Can i have thoughts on Hatos operating on A roads single lane and duel roads? Do you think roads will be cleared quicker after incidents or are the police doing just fine at the job?
Lighting mcqueen:
Can i have thoughts on Hatos operating on A roads single lane and duel roads? Do you think roads will be cleared quicker after incidents or are the police doing just fine at the job?
I suppose it would depend on what a HATO can do to clear the road quicker
A lot of the A road collisions involve injuries or fatalities so the police would have to be there anyway
Lighting mcqueen:
Can i have thoughts on Hatos operating on A roads single lane and duel roads? Do you think roads will be cleared quicker after incidents or are the police doing just fine at the job?
We’re already operating on trunk roads in my region, and a good job we’re doing 
Why do the plastic motor way cops ride around in £30,000+ 4x4s when a cheap transit van would do the same job, Its our money you know!!!
in nutshell not a lot 
why do they always drive round at 50mph 
extrucker:
HATOs cannot tow stranded vehicles off network as this is taking work away from recovery operators.Only in extreme circumstances.They can clear a vehicle to the h/s from the c/way but in some instances,this is not possible.EG: A broken down car in lane three stuck in park.By dragging to the h/s,we would cause more damage,which the HA would then be liable for.
What do hato’s actually do? So many times i’ve been stuck in 20 min traffic jam only to find a car broken down on hard shoulder with a hato sat behind it with lights flashing causing everyone to slow down for no reason.
dreva:
in nutshell not a lot
So if they come across something they can stop quicker
Mr B:
extrucker:
HATOs cannot tow stranded vehicles off network as this is taking work away from recovery operators.Only in extreme circumstances.They can clear a vehicle to the h/s from the c/way but in some instances,this is not possible.EG: A broken down car in lane three stuck in park.By dragging to the h/s,we would cause more damage,which the HA would then be liable for.What do hato’s actually do? So many times i’ve been stuck in 20 min traffic jam only to find a car broken down on hard shoulder with a hato sat behind it with lights flashing causing everyone to slow down for no reason.
Or could it be the idiot car and lorry drivers slowing to have a good look
Mr B,do you know if that car was broken down in lane three causing congestion before TOs arrived?
A lot of people comment without knowing the full facts.
Dafman:
dreva:
in nutshell not a lotSo if they come across something they can stop quicker
your not one of the idiots are you.its like them causing 7 mile tail back on a night so the other idiots the cone droppers can block 2 lanes off 
Ah the same old protagonist!
First of all, 4x4’s so that we can tow the cars with flat tyres, no steering etc to the hard shoulder, tow the stranded HGV (unloaded usually) to the H/S. The 4x4 has a tow capability of 3½ tons and more when you’re only towing at a couple of mph instead of 50mph. it also has the 4x4 traction.
The other things are visabilty, both from the vehicle, and the visable presence, don’t think a transit van with chevrons would give much authoritive “presence” as there are lots of recovery, repair, roadworks vans with similar markings already. The public need to be able to easily recognise that the Traffic Officers have the Authority to control the traffic.
Also the vehicles are on lease, and are basic models.
They’re on the H/S when you’ve been in that traffic jam, because they’ve just rescued that vehicle from the live lane, that would obviously need a rolling block for a few minutes until it’s safe on the self, then the other patrol would continue, leaving 1 patrol to make sure all OK for recovery etc.
Patrols dob’t stop behind broken down vehicles unless there’s a safety factor, or possibly a vunerable person in the vehicle. They check that recovery has been arranged, then continue to the next job.
Unless on the way to a live lane incident, they patrol at the speed of lane 1, usually the same as yourselves, but with a larger gap between themselves and the vehicle in front, this is so that they can spot vehicles on the H/S and be able to stop with them.
In the last few months, in our area alone we’ve come across a lady giving birth, a gent with a heart attack, a lady panicing through breaking down and on route for cancer treatment,a number of vehicles gone off the c/way, and not to mention the usual array of RTC’s etc.
The real Biffo:
Ah the same old protagonist!First of all, 4x4’s so that we can tow the cars with flat tyres, no steering etc to the hard shoulder, tow the stranded HGV (unloaded usually) to the H/S. The 4x4 has a tow capability of 3½ tons and more when you’re only towing at a couple of mph instead of 50mph. it also has the 4x4 traction.
