0:00:02 > 0:00:03The A1 -
0:00:03 > 0:00:04Britain's longest road.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09Stretching almost 400 miles from the City of London
0:00:09 > 0:00:13to the heart of the Scottish capital.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Connecting two nations and passing through 18 counties.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18It's an unrivalled highway
0:00:18 > 0:00:22used by hundreds of thousands of vehicles every day.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26We're going southbound down the A1 on the northbound carriageway.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29But not all journeys go to plan.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34I thought, am I going to lose my life?
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Cars are coming close.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38It is the dangerous place to be.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Lives can hang in the balance.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44The rear end of that vehicle, it's unrecognisable.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46This is actually the bodywork of the car.
0:00:47 > 0:00:4924 hours a day...
0:00:49 > 0:00:51It's not a safe place here.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53..there's a team of people who keep us safe from harm.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56The police...
0:00:58 > 0:01:00..response teams...
0:01:00 > 0:01:03We don't know whether we've got the road closed, we don't know what's happening.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04..and traffic officers.
0:01:06 > 0:01:07Keep going.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Keeping Britain's most iconic road...
0:01:11 > 0:01:13- Get out...- ..on the move.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Substantially damaged flatbed truck in lane two.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21The A1, the monster that it is, it'll start to return to normal.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26Coming up -
0:01:26 > 0:01:28a pile-up on the carriageway...
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Lanes one and two are blocked, so effectively the A1 North is shut.
0:01:32 > 0:01:33..puts lives at risk.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Substantially damaged flatbed truck in lane two.
0:01:36 > 0:01:37Highway overload...
0:01:37 > 0:01:41This is very dangerous. That could burst at any time.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44..as officers clamp down on illegal vehicles.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48As it stands, we cannot permit this vehicle to proceed on its journey.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52And fires on the Tyne push police officers to the limit.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54There's a lot of explosives within a car.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Really, really dangerous.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03With hundreds of thousands of vehicles using the A1 every day,
0:02:03 > 0:02:07keeping the only continuous road between Edinburgh and London moving
0:02:07 > 0:02:10is a 24-hour operation.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12And over in Sprotbrough, near Doncaster,
0:02:12 > 0:02:14an early shift is just about to start.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22It's just before 7am and traffic officers Paul Day and Rob Larkin
0:02:22 > 0:02:24are heading out onto the A1.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26- RADIO BEEPS - Echo 13...
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Within minutes, there's a report of a crash near Pontefract,
0:02:29 > 0:02:3211 miles north of their base.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Multiple vehicle RTC.
0:02:34 > 0:02:35Possible injuries.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Vehicles are still in situ across the road.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Lanes one and two are blocked.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Yeah, lanes one and two are blocked, so effectively the A1 North is shut.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Priority at first attendance is, we make the scene safe,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53we then check for people's injuries,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56organise ambulances, etc, if needed
0:02:56 > 0:02:59and then we deal with the trapped traffic
0:02:59 > 0:03:03and anything else that's going on around us.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06But the priority is to make the scene safe
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and then open at least one lane as quickly as possible.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11The crash involves a truck,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14so there's a chance the victims could be seriously injured.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17And with traffic still speeding past,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20all the other motorists on the A1 are also in danger.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Looking at this traffic,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24and just not seeing us behind trying to make us way.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Every second that passes,
0:03:26 > 0:03:27the jam is getting longer
0:03:27 > 0:03:30and this increases the risk of another pile-up.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34- Right, so we just stop everybody here, get us a gap?- Yeah.
0:03:34 > 0:03:35Right.
0:03:38 > 0:03:4013, we've just stopped the traffic.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44The traffic officers are the first on the scene.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47They've no idea how badly injured the drivers are.
0:03:49 > 0:03:5313, substantially damaged flatbed truck in lane two.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Bear with us, we'll see if we can move that,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01once we find out if there's injuries, over. Is anybody injured?
0:04:01 > 0:04:03I'm fine, I wasn't involved, but these guys...
