anyone else see the traffic officers 4x4 with the flat rear tyre on the m6 j2 today?i thought you had to leave the vehicle and step over the barrier to a safe place not sit in it doing your paperwork till the rac turn up to change your wheel,i would have thought they would have known better or is it the flashing red and amber lights that protects them if so why dont we all carry them.
There is a God after all!
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Does it really matter what they do FFS
the art of conversation isnt wasted on you is it?FFS
AHT:
Does it really matter what they do FFS
strongbowpeter:
the art of conversation isnt wasted on you is it?FFSAHT:
Does it really matter what they do FFS
I suppose their biggest worry would be some daft ■■■■■■ in a truck reading his/her paper drifting & ■■■ ending them on the h/s.
Off course that’s if there not p@ssed up (seing as there’s a p@ssed up truckers thread running 
), like the one who nearly killed 2 hato’s when he killed the woman and ran off on the M56 few years ago
strongbowpeter:
or is it the flashing red and amber lights that protects them if so why dont we all carry them.
Apparently it’s been proven conclusively that the flashing reds get far more attention from the passing motorist than amber beacons/strobes do, and proven to reduce roadside strikes.
But we’re not allowed to use them.
That by my reasoning means, HATO’s and Police officers lives are worth more than mine.
strongbowpeter:
anyone else see the traffic officers 4x4 with the flat rear tyre on the m6 j2 today?i thought you had to leave the vehicle and step over the barrier to a safe place not sit in it doing your paperwork till the rac turn up to change your wheel,i would have thought they would have known better or is it the flashing red and amber lights that protects them if so why dont we all carry them.
When I broke down on the M4 at Cardiff the other week with 50 odd squaddies on, I was advised by the bloke on the emergency phone and by the policeman who came and sat behind me to keep them on the coach unless they were having a ■■■ or a ■■■■ 
Better they’re on the coach than wandering all over the place, waving their ■■■■■ about @ passing traffic 
, that’s an accident waiting to happen with rubberneckers 
Problen is due to cutbacks etc crash cushions are being withdrawn and won’t sit behind a coach without a ‘row’ 
Apparently it’s been proven conclusively that the flashing reds get far more attention from the passing motorist than amber beacons/strobes do, and proven to reduce roadside strikes.
But we’re not allowed to use them.
That by my reasoning means, HATO’s and Police officers lives are worth more than mine.
[/quote]
Not sure where you got that that fact from Cieranc, but DfT trials have proved otherwise, which is why we are not supposed to use rear reds on the h/s unless we deem a particular need for them, then it has to be recorded on the log that we are using reds on the h/s. This is also why some highly regarded recovery operators, like Mark McAllister, do not agree with recovery trucks using reds on the h/s. If the oncoming driver is falling asleep, or drunk, no number of flashing lights of any colour will prevent you from being struck. 
Lets be fair, the recovery industry can hardly whine that they want rear reds when they drive along doing 60 towing with their amber lights flashing away. What sort of a message does that give out? If you see them in the distance, will you know if they are stationary or moving? It amazes me they think its acceptable to drive with them on when they are “Hazard warning lights”, special dispensation or not, its ridiculous and childish for any recovery vehicle to be towing with them on. Why don’t caravans have flashing lights on, or LGV’s perhaps? Theyr’e all towing something that is perfectly safe.
It seems the recovery agents are only making their safety worse by towing with hero lights flashing.
Fair point
Big Jase:
Lets be fair, the recovery industry can hardly whine that they want rear reds when they drive along doing 60 towing with their amber lights flashing away. What sort of a message does that give out? If you see them in the distance, will you know if they are stationary or moving? It amazes me they think its acceptable to drive with them on when they are “Hazard warning lights”, special dispensation or not, its ridiculous and childish for any recovery vehicle to be towing with them on. Why don’t caravans have flashing lights on, or LGV’s perhaps? Theyr’e all towing something that is perfectly safe.It seems the recovery agents are only making their safety worse by towing with hero lights flashing.
It wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility to fit an interlock on the gearbox or speed limiter sensor. When the recovery truck starts moving the lights go off.
Or maybe a flashing amber beacon bolted to the interior sunvisor so that the recovery driver gets a taste of his own medicine.
strongbowpeter:
anyone else see the traffic officers 4x4 with the flat rear tyre on the m6 j2 today?i thought you had to leave the vehicle and step over the barrier to a safe place not sit in it doing your paperwork till the rac turn up to change your wheel,i would have thought they would have known better or is it the flashing red and amber lights that protects them if so why dont we all carry them.
Just emailed the local newspaper who stated that it will make front page.
mickyblue:
strongbowpeter:
anyone else see the traffic officers 4x4 with the flat rear tyre on the m6 j2 today?i thought you had to leave the vehicle and step over the barrier to a safe place not sit in it doing your paperwork till the rac turn up to change your wheel,i would have thought they would have known better or is it the flashing red and amber lights that protects them if so why dont we all carry them.Just emailed the local newspaper who stated that it will make front page.
which paper?
it will be the Daily sport.
Wheel Nut:
Big Jase:
Lets be fair, the recovery industry can hardly whine that they want rear reds when they drive along doing 60 towing with their amber lights flashing away. What sort of a message does that give out? If you see them in the distance, will you know if they are stationary or moving? It amazes me they think its acceptable to drive with them on when they are “Hazard warning lights”, special dispensation or not, its ridiculous and childish for any recovery vehicle to be towing with them on. Why don’t caravans have flashing lights on, or LGV’s perhaps? Theyr’e all towing something that is perfectly safe.It seems the recovery agents are only making their safety worse by towing with hero lights flashing.
It wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility to fit an interlock on the gearbox or speed limiter sensor. When the recovery truck starts moving the lights go off.
Or maybe a flashing amber beacon bolted to the interior sunvisor so that the recovery driver gets a taste of his own medicine.
I dont know if it was law or company policy, but if I was towing a car on the spec lift when I worked for The AA, I was told I had to use my flashing beacons. There was 2 settings on the beacon bar though, full power (amber lights flashed brightly) and reduced power (amber lights were dimmer). I used reduced power while towing.
I have it in the back of my mind also that you are supposed to have them on when towing a vehicle on the spec frame, though I always used to switch them off once I got going.
The idea of having them turn off automatically once you start moving isn’t the best. Sometimes you need to pull out into a live lane to pull around a stricken vehicle.
Once a predetermined speed is reached, maybe.
The thing is, you need to think about the message your trying to convey to people. When your stopped on the hard shoulder, you want your orange beacons to say “I am here, I dont want you to do anything other than give me space and bare in mind there is people wandering around”.
When your towing a car securely strapped on a spec lift doing 60 with the driver of the stricken car sat next to you and of course using a trailer board, you dont need to convey any message to anyone as your no different to a caravan, LGV etc. The only massages your giving out by towing with your beacons on is “Hey, even though I’m a mechanic, its another car I’ve failed to fix” and " Hey like crying wolf, you never know if im towing or stationary so feel free to plough into me the next time I’m stationary as you thought I was moving".
The recovery industry have long whined about having Red lights but the way they abuse amber now, it’ll never happen. There is a dispensation that says they can use them but just because there is something in place, it shouldnt be carte blanche I’ll use them everythime. The highway code states “You must not use hazard warning lights while driving or being towed unless you are on a motorway or DC and you need to warn drivers behind you of a hazard or obstruction ahead”.
A recovery truck doing 60 towing poses no danger to anyone. Consider also, while you have 4 55 watt headlight bulbs flashing away dazzling drivers 360 degrees around you, how will anyone see your 21 watt indicator bulb 12 feet up just below the beacons to tell others your indicating/braking.
Lets not get on to heavy recovery towing an LGV with its beacons on completely obscured by the LGV being towed. Bright spark.