The other things are visabilty, both from the vehicle, and the visable presence, don’t think a transit van with chevrons would give much authoritive “presence” as there are lots of recovery, repair, roadworks vans with similar markings already. The public need to be able to easily recognise that the Traffic Officers have the Authority to control the traffic.
Also the vehicles are on lease, and are basic models.They’re on the H/S when you’ve been in that traffic jam, because they’ve just rescued that vehicle from the live lane, that would obviously need a rolling block for a few minutes until it’s safe on the self, then the other patrol would continue, leaving 1 patrol to make sure all OK for recovery etc.
Patrols dob’t stop behind broken down vehicles unless there’s a safety factor, or possibly a vunerable person in the vehicle. They check that recovery has been arranged, then continue to the next job.Unless on the way to a live lane incident, they patrol at the speed of lane 1, usually the same as yourselves, but with a larger gap between themselves and the vehicle in front, this is so that they can spot vehicles on the H/S and be able to stop with them.
In the last few months, in our area alone we’ve come across a lady giving birth, a gent with a heart attack, a lady panicing through breaking down and on route for cancer treatment,a number of vehicles gone off the c/way, and not to mention the usual array of RTC’s etc.
why do you stop traffic so they can put cones out dont say we dont because i have seen it done 
We stop traffic to put cones out so it can be done safely so impatient truck drivers dont kill us.
we would be a lot more patient if you dicks didnt have us sat for 20 minutes for no reason plastic coppers 
how do you want them to do it then■■?
run backwards and forwards through live traffic■■?
If you mean a live lane incident, usually they’ll stop traffic get some cones out, then put the patrol car just inside the cones with the lights on. but behind whatever they are protecting.
If you mean roadworks, again, how the hell are the roadworks crews supposed to get all those cones for a 300 yd taper (1 lane) plus lights, plus large “keep left” signs etc. without stopping the traffic??
fly them in■■?
The HATO will often put a RRB on and take the traffic slowely towards the coning crew, once they’ve got the taper in place, and are starting to cone “down the straight bit” the traffic officer will then take the traffic past them.
the HATO tries to plan it so that traffic doesn’t actually come to a stop, the problem arises when you’ve got “The precision coning crew” on the job (and we have a couple just like that in the NW!!) they take for ever to get that taper on, so both you and the HATO’s are sat there until they’ve done it. We have made complaints about it to the bosses.
dreva:
why do you stop traffic so they can put cones out dont say we dont because i have seen it done
Because the safety of the crew laying the cones is paramount, normally it’s done at night when traffic is lighter, and because traffic is lighter, it tends to be faster. By slowing the traffic, it enables the crew to put the cones out or change the layout without traffic piling into them at high speed.
thats nice to hear so its the brain dead coners then
I always close lanes for 20 mins for no reason !!.Its because of ignorant idiots like you that we have so many safety procedures.
How many face to face dealings have you had with traffic officers to base your opinion on?
The Highway Man:
dreva:
why do you stop traffic so they can put cones out dont say we dont because i have seen it done
Because the safety of the crew laying the cones is paramount
dont make me laugh the same divs that run across 3 lanes of motorway with a sign over there head 
So, in reply to the original question (I think). What do I think of HATO’s.
Well, given the option of having a HATO vehicle parked benind a casualty vehicle on the hard shoulder or in a live lane while I go through the process of recovering it, or just trusting my beacons (which although sit at nearly 13ft tall are invisible when I’m trying to hook one of those pesky high cube twin decks) and my trusty road cones which get run over from time to time, I would rather like to minimise the risks involved in my job.
So, to Hato or not to Hato that is the question. The answer has to be in favour of the patrols.
There are lots of driving issues that cause road chaos and I’m sure we have all moaned at the recovery driver,tyre fitter, grass cutter, ambulance, fire engine,police car, air ambulance for making us get home late or run out of hours and not get home at all, but really it is a safety issue as far as I’m concerned and that has to take precedence over everything else.
I’m always pleased to see a patrol on any job I turn out to. Just gives me a bit more of a chance.