0:04:03 > 0:04:04Are you all right?
0:04:04 > 0:04:07I think it's just from the air bag, it's nothing serious.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08- Need an ambulance?- No.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10Right, is that your truck?
0:04:10 > 0:04:12- Yeah.- Will it drive at all?
0:04:14 > 0:04:16I'll come back to you, bear with.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19These drivers have had an incredibly lucky escape.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23- Anybody in this?- Yeah.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Yours? Any injuries?
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Just my back is a little bit...
0:04:28 > 0:04:30- Do you need an ambulance?- No.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32The next priority is to clear the scene
0:04:32 > 0:04:34and to get the A1 moving again.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38What we've got at the minute, is we've got traffic stopped
0:04:38 > 0:04:40and you saw what it did in nine minutes.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Because we've got it fully stopped now,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44it's not even making any progress at all.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49So the importance is, get it safe, get it open as quickly as possible,
0:04:49 > 0:04:50allow people past...
0:04:51 > 0:04:52..which will not take long now.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56But what Paul and Rob don't realise yet,
0:04:56 > 0:05:00is that the stricken vehicle in lane two is a hybrid electric car,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02which could still be live.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05This incident is about to get a lot more challenging.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13One of the most southerly sections of the A1 is where it intersects
0:05:13 > 0:05:15the M25 in Hertfordshire.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Tens of thousands of vehicles travel on this stretch every single day.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29But some simply aren't fit to be on the road.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34In Hatfield, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency officer
0:05:34 > 0:05:37John Windebank is on patrol and on the lookout
0:05:37 > 0:05:42for unroadworthy vehicles causing danger to other road users.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Could be a vehicle that looks like it's heavy or in poor condition.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54And it's not long before he spots a truck that could pose a serious risk
0:05:54 > 0:05:55to other motorists.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00It looks like a 3.5 tonne scaffold vehicle in lane two.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02It could well be overweight, it all depends.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Overloading of vehicles is quite a common occurrence with us,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17it's probably something that we come across every day.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21If you are in that vehicle and you had to brake suddenly,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24you are not going to stop so you will just plough into the person
0:06:24 > 0:06:28in front of you. I mean, it's possible this vehicle may be OK,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31but looking at it, it may well not be.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35It's John's job to escort the vehicle into a weighbridge
0:06:35 > 0:06:39at the side of the A1, where a team of his colleagues are waiting
0:06:39 > 0:06:42- to take a closer look. - What I need you to do first,
0:06:42 > 0:06:46can you just reverse up and get the back wheels on the plate for us,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- please?- Dangerously overloading a vehicle is a serious offence.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54Last year, more than 70 people faced prosecution for this crime.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Right, if you stay there while I collect the weights...
0:06:57 > 0:07:00While traffic examiner John Blide weighs the vehicle...
0:07:01 > 0:07:07..his colleague Prem Kumar has concerns about the state of the truck.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09What happened to the windscreen?
0:07:09 > 0:07:11It was my first day, that was.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Put the radio on the dashboard and it did a little kick.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17How long has it been like that?
0:07:17 > 0:07:18- A week.- A week?
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Got a bit of trim hanging off here as well.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26OK. Rear lamp cluster broken.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29- Do you know when it was last serviced?- No.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34And Prem spots another reason why this vehicle is dangerously unroadworthy.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Found a defective tyre,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39so defective that the side wall on the tyre has become damaged and it's
0:07:39 > 0:07:42caused a bulge to appear.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44That could burst at any time.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46This is very dangerous.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48As it stands,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50we cannot permit this vehicle to proceed on its journey
0:07:50 > 0:07:53in this condition, because there is an imminent danger
0:07:53 > 0:07:54of this exploding. All right?
0:07:54 > 0:07:59And that's not all, John has the results of the weigh-in.
0:07:59 > 0:08:05OK, guys, you are a 3,500 kilo truck coming in at 5,600 kilos.
