Do you have to pull over for the traffic wombles (1 Viewer)

[jb0371old]

I had to travel up to newcastle yesterday, when i passed a vosa check point along the A17.

the question is are you legally obliged to pull over for checking if directed. I am assuming (probably wrongly) that it is only the police who have the power to pull you over.

I would stop in whatever vehicle as I have nothing to hide and being a nosey bugger would be interested to see what they are checking for and inspecting.

 

[joner8888]

I expect if you did not stop they would call a cop to do it.

 

[icantremember]

Yes, I'm sure they have the legal power to stop vehicles, particularly goods and busses....

....if stopping motorhomes I would guess they are looking mainly for over loading.

....and red diesel

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[paulmold]

Some months ago I was waved in to a checkpoint (in my car) along with several other cars. We were checked for emissions.

 

[Yorick]

We were checked for emissions.

People or the vehicles ?

 

[martin1485]

VOSA together with various others, including PCSOs have designated powers to stop and direct traffic amongst other powers. Failure to comply with directions is an offence. The designation varies according to their role so is not necessarily a blanket one that they all have. See Police Reform Act 2002 for full details

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/30/contents

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[steevie]

I expect if you run them over you will be first in line for a brakes check,

 

[Wildbill]

Drivers are obliged by the Traffic Management Act 2004 to comply with the directions given by officers. This is briefly explained in the Highway Code:

• Highways Agency Traffic Officers have powers to stop vehicles on most motorways and some 'A' class roads, in England only. If HA traffic officers in uniform want to stop your vehicle on safety grounds (e.g. an insecure load) they will, where possible, attract your attention by
• flashing amber lights, usually from behind
• directing you to pull over to the side by pointing and/or using the left indicator You MUST then pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so. Then switch off your engine. It is an offence not to comply with their directions

 

[TheBig1]

I had to travel up to newcastle yesterday, when i passed a vosa check point along the A17.

[HI]the question is are you legally obliged to pull over for checking if directed. I am assuming (probably wrongly) that it is only the police who have the power to pull you over.[/HI]

I would stop in whatever vehicle as I have nothing to hide and being a nosey bugger would be interested to see what they are checking for and inspecting.

sorry but assumptions like that will cost you a lot in fines. VOSA checkpoints are not there for comedy value

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[GJH]

Traffic Wombles?

More power to their elbows if they can sweep some of the rubbish drivers and vehicles off the road :thumb::thumb:

 

[Busman]

And VOSA wont be VOSA much longer.
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...rG2PMmJDSTr1BL6MkR-QbTw&bvm=bv.58187178,d.ZGU

 

[jb0371old]

sorry but assumptions like that will cost you a lot in fines. VOSA checkpoints are not there for comedy value

I didnt imply they were there for comedy value, also did state I am probably wrong in the assumption that only the police can pull you over.

Just interested really, as I have never been pulled over by them.

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[att]

THey don`t have blue lights or sirens....That is all I am stopping for, I know nothing of these new powers that they have to stop me, no one told me....How am I supposed to know if no one tells me?

I don`t do TV with adverts, nor do I do newspapers....I don`t do other humans much either to be honest.....I prefer to live in a bubble.

 

[sdc77]

So.. Now you've been told oh:

 

[estcres]

Passed a VOSA vehicle parked in a layby/bus stop on the A31 this morning, just outside Ringwood.

On the highly visable rear end were the words "TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT" in luminous letters. The vehicle had Red and Orange flashing lights.

Didn't see them pull anyone in but about 5 minutes later they drove passed me and then pulled in again in another layby.

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[Phill D]

THey don`t have blue lights or sirens....That is all I am stopping for, I know nothing of these new powers that they have to stop me, no one told me....How am I supposed to know if no one tells me?

I don`t do TV with adverts, nor do I do newspapers....I don`t do other humans much either to be honest.....I prefer to live in a bubble.

ignorance of the law or the highway code has never been a good defense :Blush:

 

[TheBig1]

Passed a VOSA vehicle parked in a layby/bus stop on the A31 this morning, just outside Ringwood.

On the highly visable rear end were the words "TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT" in luminous letters. The vehicle had Red and Orange flashing lights.

Didn't see them pull anyone in but about 5 minutes later they drove passed me and then pulled in again in another layby.

theres a checkpoint just by the roundabout at the end of the spur road (A338) at Ashley Heath. have seen the checkpoint and VOSA active on many occasions pulling in all manner of vehicles for inspection/weighing. mostly in the summer though when the area gets busy with tourists

 

[TheBig1]

THey don`t have blue lights or sirens....That is all I am stopping for, I know nothing of these new powers that they have to stop me, no one told me....How am I supposed to know if no one tells me?

