’t remember the last time i actually saw a police car in one, most of them are overgrown.

I have seen 2 or 3 of them parked up behind a broken down car wondering why the traffic is so heavy at that point. Its because you have parked 2 or 3 four by fours on the hard shoulder

Nope because of ■■■■■ slowing down to have a look.

Really dont see why anyone has a problem with them. Although it’s just because people like moaning and the creation of HATO’s gave them something else to whinge about, along with things like Walkers putting their Cheese and Onion crisps in Blue packets, and supermarket trolleys with wobbly wheels.

9

I don’t have to much of a problem with them.

If they’re doing mundane & time consuming jobs that the traffic police used to do instead of investigating crime then thats ok by me.
Also you can’t blame them for dopey car drivers thinking they’re old bill.

One thing that puzzles me though is when they stop on the hard shoulder they turn their steering wheels towards the carrigeway. Surley they should be turned the oppisite way so if they get hit from behind they get shunted away from moving traffic.

10

dennisw1:
Walkers putting their Cheese and Onion crisps in Blue packets

Haven’t they allus been in blue packets then? What colour packets do you think Cheese & Onion flavour should be in then? Yellow (for cheese) ? If crisp packets were colour-coded according to their flavour then Salt & Vinegar should be in a white packet (for salt) but then what colour packet would you put Ready Salted in?

:confused:

11

whats wrong with cheese and onion in blue packets and salt and vinegar in green or are there some other brands of crisps out there :laughing: :wink:

pam

12

One thing that puzzles me though is when they stop on the hard shoulder they turn their steering wheels towards the carrigeway. Surley they should be turned the oppisite way so if they get hit from behind they get shunted away from moving traffic.

AA, RAC etc all do the same. I ‘think’ the idea is if it gets shunted it shoots out into the carriageway rather and onto the people in front. It would probably hit the bank and that would guide it into the car/people in front, or go up the bank and turn over rolling back down onto people. Also the motoring organisations recomend you wait up on the bank, so you dont want the AA Van, HA 4x4 etc heading up there. Anyone else have an idea?

Haven’t they allus been in blue packets then? What colour packets do you think Cheese & Onion flavour should be in then? Yellow (for cheese) ? If crisp packets were colour-coded according to their flavour then Salt & Vinegar should be in a white packet (for salt) but then what colour packet would you put Ready Salted in?

You’ll notice all the other makes Smiths, Golden Wonder etc (they all owned by walkers anyway) conventionaly have blue for salt and vinegar and green for C&O, same with the supermarket brands. Walkers for some reason did it the other way. Point is, who cares.

13

dennisw1:

Haven’t they allus been in blue packets then? What colour packets do you think Cheese & Onion flavour should be in then? Yellow (for cheese) ? If crisp packets were colour-coded according to their flavour then Salt & Vinegar should be in a white packet (for salt) but then what colour packet would you put Ready Salted in?

You’ll notice all the other makes Smiths, Golden Wonder etc (they all owned by walkers anyway) conventionaly have blue for salt and vinegar and green for C&O, same with the supermarket brands. Walkers for some reason did it the other way. Point is, who cares.

Maybe Walkers are right and everyone else has it wrong? Why should S&V be in a blue packet though? Why not a green one, or even a red one? Who dictates what flavour crisps go in which colour packets? Is there a crisp colour-coding law? Maybe TheCoder knows something about it?

14

We were taught from day one on the official AA training course when I was on recovery work if you go onto the motorway you park at least 3 car lengths behind and turn wheels to verge. In theory this should send your vehicle into the verge etc.etc. and not to hit you while you were working on the car.

This plan is all well and good but:

a: have never tested it and never really wanted too.

b: if you were getting tools/equipment out of nearside of van you would not feel a thing.

15

Thanks Wheel Nut and the rest of u on his planet…for reminding me why i have stayed away from this forum for so long…

I give in again :unamused: :unamused:

16

SuperSmiley:
Thanks Wheel Nut and the rest of u on his planet…for reminding me why i have stayed away from this forum for so long…

I give in again :unamused: :unamused:

OK. Tarra.

17

Right

Training I had was from the police as they came to do a talk to us about roadisde safety

They told us to park with the wheels facing the traffic because if you were to get hit from behind on the hard shoulder the van would be sent away from you instead of if the wheels were pointing to the verge because most of the motorway has some kind of crash barrier on the verge which would redirect the van into the back of the stranded vehicle

you could say what about the van being launched into the motorway but its all about self preservation, you look after number 1 and no one else, especially as some parts of the motorway the police put your life expectancy in minutes (less than 20 !!!)

Another reason the HA and plod park at 45 degrees to the verge is all about high visability, as the sides of the vehicles are reflective there is more suface area to be seen rather than just looking at the rear of a 4x4 you can see the rear and the side, (more vilid at night then in the day but its good practice)

My views on HATO’s are mixed as they have helped me sometimes when i need to work on the offside of a truck by closing a lane or just sitting behing me and watching my back, If they leave they make sure a motorway camera is fixed on me if anything should happen,

The reason they drive slowly is that they are looking for breakdowns etc on the hard shoulder and it is easier to stop quickly from 55 than 70,

However i have seen them close 2 of the 3 lanes because of an accident rather than just dragging the cars off the motorway,

the have 4x4’s because sometimes they may need to go off on to the verges and they do pull trucks around too, try doing that in a transit, (you will not get far)

Yes they look similar to plod but they do have HIGHWAYS AGENCY on the rear and sides of the cars, its down the the stupid drivers who wont overtake because they might be police

On the whole i think they are a good idea there are just a couple of bad eggs in the bunch which seem to spoil it for the ones who do a good job, I have seen a HATO crew changing wheels before so they do do something

18

jase:
These people are otherwise known as “wombles”,as i see there quite good at picking rubbish up on the motorway.

you beat me to it… :smiley:
I think jeremy clarkson called em that in one of his newspaper columns

19

Ambulance service training is to park fending towards traffic, ie at a bit of an angle and with the steering full lock to the right. Similar reasons to what Pete has stated makes the surface area of the vehicle larger etc etc.

If worse happens and you are shunted from the rear and your vehicle is pushed into the carriageway at least vehicles stand half a chance of trying to avoid it, and should your vehicle collide with another it might not cause serious injury, whereas if you are stood on the hard shoulder and it hits you it is pretty much lights out.

20

I think its about time you guys grew up, for starters so what if traffic slows down when someone is broken down on the hard shoulder, reduces the risk of injury or death to that person.

As for everything else, the government devised their job, so complain to them if you have a problem to it, all these officers are doing is making a living like the rest of us, and they are authorised to park where police park, where on earth else are they supposed to park when their job is based on motorways?

As for the 52 mph comment, the A1m is two lanes minimum, im not afraid to overtake anyone police or otherwise if its safe and within the speed limits, so really your complaint should be aimed at other drivers.

I get a bit fed up of us drivers bemoaning everyone else on the road, we dont own it and we cause inconvenience at times, but we all need to use it so just take a chill pill and get on with it.