0:08:05 > 0:08:06You are seriously overweight.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Just over two tonnes overweight.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12It means the driver, or his boss, could be heading to court.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16I am going to say to you, you do not have to say anything.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18It may harm your defence if you fail to mention when questioned,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26The vehicle is unfit to go back on the road and will be immobilised.
0:08:27 > 0:08:32It concerns me that people don't know the danger they put themselves
0:08:32 > 0:08:35into, or other road users.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37If we weren't doing these checks,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41these vehicles would just be running around on the public highway.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43The last thing we want is people killed.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46And with many more vehicles still to check,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48the team is in for a very busy shift.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56The A1 passes through 15 different police forces,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59more than any other road in the UK.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Police officers patrol night and day
0:09:01 > 0:09:04to keep traffic moving and motorists safe.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11In Northumbria, PC Alan Keenleyside has just received his latest call.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Alan never knows what he will be faced with -
0:09:19 > 0:09:22from car fires, to criminal activity.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25What we've got now is we've got a pursuit.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Alan is pursuing a driver who has failed to pull over
0:09:30 > 0:09:32when asked to stop by the police.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35He's ignored sirens and flashing blue lights.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40When a car fails to stop, you've got to think there's a reason for that.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43It could be a stolen car, it could be a disqualified driver.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47The driver could be under the influence of drink or drugs.
0:09:47 > 0:09:48So when you've got a vehicle
0:09:48 > 0:09:51that fails to stop it's inherently dangerous.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55The last report was going over this roundabout.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59By the time Alan arrives,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02the driver has been stopped by an unmarked police car.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04He is now being questioned by police.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Just make sure everything's all right, that's all I'm going to do.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Alan gets an update from fellow traffic officer, PC Gary Morris,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13who had also joined in the pursuit.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17- Do you think he saw him?- He was just hoping that if he just ignored him
0:10:17 > 0:10:19he'd give up and leave him alone.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24The driver in our car there is compliant.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27So we'll just hang back here, Mick's dealing with him.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30It's pointless going down there and aggravating a situation that doesn't
0:10:30 > 0:10:33need to be aggravated.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Police discover the driver hasn't got any insurance
0:10:35 > 0:10:38and doesn't even have a driving licence.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41He's not passed a test, so he's not shown he's actually got the ability
0:10:41 > 0:10:44to drive a car safely. If he's on a provisional licence,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47he's obviously got to be displaying L plates and got to be accompanied
0:10:47 > 0:10:51by a suitably qualified driver that is keeping him right on the road.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54And obviously to do that, he's got to be insured as well.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57If he was to have an accident with anybody, somebody else,
0:10:57 > 0:10:59who's perhaps going to suffer an injury or damage
0:10:59 > 0:11:02and they've got no recourse against the driver of this car.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05By not stopping when he was asked to,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08the driver made a dangerous situation worse
0:11:08 > 0:11:10and he's now going home without his car.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13So what's going to happen now, we've confirmed this vehicle
0:11:13 > 0:11:15has no insurance. The driver of the vehicle
0:11:15 > 0:11:18is a provisional licence holder, so the driver's been interviewed
0:11:18 > 0:11:21and will be reported to court for those offences.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23This vehicle will now be seized by us and when the driver
0:11:23 > 0:11:25is able to produce the relevant documents,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27he's got a licence and insurance for this vehicle,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29the vehicle will be returned to him.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32He's got to do that within seven working days.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35If that doesn't happen, the vehicle will be disposed of
0:11:35 > 0:11:38by means of crushing, or if it's over a certain value,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40it'll go to auction and be auctioned off.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44So a good little result and another vehicle off the road this morning.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Back on the southern edge of the A1 in Hatfield,
0:11:51 > 0:11:55the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency team is still on the hunt
0:11:55 > 0:11:56for dangerous vehicles.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Examiners have pulled up another van
0:12:01 > 0:12:04they suspect may be carrying an excessive load.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07This can be deadly, as stopping speeds are dramatically increased
0:12:07 > 0:12:09when vehicles are overweight.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11- Good morning.- Good morning. - How are you?- Fine.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13What's the name of the company you're working for?
