To ask the Secretary of State for Transport under what circumstances and to what extent highways officers who patrol motorways are expected or encouraged to report the commission of traffic offences; what guidance and training they get on this issue; and if he will make a statement. (144137)

Traffic Officers have the power to:

Stop and direct traffic and pedestrians

Place temporary traffic signs

They do not have an enforcement role. This responsibility remains with the police. Both the Highways Agency and the police support this position.

Traffic Officers support the police where there are fatalities or suspected criminality at an incident. The Traffic Officers’ role is to manage traffic in the vicinity of an incident, and in doing this they may liaise with the police on matters of compliance with road-traffic law.

Highways Agency Traffic Officers have a general instruction to report acts of a criminal nature to their control office for reporting to the Police for possible prosecution. This is fully covered in our procedures and in the initial training that Traffic Officers receive.