I don`t do TV with adverts, nor do I do newspapers....I don`t do other humans much either to be honest.....I prefer to live in a bubble.

ignorance is NO defence in law. fail to stop when ordered to and i can see it ending with you fined and or in court with points on your licence

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[TheBig1]

I [HI]didnt imply they were there for comedy value[/HI], also did state I am probably wrong in the assumption that only the police can pull you over.

Just interested really, as I have never been pulled over by them.

Traffic wombles? sounds like it

 

[att]

ignorance is NO defence in law. fail to stop when ordered to and i can see it ending with you fined and or in court with points on your licence

Me having an HGV as well.....I really should know better:thumb:
Just as well I don`t give a stuff

Balls to `em all, every single little piggy one of them....I am here for a good time, not a George Orwell time

 

[barearse]

Vosa spotchecks.

We were stopped just outside Perth 'bout 8.45 last august. The official said he thought we were in a horsebox till he clocked the 3 bikes on the back! He was slightly apologetic but gave us the quick once over anyway.

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[wasp]

I`ve been pulled by them in me van they check lights, tyres,tax disc, wot you carrying they have a sniff to see if you smokin waccy baccy,and then when you think they finished another one comes up to the van,He`s from the Dept. of Evironment
" I see you`re carrying waste/scrap/rubbish do you have a waste handlers licence sir" That`s another warning notice. Oh yeah an that`s about £180.00:Sad::Angry::Angry::Angry:

 

[Scout]

THey don`t have blue lights or sirens....That is all I am stopping for, I know nothing of these new powers that they have to stop me, no one told me....How am I supposed to know if no one tells me?

I don`t do TV with adverts, nor do I do newspapers....I don`t do other humans much either to be honest.....I prefer to live in a bubble.

POP

 

[lou020]

Highway agency.. or whatever you want to call them (better known as plastic police) can not stop vehicles, only vosa and marked police car can.

If anyone trying to stop one of our trucks looks a bit dodgy, we have a bright orange card we show telling them to take us to a police station.... not tried it yet though.
H/A maybe able to attract your attention on a safety issue. But they really are a pain in the arse when we are trying to do a repair on the hard shoulder.

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[Kasey]

As an OLD Trading Standards officer I can remember the days when we stopped lorries to weigh them with a sign similar to the ones used by 'lollipop' patrols. Then, it was perfectly legal for us to do that. It all came to a halt when the hijacking started and then the powers were removed and only a uniformed policeman could stop vehicles. Now, I believe VOSA officers can stop vehicles, but only if the particular police authority has given them the authorisation to do so.

Or, it may have changed yet again. Personally I do not like the idea of stopping for anyone other than a uniformed policeman and also have experience of some VOSA officers who are less than reasonable in their attitude.

 

[jacks girls]

As an all female van load I would really like to know the legal position of stopping for anyone other than the police. Really don't like the idea that it could be some kind of ambush/hijack situation. Has that ever happened to anyone in the uk. My parents used to live in Papua New Guinea and over there you never stopped your car, even if you knocked someone over, the first summer I spent over there the passenger of a car which hit someone got beheaded (the driver ran away!!!)

 

[estcres]

As I stated earlier in this post I saw one of these vehicles yesterday on the A31 Nr. Ringwood.
Following various posts I "Googled" VOSA for TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT details and discovered the following communications between VOSA and Michael Jones.


https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/vosa_traffic_enforcement

It would appear from these communications that it is quite complex.

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[Kasey]

As an all female van load I would really like to know the legal position of stopping for anyone other than the police. Really don't like the idea that it could be some kind of ambush/hijack situation. Has that ever happened to anyone in the uk. My parents used to live in Papua New Guinea and over there you never stopped your car, even if you knocked someone over, the first summer I spent over there the passenger of a car which hit someone got beheaded (the driver ran away!!!)

Hijacking (of commercial vehicles) was a very regular occurrence in the 70's, hence the removal of Trading Standards Officers powers to stop vehicles with a sign. I am sure hijacking does still take place on occasions, but not to the extent it did back then. That is one of the reasons you will see lorries parked in laybys with their rear doors open. It is to let people know that it is empty and there is nothing to steal.

 

[Scout]

Hijacking (of commercial vehicles) was a very regular occurrence in the 70's, hence the removal of Trading Standards Officers powers to stop vehicles with a sign. I am sure hijacking does still take place on occasions, but not to the extent it did back then. That is one of the reasons you will see lorries parked in laybys with their rear doors open. It is to let people know that it is empty and there is nothing to steal.

oh I didnt know that! I allways thought the illegal immigrants had got out and didnt close thr door behind themoh:

 

[TheTwoOfUs]

So, how does VOSA's right t stop and weigh fit in with this if you can defer any test until a later date? Or is this covered un a different edict?

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