0:12:13 > 0:12:16- What's the name?- Sorry. - It's on the side of the van.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Vehicle examiner Vicky Foster is keen to quiz the driver.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22OK, if you can just park for me,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25just in the lane next to this vehicle and then I'll be over to you
0:12:25 > 0:12:26in a second.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32As Vicky weighs the vehicle, driver Robert is worried about the outcome.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35I put some stuff in this morning that's going to a scrap yard, so,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39you know, a lot of it you can just take out and it will be underweight.
0:12:39 > 0:12:40But then, you know,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44the penalty is you can't do the job you're expected to do.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46But it's not good news for Robert.
0:12:47 > 0:12:523.5 tonne light goods vehicle and it's come in over 4.5 tonne.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57Unfortunately, you are 33.71% overweight and because of the amount
0:12:57 > 0:12:59of the overweight, it's not a fixed penalty,
0:12:59 > 0:13:00- it will be referred to court.- OK.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03So I will be conducting an interview with you under caution.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05- Yeah, whatever.- OK?
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Robert will now have to remove all the excess weight in his van
0:13:10 > 0:13:13before he is allowed to drive any further.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16It affects stopping distances, it affects the braking,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18and the steering and handling of the vehicle.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21It puts the general public...
0:13:22 > 0:13:23..at risk.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Back on the A1, John Windebank is on patrol.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34Part of the officer's job is to spot-check European lorries
0:13:34 > 0:13:36to ensure their paperwork is all in order.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42But now he's spotted a vehicle with markings he doesn't recognise.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45I believe its Spanish.
0:13:45 > 0:13:46It's quite a newish vehicle.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51He decides to pull it over for Vicky and the team to have a closer look.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53I'm just indicating to come off at the junction.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56He's indicating, so he's totally compliant.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04- Hello.- Hola. - Do you speak English?- No.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07- Spanish, Spanish. - When did you come into the UK?
0:14:08 > 0:14:12- Did you come ferry or train? - Train, train.- Train.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15- Do you have your ticket?- Ticket? - Ticket.
0:14:15 > 0:14:16I lose it, OK.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Although the truck passes as roadworthy...
0:14:21 > 0:14:23..there are other concerns.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27The maximum a goods driver can work is 56 hours in a week,
0:14:27 > 0:14:28with regular breaks...
0:14:30 > 0:14:32..so Vicky wants to check his tachograph.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36I'm just looking at the driver's hours just to ensure they've had
0:14:36 > 0:14:38enough daily rests, enough weekly rests.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41The results don't look good.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45At the moment we've got some infringements regarding weekly rest.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50Driver has had two reduced weekly rests back-to-back
0:14:50 > 0:14:52and has driven for seven days.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Driving when tired puts everyone at risk.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58This trucker will receive an on-the-spot fine and be banned
0:14:58 > 0:15:00from driving for 45 hours.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03- Problemo. Problemo.- Problema?- Yeah.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05OK.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Penalty for you, £300.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14Prohibition. No driving, 45 hours.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15OK? Yeah.
0:15:18 > 0:15:19It's a very good result.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22The drivers are now going to be rested
0:15:22 > 0:15:24when they start driving again.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26They won't be a risk to road safety
0:15:26 > 0:15:29and are unlikely to cause any accidents on our roads.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34It's obviously a huge danger to the general public, road safety.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37If the driver is overtired, he hasn't had sufficient rest,
0:15:37 > 0:15:41could fall asleep at the wheel and crash into oncoming traffic.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44I certainly wouldn't want to be in the car in front of him
0:15:44 > 0:15:46or any of my family either.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Pinpointing problems along this 400 mile-long road
0:15:53 > 0:15:57is a relentless daily task for the teams that patrol it.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Now on a two-lane section of the A1 close to Newcastle
0:16:03 > 0:16:07PC Alan Keenleyside is on his way to a reported car fire.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11These calls are classified as Grade 1 emergencies.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14It means there's an immediate risk to life.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Historically, with older cars, you used to get a lot of vehicle fires,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21but certainly of late, the way the cars are nowadays,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25vehicle fires are getting less and less.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Alan's first impressions at the scene are reassuring.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33There's no smoke and his colleagues seem to have the situation under control.
