Early hours of Sunday, M25, pulling a full load of spirits from a bonded warehouse. Went past a VOSA car on the hard shoulder and watched it start up and pull in front of me … thankfully he pulled in a Polish lorry in front of me.
Question is, what would you do if the VOSA car started flashing ‘follow me’ in front of you when you had a load like I had?
Personally, I wouldn’t have stopped, on the off chance it wasn’t a genuine VOSA vehicle, so it would have to be an immediate phone call … but who to?
999 would be my call, explaining what you were carrying and what had happened
A few companies I have worked for issued drivers with laminated A4 cards, that on the front say something like ‘High Value load on board, I will not open the vehicle but will follow you to the nearest police station’, and on the back have instructions to the driver on what to do, agreed with the police (it was a national number to call IIRC, so the details of the stopping vehicle could be given and checked). The idea is that if pulled, the driver shows the card through the window but stays safely locked in the cab. If they’re ne’er do wells then they’ll still get the load, but the driver is safe enough.
Seems a simple but good idea to me.
If I’m right (which I’m not usually) you don’t have to stop but can drive to the nearest police station and there’s nothing they can do in regards to fines and the like…
Forget the police station.
1 ring 3 nines and explained give details of the v.ehicle stopping you and location ask for response.
2. You can go to ANY CROWN PROPERTY ie military camp instalation.
- If you do stop don’t open any doors and explain the reasons.
Being a bonded load has no bearing on the case it’s just deemed hi risk hi value.
I have 2 cards issued by my company for this purpose if vosa or police stop me, one says I am carrying high value load and I’m instructed not to open my door until the details have been checked. The other card is for when I’m carrying ADR loads, the card says I’m carrying a high risk load, I contact my office and the officer will contact his station who contact my office too who verify his details that it’s a genuine stop. The cards I have, have vosa and acpos on the card, and iinstructions for me on the rear.
Not had to use them yet!
Would not sstop ring 999 explaine what happens show themm the card you should have and what ever you do dont open the door until you are at a safe area which is a secure place if you have to stop
Most of us are smart enough to know if it’s genuine or not and likely to know where the actual checkpoint/inspection station is.
Can’t see any problem stopping for them unless they don’t look/feel right or are leading to somewhere other than where you know there is a checkpoint.
The problem with heading towards a police station is A. You might not know where the nearest one is and B. Most are not manned for the general public to access nowadays.
If it did look/feel like a moody stop then on the phone 999 and if possible find a very public place to stop (I. E motorway service station)
A non genuine VOSA vehicle? It’d be pretty hard, time consuming and expensive for someone to replicate all that!
And please don’t dial 999 for god sake. That’s for emergencies. Life or death.
Call 101 instead, your call will still get dealt with but it frees up 999 operators to deal with real issues.
Nicked vehicle, bit of plastic wrap an a flashing light ■■? I think a truck load of hooch would worth a lot more than that, least it was last time I did it lol.
You can’t just buy Diamond Grade battenburg livery and slap it on a vehicle!
Anyone who in this day and age thinks there is such a thing as a fake vosa car is nuts!
stagedriver:
You can’t just buy Diamond Grade battenburg livery and slap it on a vehicle!Anyone who in this day and age thinks there is such a thing as a fake vosa car is nuts!
Really 
stagedriver:
A non genuine VOSA vehicle? It’d be pretty hard, time consuming and expensive for someone to replicate all that!And please don’t dial 999 for god sake. That’s for emergencies. Life or death.
Call 101 instead, your call will still get dealt with but it frees up 999 operators to deal with real issues.
It’s already been done ,iam sure it was on TV about it ,you only need buy a ex vosa car and tart it up again .
stagedriver:
Call 101 instead, your call will still get dealt with but it frees up 999 operators to deal with real issues.
While I agree with the don’t dial 999 unless in emergency, there has been times when it’s taken over 30 minutes to get a response by calling 101.
advice we got givin by the police on this subject was don’t stop unless it places you and other road users in danger, call 999 telling the operator that you require police, give them the place you are, the road number, direction of travel, number plate and type of car and colour if possible that is trying too stop you. they will be able too confirm if the vehicle is legit or fake
des-c:
I have 2 cards issued by my company for this purpose if vosa or police stop me, one says I am carrying high value load and I’m instructed not to open my door until the details have been checked. The other card is for when I’m carrying ADR loads, the card says I’m carrying a high risk load, I contact my office and the officer will contact his station who contact my office too who verify his details that it’s a genuine stop. The cards I have, have vosa and acpos on the card, and iinstructions for me on the rear.Not had to use them yet!
I have one of these, basically says, Bog off until I get you verified, then you can follow me to the hub or a manned police station & I’m not opening up before
It states something like 'Due to the type of Load carried…
'please let me have your number, force & station…
Issued in accordance with ACPO policy
Drivers, Please Ring 999, don’t mess about with 101,
nick2008:
Forget the police station.
1 ring 3 nines and explained give details of the v.ehicle stopping you and location ask for response.
2. You can go to ANY CROWN PROPERTY ie military camp instalation.
- If you do stop don’t open any doors and explain the reasons.
Being a bonded load has no bearing on the case it’s just deemed hi risk hi value.
You sure on this? I’d have thought an unexpected truck with a police- esque type vehicle flashing away behind it swinging into an army camp in these days of heightened vigilance would certainly raise an eyebrow ( or even rifle ) from the sentry 
I wouldn’t fancy it!
I would ring 999 its my life but vosa are quite intelligent and whe i have a bonded load leave me alone as some drivers on here will verify the seal gives it away
bazza123:
nick2008:
Forget the police station.
1 ring 3 nines and explained give details of the v.ehicle stopping you and location ask for response.
2. You can go to ANY CROWN PROPERTY ie military camp instalation.
- If you do stop don’t open any doors and explain the reasons.
Being a bonded load has no bearing on the case it’s just deemed hi risk hi value.
You sure on this? I’d have thought an unexpected truck with a police- esque type vehicle flashing away behind it swinging into an army camp in these days of heightened vigilance would certainly raise an eyebrow ( or even rifle ) from the sentry
I wouldn’t fancy it!
Blow that I’d be driving straight into the big smoke and park up on the lawn of old Ma’am’s Palace, or the tower of London and ask for one of those Beefeaters. If over driving hours they could put me straight in the tower. Saves paperwork for everyone.
“thinking - dancing”