Motorway 'Highways Patrol' Units....

[Bry Nylon]

What a bunch of

Got a call from a mate on another fire crew tonight.

They went to an accident on the M25, where a woman was trapped in her car following an accident. On arrival, the Highways Patrol people had removed her, and placed her in their Range Rover whislt they waited for the ambulance. But she was in so much pain by the time the ambulance arrived she couldn't get out. So much to the Highways Patrol people's anguish, the fire crew cut the roof off their brand new Range Rover to get her out

Red faces back at Highways Patrol HQ I should imagine,. when they went out with an 07 plate hardtop and came back with a cabriolet....

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

That's a great story, Bry. I'm always slowing down when I approach Highways Patrollers, because I think they're the cops. So I suppose they're a handy deterrent against speeding excessively.

They're just in charge of putting out road cones, basically, aren't they?

 

[Nemesis]

That's a great story, BoF. I'm always slowing down when I approach Highways Patrollers, because I think they're the cops. So I suppose they're a handy deterrent against speeding excessively.

They're just in charge of putting out road cones, basically, aren't they?

They sound stupid enough to be responsible for the overhead signs when they get left on for 6 junctions telling everybody that there are 'queues ahead' and 40 mph. Of course-the road is wide open. Rather it would be if it weren't for the frigging signs causing bottlenecks for miles.

Be interested to learn of the levels of authority they have....

 

[Bry Nylon]

I'm NOT BoF!!!
(But I wish I was )

Yes, Highways Patrol put out cones, plus clear up fuel spills, sweep the road of broken glass etc. God knows how much it costs....

Just seen your edit, CoPB!!!

 

[Nemesis]

I'm NOT BoF!!!
(But I wish I was )

Yes, Highways Patrol put out cones, plus clear up fuel spills, sweep the road of broken glass etc. God knows how much it costs....

Just seen your edit, CoPB!!!

Excellent-no need to slow down when those muppets are around then.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Be interested to learn of the levels of authority they have....

So far as I am aware, they have no level of authority, beyond that of an ordinary citizen. they are not even allowed to exceed 70 mph on motorway, even if they are displaying their roof-bar lights.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Excellent-no need to slow down when those muppets are around then.

None whatsoever. And muppet is an excellent description. They turn up and just get in the way. (Emergency Service code for Highways Agency patrols is "Wombles.")

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

So far as I am aware, they have no level of authority, beyond that of an ordinary citizen. they are not even allowed to exceed 70 mph on motorway, even if they are displaying their roof-bar lights.

Dead right. They're just civil servants -- no more authority than a filing clerk at the local Jobcentre.

And sorry Bry, I'm tired!

 

[Billy the Fish]

I hate the way they try and pretend they're old bill. You can spot the difference by looking at the lights, highway patrol have yellow ones OB have blue

 

[British Bulldog]

You can spot the difference by looking at the lights, highway patrol have yellow ones OB have blue

I'm colour blind so I stop for anybody flashing on the motorway!

 

[Bry Nylon]

I'm colour blind

Aren't you a signalman on the railways!?!

 

[junior]

I make a point of going past them as fast as possible and laughing at them as there is f*** all they can do

 

[Clothes Peg]

I've never driven on a motorway, I am clearly missing out on something.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Here is the full story from Essex Fire & Rescue crew website ....

"Crews were originally called to a road traffic collison to assist a woman trapped in her vehicle at 23:53 hrs last night. On arrival they found that she had been released from the vehicle and had been put into a highway patrol vehicle where she was recovering while waiting for paramedics to arrive. Firefighters made the vehicle safe and left the scene.They were remobilised at 00:09 hrs this morning when the woman became trapped by her injuries in the highway patrol vehicle. At 12:58 hrs, crews reported that efforts are being made to dismantle racking and equipment in the Highways Agency vehicle to extricate the casualty, who is believed to be suffering spinal injuries. At 01:25 hrs, the officer in charge of the incident reports the equipment and racking has been removed and that firefighters are now using heavy Clan Lukas and Holmatro cutting equipment to take the roof off the highway patrol vehicle so that the woman can be carried out to safety. The woman was freed and placed in the care of the Ambulance Service by 01:42 when the incident closed. Firefighters at Brentwood said the car had overturned and was on its roof when they arrived at the scene. "Highways Agency staff had acted in the woman's best interests and after assisting her out of the car placed her in their own vehicle to protect her from what was a cold night and to make her comfortable while waiting for emergency services teams to arrive," said one of the officers at the scene."We tried everything we could to get her out of the vehicle safely after ambulance paramedics assessed her injuries and in the end cutting the roof off the vehicle appeared to be the only option."
We have no further details relating to this incident.

 

[British Bulldog]

Aren't you a signalman on the railways!?!

Yeah but I enjoy the challenge!

 

[Mr C]

So far as I am aware, they have no level of authority, beyond that of an ordinary citizen. they are not even allowed to exceed 70 mph on motorway, even if they are displaying their roof-bar lights.

Are the real emergency services ACTUALLY allowed to exceed the speed limit legally? Or is it something which is just overlooked?

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

Are the real emergency services ACTUALLY allowed to exceed the speed limit legally? Or is it something which is just overlooked?

It doesn't say so in statutory law, but there is a defence of necessity (breaking the law in order to prevent death or serious harm to someone) which is what they use.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

You don't, believe me Bry.

Great story!

 

[dougdeep]

Why are we calling them the highway patrol?

 

[surrey jim]

Why are we calling them the highway patrol?

because thats their name