0:16:33 > 0:16:34- Is everything all right?- Yes.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Good. We had a report that the car was smoking as well?
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Oh, the clutch.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47There's a real smell of burning coming from the car.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49You can see the clutch pedal's completely gone,
0:16:49 > 0:16:53so it looks like your clutch cable's snapped.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56It will be a recovery from here, all right?
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Agnes and her husband Robert have been to pick up their son's car.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03He'd left it at work last night to go for a drink.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06We picked it up for him as a favour
0:17:06 > 0:17:09and we were just taking it to his home.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14He's just sorry it was, you know, we were stuck with the problem.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Agnes had only been driving it for a few minutes
0:17:16 > 0:17:18when it started losing power.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Luckily, her husband was following behind.
0:17:22 > 0:17:23Just as I was driving along,
0:17:23 > 0:17:28the car was making a very loud noise when I changed gear.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30So I pulled in.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34One of the options is, your good lady and you could jump
0:17:34 > 0:17:37into your car, nip up to the shopping park here,
0:17:37 > 0:17:39grab a coffee or something,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42the RAC will give you a ring when they're a couple of minutes away
0:17:42 > 0:17:44and you can meet them back here with the key.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Car fires used to be a common occurrence.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50These days, though, they're rare.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58Once upon a time, a car would catch fire reasonably easily, but now,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00because of the way vehicles are built...
0:18:01 > 0:18:04..the fuel cut-offs, the insulation,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07the fire suppression systems in vehicles,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10fires aren't as common as what they used to be.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15A lot of people mistake vehicle defects for vehicle fires.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19If the brakes are binding on a vehicle, if there's a collision,
0:18:19 > 0:18:20the air bags go off.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22People say the vehicle's on fire.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26Actually, it could just be a mechanical defect.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28I think everybody, when they see smoke,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32they revert to worst-case scenario and shout vehicle fire.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36But I would never blame people for that, that's a human reaction.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38But ultimately, you've got to have an open mind when you respond
0:18:38 > 0:18:39to these incidents.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43But not every case turns into a false alarm.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49It's 3pm and just as Alan is heading back to the station,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52he finds himself in the middle of a real emergency.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Are you all right if this flows?
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Are you all right if I keep this lane flowing?
0:18:58 > 0:19:01- Yeah, yeah.- Are you happy with that?
0:19:01 > 0:19:03The Fire Service were on the scene within minutes,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06but Alan still doesn't know if anyone's been injured.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10We've got complete closure,
0:19:10 > 0:19:12northbound from Tealand Road at the minute.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16Lane one southbound is passable.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Traffic is going to be very busy in this area now.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Just let the firm know, please.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Yes, yes, they are extinguishing the fire now.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28They are in lane two southbound.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31I don't actually know where the owners are around here.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34It's a dangerous situation on a busy road.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38The team need to extinguish this fire and find out what has happened
0:19:38 > 0:19:39to the driver.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45On the northbound stretch of the A1 near Pontefract,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49Paul Day and Rob Larkin are still at the scene
0:19:49 > 0:19:51of a multi-vehicle pile-up.
0:19:51 > 0:19:52The road has been closed
0:19:52 > 0:19:55and rush-hour traffic is now starting to build.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58It's causing stop-start traffic further south,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01which is a severe risk for other drivers.
