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The police view
Page 55
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The police have relinquished escort duties to the private sector. But Chief Superintendent Kevin O'Leary (below) of the Central Motorway Groupa body made up of the West Midlands, Staffordshire, West Mercia and Warwickshire forces-stresses that the police take private escorts seriously.
Speaking of the Highways Agency Code of Practice (HACP), he says: "It's a voluntary code, with practical guidelines, and isn't intended to be a comprehensive statement of the laws requirements," The HACP is not legally binding, but O'Leary believes that hauliers, either with their own escorts or those of third parties, will abide by the recommendations. "There is an expectation that they will followthe code; any responsible haulier will do this," The Road Traffic Act plays a pivotal role here. It obliges all road users to show a responsible attitude to others, So, HACP aside, an escort operator who ran inferior equipment could be at faulthis equipment could be seen to fail in its duty to alert other drivers to the abnormal load. In so doing, it would breach the Road Traffic Act.
Operators say that, without the police's blue lights, escorts may lack presence. O'Leary asserts that escorts will not be permitted to have blue lights, as these are the preserve of the emergency services.
Orange lights do not have the authority of the blue, but O'Leary says they do alert other road users to abnormal loads. "The amber lights are designed to bring people's attention to the fact that there is a hazard they are there to assist drivers' progress rather than slow it."
The end of routine police escorts has freed up police cars and personnel, maintains O'Leary.
He points out that in the two years since private escorts took the place of the police there have been no major incidents.