Self Escorting Abnormal Loads and Abnormal Vehicles - RoSPA

THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS 

RoSPA 

DRAFT RESPONSE TO THE HIGHWAYS AGENCY CONSULTATION ON 

“SELF ESCORTING OF ABNORMAL LOADS AND ABNORMAL VEHICLES” 

8 April 2004

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents 

Response to the Highways Agency Consultation Paper 

“Proposed Code of Practice 

Self-Escorting of Abnormal Loads and Abnormal Vehicles” 

April 2004 

“Proposed Code of Practice: Self-Escorting of Abnormal Loads and Abnormal 

Vehicles” 

This is the response of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) to 

the Highways Agency’s consultation paper. RoSPA welcomes the invitation to 

comment, and our response has been prepared following consultation with RoSPA’s 

National Road Safety Committee. 

GENERAL COMMENTS 

RoSPA welcomes the introduction of a code of practice for the self-escorting of 

abnormal loads and abnormal vehicles, although we feel that the proposed Code 

needs to be strengthened. 

We believe that it was right to retain the legal duties on hauliers to notify the Police 

and Highways Authorities before moving an abnormal load or vehicle. 

It is important that Police time that is no longer need for escorting wide loads and 

abnormal vehicles is re-allocated to other roads policing duties to ensure that these 

changes do not lead to a lower police profile on our roads. 

RoSPA is surprised that the Code of Practice does not include information on how 

these new escort methods will be advertised to the motoring public. The escort 

vehicles and escort personnel are new concepts. The motoring public need to be 

made aware that these vehicles will be on the road, their legal status, the duties and 

responsibilities of the personnel in charge of them and how they should behave 

around these wide loads and abnormal vehicles. 

As a separate matter, it would be useful to be able to identify accidents and 

casualties involving abnormal vehicles and abnormal loads separately from those 

involving normal HGVs. This could inform the development of future guidance. 

SPECIFIC COMMENTS 

1 Introduction 

RoSPA Response 

The Code of Practice provides voluntary practical guidelines which can be adapted 

“in appropriate circumstances”. There should be a mechanism to ensure that the 

Code is regularly reviewed so that it can be amended in the light of experience and 

practice. The greater flexibility allowed by the system should cause less 

inconvenience to the motoring public, but they need to be made aware that this new 

system will be coming into operation and its implications. 

The Code of Practice provides for standardised practice across Scotland, England 

and Wales. However, the lack of legal status of the Accredited Level 2 escort person 

in Scotland may cause problems when loads and vehicles are moving between 

England and Wales. RoSPA has concerns that this issue does not appear to have 

been addressed in the Code of Practice. 

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April 2004 

2 Self Certification 


The Code of Practice requires hauliers and sub contractors to ensure that their staff 

and vehicles comply with the code of practice and that staff can carry out their duties 

competently in accordance with road traffic and health and safety legislation. The 

Police have the power to ask to see a self-certificate or other evidence of compliance 

with the Code of Practice. 

RoSPA would recommend that these checks be made on a regular basis to ensure 

that the Code of Practice is being correctly followed. Failure to comply with road 

traffic and health and safety legislation could have major consequences. 

3 Vehicle Requirements 


The Code of Practice states that the primary role of any escort vehicle is to alert 

other road users to the presence of an abnormal load or vehicle. To be successful in 

this role, the public must be aware of what the vehicle is and this can only be 

achieved by advertising their existence and appearance. This necessity is not 

covered in the Code of Practice. 

Where they are employed, an accredited Level 2 person has a role in controlling and 

directing traffic. The motoring public need to be made aware of this role and the 

authority that such staff have to direct traffic. They are used to being directed by 

police officers or traffic wardens, but not Level 2 persons. 

The vehicle specifications on size and type, colour, exterior lights, markings and 

identification, equipment and information to be carried in Escort Vehicles appear to 

be comprehensive. RoSPA’s one reservation is in the area of conspicuity where the 

uniform colours of white, yellow, orange or silver are recommended rather than a 

‘battenburg’ effect which research has shown to be best for conspicuity. However, 

the comprehensive chevron markings on the rear and to the side of the vehicle 

should have a similar effect. 

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April 2004 

4 Escort Person Specification 


The Code of Practice defines two levels of ‘escort person’ : 

• level 1 who have no powers to stop or direct traffic 

• level 2 who will have an accreditation from a Police Constable to undertake the 

traffic direction of other road users. 

Comprehensive Job Descriptions for both posts are provided but RoSPA is 

concerned that the route to achieve accreditation has not yet been fully defined. 

Also, since this is a voluntary code of practice there are no enforcement measures in 

place to ensure that recruits meet these criteria. 

The Code states that it is the responsibility of hauliers or sub-contractors to satisfy 

themselves that their own escort personnel are sufficiently competent to carry out 

their duties. No doubt, in the event of an incident, the Police and/or HSE would 

investigate whether escort personnel were competent. However, The Code should 

include some mechanism for external checks without the need to wait for an incident 

to occur. 

5 Operation 


RoSPA welcomes the requirement that the police abnormal load officer and the 

haulier agree the numbers of escort vehicles and personnel on a case-by-case basis. 

Escort persons are required to risk assess traffic and weather conditions, but this is 

not included in the Job Descriptions included in the previous sections. RoSPA would 

prefer to see this included in the job responsibilities to emphasise the importance of 

this item. 

In the case of breakdown, escort personnel are responsible for coning off the 

abnormal loads or vehicle. Therefore, it would be appropriate to include a clause in 

the job description that staff members are responsible for ensuring their own and 

others’ safety. 

There is little specific advice for escorts or the drivers of abnormal loads and vehicles 

on how to perform in different types of road and traffic conditions. This means the 

advice is somewhat vague and open to interpretation. 

Escorting Criteria 

The Code provides escorting criteria, which are for guidance only, and can be varied 

by individual police forces. RoSPA would prefer to see basic standards for both 

motorways and all other roads above which an escort must be provided. Many 

abnormal loads need to be transported across police area boundaries and 

differences between police forces could lead to confusion. 

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April 2004 

The criteria does not include speed. As some abnormal loads and vehicles move at 

slow speeds, the inclusion of a speed criteria should be considered. For example, a 

large vehicle moving at no more than 30 mph on a 70 mph dual carriageway 

represents a hazard even if it is not wide enough to protrude into the outside lane. 

RoSPA welcomes the inclusion of clauses highlighting the need for a police escort on 

certain routes or in certain situations, and that special order loads may require a 

combination of police and self-escort vehicles. 

The Society thanks the Highways Agency for the opportunity to comment on these 

proposals. We have no objections to our response being reproduced or attributed. 

Road Safety Department 

RoSPA 

Edgbaston Park 

353 Bristol Road 

Birmingham B5 7ST 

0121 248 2000 

www.rospa.com 

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Self Escorting Abnormal Loads and Abnormal Vehicles - RoSPA

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