0:20:02 > 0:20:03Non-injury crash.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Lot of debris, lot of mess,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08so what we're doing,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11clearing up as best we can, make the scene safe,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14allowing traffic to run past in lane two.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16That should be a good 'un, then.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Luckily, the damaged truck is still driveable.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21By moving it out of the second lane,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23there's a good chance it can be reopened soon.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Just going out of lane one closure,
0:20:26 > 0:20:30cos we've got the stricken vehicles in lane one.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Once we've got this in place,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34we can let this traffic go past in lane two.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Just waiting for Paul to finish sweeping up this debris
0:20:38 > 0:20:41and then we should be good to go.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44The A1 has been completely closed for about ten minutes,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47causing huge tailbacks.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49But thanks to Rob and Paul's swift response,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51one lane can now be reopened.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Rob has some bad news that will mean a big delay to reopening the other lane.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05I've just discovered that one of the vehicles is a hybrid vehicle.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09When they're hybrid, we won't recover them cos there's a chance
0:21:09 > 0:21:10the bodywork could be live,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13so we leave it to the recovery agents to do that.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15While they wait for the recovery truck,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Paul offers the drivers some advice.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22If you can give your details to each party, if you saw it, for a witness,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25job will be a good 'un from us and you can go then.
0:21:25 > 0:21:26- OK, cool.- All right?
0:21:26 > 0:21:28You two - have you exchanged details?
0:21:28 > 0:21:31- No, not yet.- If you can write name, address,
0:21:31 > 0:21:35contact number down of the driver, or your company,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39- but I need the driver's name and contact number, yeah?- Yeah.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41The situation is made all the more dangerous
0:21:41 > 0:21:44because of the exact spot where the accident has happened.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Just being on the viaduct, there's no hard shoulder.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49There's no hard shoulder, there's nowhere for them to go.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52So we just have to cone out behind it, like we have done,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54and get traffic flowing past it in lane two.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Yes, it does cause a minor problem,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59but it's nothing that we can't deal with.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Meanwhile, the delays mean the tailbacks keep on growing.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06We've been here probably 40, 50 minutes.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13We initially stopped traffic, which creates its own issues and backlog.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16We've had an update that the impact of the traffic is back
0:22:16 > 0:22:20at least two junctions, which takes it down to Doncaster Road.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24That then is probably six miles.
0:22:24 > 0:22:25It is flowing past,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29but we've got quite a considerable amount of traffic backlog.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Both lanes now, because people are looking.
0:22:35 > 0:22:3820 minutes later though, the recovery truck arrives to pick up
0:22:38 > 0:22:43the hybrid. By now, the tailbacks are nearly five miles long.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45I'm sure you've already noticed, mate,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47but it's a hybrid so we don't know whether it's live or not.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49- We'll leave it to you.- No worries.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53I'm going to try it at first,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55to see if it's live. If it's not live,
0:22:55 > 0:22:57we'll just leave it dead and just pull it on with slips.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59It should, hopefully have a shutdown on it,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01which will disable all systems.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04So we'll take it from here, get stuck in and go for it,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06get this motorway flowing as quick as we can.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12With the hybrid safe, it can at last be taken away.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17And finally, Rob and Paul can open the second lane and traffic
0:23:17 > 0:23:18can begin to get to normal.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24It's always important to get a lane opened as soon as possible
0:23:24 > 0:23:26and then to clear it as soon as possible.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30It does back up daily, but with us having one lane shut here as well,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33that would have impacted on it quite significantly.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36If it hadn't have been a hybrid,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38we may well have been able to drag it off network,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41just round the bend is a bit of a hard standing.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45But with it being a hybrid, we couldn't touch it.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Three counties north in Tyne & Wear,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59traffic officer PC Alan Keenleyside
0:23:59 > 0:24:01is still dealing with a serious car fire.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06The blaze has been going for 15 minutes.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Thankfully, the driver of the car, Jennifer Mountain,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11has been unharmed in the incident.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Are you all right, first and foremost?
0:24:13 > 0:24:14- Yes.- That's the important thing.- OK.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17That can be, well, I was going to say that can be fixed, it can't be.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19But, it's insured.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22What about recovery for this?
