Safe Speed Forums

A WOMAN who ignored a rolling road block on the M61 has been ordered to pay £300 and had six penalty points added to her driving licence.

Tia Wilson sped past Highways Agency cars as they slowed traffic down to allow workmen access to the road.

She appeared for trial at Bolton Magistrates' Court charged with driving without reasonable consideration for other road users.

Wilson, aged 36, from Stretford, Manchester, was driving on the M61 between Westhoughton and Horwich on Friday, March 2.

She denied breaching a rolling road block set up by Highways Agency Traffic Officers from the North West Traffic Officer Service outstation.

But the two traffic officers involved in the operation told magistrates that at around 9.30pm they had put a rolling road block in place on the M61, between junctions five and six northbound.

It was to allow contractors to safely cone off the outside lane for maintenance work.

A rolling road block normally involves one or two Highways Agency vehicles travelling at a reduced speed and slowing traffic flow on the motorway to enable work to be carried out ahead.

A few minutes after the block had been put in place officers saw Wilson heading down the inside lane at speed before passing their high visibility patrol vehicle at the front of the block, the court was told.

The officers made a complaint to Greater Manchester Police who decided to prosecute Wilson.

Magistrates ordered her to pay a £200 fine and £100 costs and added six penalty points to her driving licence after she was found guilty.

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said: "This is the third case of its kind involving drivers ignoring traffic officer instructions on motorways in Greater Manchester.

"Highways Agency traffic officers have no police powers but it is an offence to ignore their instructions at incidents and when they are managing traffic."

10:56am Thursday 27th September 2007

How did they indicate to her that she was not allowed to pass? It might sound obvious with hindsight, but I'd never heard of a 'rolling roadblock' until recently, it wasn't in my driving test or the highway code.

How on earth did the contractors manage before HATOs? They have a big f'k-off lorry with high intensity lighting on the back of it, and they drop the cones off the side!!

If the woman was able to overtake the HATOs then obviously their 'rolling road block' was not blocking! As I understand it, they have no authority to stop her!

A few minutes after the block had been put in place officers saw Wilson heading down the inside lane at speed before passing their high visibility patrol vehicle at the front of the block, the court was told.

She appeared for trial at Bolton Magistrates' Court charged with driving without reasonable consideration for other road users.
<<snip>>
She denied breaching a rolling road block set up by Highways Agency Traffic Officers from the North West Traffic Officer Service outstation.
<<snip>>
A rolling road block normally involves one or two Highways Agency vehicles travelling at a reduced speed and slowing traffic flow on the motorway to enable work to be carried out ahead.

The clue is in the detail :

Surely if a "rolling roadblock" is needed then it should be done by the police?

How is overtaking a HATO (civilian) vehicle, even if it has flashing amber lights on it, any different from overtaking a convoy/escort vehicle?

Sorry to disagree but it is not illegal to undertake cars when the outer lanes are congested.

I don't reccomend it but we are talking about law here.

inside lane=ok in heavy traffic

Have to say I can't see a problem with this. The HATO vehicle has a lawful role in managing traffic movement. If the prosecuted driver saw the HATO and intentionally decided to ignore it, she was driving without due consideration. If she saw it but did not understand she was required not to pass, or did not see it, she was driving without due care and attention.

What signal or behaviour on the part of the HATO vehicle wuld convince 'a competent and careful driver' that they were not supposed to pass?

I ask because I don't know the answer.

Better ask on PH. As the HATO has same traffic direction powers as police, I suppose it's the same as marked police car would do. Flashing lights, hand signals, straddle lanes, message board in rear window?