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Do you want us to go ahead and get that organised for you?
0:24:25 > 0:24:27- Yes.- All right.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Thanks to improved safety systems and better engineering,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32car fires on this scale are rare.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36But when they do happen, they can have devastating consequences.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42The A1 is literally just over that roundabout there.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45So as we've been on the A1, seen the big billowing smoke,
0:24:45 > 0:24:47we've come off the A1,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50only come about 100 metres. Fire Brigade were already in attendance
0:24:50 > 0:24:52and they've very quickly got this fire under control.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56It's really, really dangerous around a car fire.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59There's a lot of explosives within a car.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01You're talking the bits that hold the bonnet up,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04the air bag firing mechanisms and the like.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Really, really dangerous.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09When the fire started,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Jennifer was going to pick up her son from school.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15- You come up the hill...?- Yeah,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17they just stopped working so I put my hazards on
0:25:17 > 0:25:19and then it set on fire, so I ran out.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23All the best, we'll take care of your car and get it away.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26As Jennifer heads off, Alan turns his attention
0:25:26 > 0:25:30back to the clear up and the possible cause of the incident.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Right now, we need to get this lane reopened and get this traffic
0:25:34 > 0:25:36flowing out of Newcastle as quickly as we possibly can.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38The A1 is going to be affected as well,
0:25:38 > 0:25:39so back to patrolling that
0:25:39 > 0:25:42and making sure that's run as it needs to be.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Thankfully, the Tyne & Wear Fire Service got to the scene quickly
0:25:47 > 0:25:48and managed to put out the flames,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52but reopening the road won't be straightforward.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55We are getting the car recovered, but even if the car's recovered,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57we're not going to be in a position to open this road.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01That's because all this metal has just melted in.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03It's molten into the road surface.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06This happens a lot at road traffic collisions where,
0:26:06 > 0:26:07if you get a big collision,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10we clear the accident but the road remains closed
0:26:10 > 0:26:13because the local authorities sometimes have got
0:26:13 > 0:26:17to dig the road up and re-lay it before it can be safely reopened.
0:26:17 > 0:26:18That's still smoking, that.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21It's still smouldering.
0:26:23 > 0:26:2645 minutes later, a truck arrives to shift the burnt-out car
0:26:26 > 0:26:29and council workmen can start clearing up the road.
0:26:30 > 0:26:31Needs a new arrow.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35You not got any white paint on you?
0:26:35 > 0:26:37- Tippex?- Tippex!
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Much to the relief of the people trying to get home,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43the road won't need completely resurfacing tonight,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46meaning traffic can start flowing again.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49We've had a look at it with the engineer and the road is ready to be
0:26:49 > 0:26:52reopened, so, all this traffic backing up out of Newcastle
0:26:52 > 0:26:54towards the A1, we can get that going again.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Right on rush hour now, 4:20pm on a Tuesday afternoon, so...
0:26:57 > 0:27:02..let's go away and get these good people of Newcastle home.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08With traffic moving once more, it's been an eventful end to the day.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10But it could have been a whole lot worse.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15That lady, thankfully, she didn't have the kids in the car with her.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18There was just her as a driver, an adult driver.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21She was able to get out straightaway and get herself safe.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23She was on her way to pick the kids up from school,
0:27:23 > 0:27:24so she has got a young family.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28If that car had caught fire 10 or 15 minutes later,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30it could have been two kids in the back-seat.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33So you've got a car on fire, you've got to move the seats forward,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35you've got to get people out the back-seat.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Horrendously difficult to do, so she's been lucky.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Further investigations revealed the car fire in Tyne & Wear
0:27:48 > 0:27:51started after a major electrical fault.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54The uninsured driver's car was later scrapped.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56The motorist received eight points on his licence
0:27:56 > 0:28:01and was fined more than £1,250, including costs.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05And the driver of the overloaded truck was interviewed under caution
0:28:05 > 0:28:08and is due before magistrates.