0:00:02 > 0:00:04The A1, Britain's longest road...
0:00:05 > 0:00:09..stretching almost 400 miles from the City of London
0:00:09 > 0:00:11to 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 > 0:00:35I thought, "I'm going to lose my life."
0:00:35 > 0:00:36Cars are coming close.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38It is a dangerous place to be.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Lives can hang in the balance.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44The rear-end of that vehicle is 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 > 0:00:54..there's a team of people who keep us safe from harm.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56The police...
0:00:58 > 0:00:59..response teams...
0:00:59 > 0:01:01We don't know whether they've got the road closed
0:01:01 > 0:01:04- or we don't know what's happened. - ..and traffic officers...
0:01:06 > 0:01:07Keep going.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10..keeping Britain's most iconic road...
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Get out!
0:01:12 > 0:01:13..on the move.
0:01:13 > 0:01:14HORN BLARES
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Substantially damaged flatbed truck in lane two.
0:01:17 > 0:01:22The A1, the monster that it is, will start to return to normal.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26Coming up...
0:01:26 > 0:01:31a race against time to the scene of a head-on collision...
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Two vehicles coming together on a road like this,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37you're looking at 100mph-plus impacts.
0:01:37 > 0:01:38MAN CRIES OUT
0:01:38 > 0:01:43A lorry overturns and brings chaos to the Great North Road...
0:01:43 > 0:01:46So he's had to try and swerve to avoid and he's overturned.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49And a reckless speeder...
0:01:49 > 0:01:5188mph in a 50.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54..putting workers' lives at risk.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58You're barrelling into their roadworks doing 88mph.
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Seriously not cool.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08The A1 is a 400-mile superhighway,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11a key artery from Central London through the fields of Lincolnshire,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15past the northern powerhouses of Leeds and Newcastle
0:02:15 > 0:02:16before crossing the border
0:02:16 > 0:02:19and ending at Edinburgh's Waverley Station.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23In all, 15 police forces
0:02:23 > 0:02:27are tasked with keeping Britain's longest road safe.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32At its most northerly point, it's the job of Police Scotland.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Nearly 20 miles from Edinburgh,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40PCs Stewart Logan and Davie Johnson are patrolling the A1...
0:02:42 > 0:02:43..and it's not long before they're
0:02:43 > 0:02:47called to a crash on a road that runs alongside the main carriageway.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Roger, mate.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Yeah, we are listening. We're en route from Haddington.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07With one of the casualties thought to be in a serious condition,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Stewart and Davie need to get there fast.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14We're en route to what's been deemed a head-on collision
0:03:14 > 0:03:17on this road, which is the A6093,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20which is running parallel to the A1.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22As you can see, it's just a two-way undivided road,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24but it'll be a national speed limit,
0:03:24 > 0:03:30so you'll be looking at vehicles travelling legally up to 60mph,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33and then when you're looking at two vehicles coming together on
0:03:33 > 0:03:35a road like this, you're looking at
0:03:35 > 0:03:38potentially 100mph-plus impacts
0:03:38 > 0:03:42because of the nature of the speeds.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Within minutes of getting the call,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Stewart and Davie are at the scene of the crash.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54It looks like the van appears to have pulled out into the path
0:03:54 > 0:03:58of this, but we'll jump out and we'll assess it from there.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03It's clear this is a serious incident
0:04:03 > 0:04:05and with no ambulance on the scene yet,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09the first priority is to check on the injured.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12- Hi, Fraser.- Chap here's complaining of chest pains...
0:04:12 > 0:04:14- Yeah.- ..and pain in his leg.- OK.
0:04:14 > 0:04:15Alan's going to get an ETA for the ambulance
0:04:15 > 0:04:17just to find out what's happening.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- Is this the driver of the van here? - Yes. Uh-huh.- Right, OK.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26A 72-year-old man is in the back of the car in considerable pain,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30but police don't want to move him until paramedics arrive.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Hello, chap, have you got a wee second?
0:04:32 > 0:04:36In the meantime, Stewart interviews the van driver.
0:04:36 > 0:04:37What's happened, then?
0:04:38 > 0:04:39Uh-huh.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45So you were coming this way?
0:04:45 > 0:04:46Yeah.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48And she was sitting, waiting to turn right?
0:04:48 > 0:04:49Oh, right.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52Oh, right.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Right, OK. Right, no problem at all.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Are you all right in yourself?
0:05:00 > 0:05:01Right.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04The seatbelt or whatever, or just the impact from it?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Right, OK. No bother.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10What to do, sir, is you just take your time.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13We've got an ambulance coming, so we'll get you checked out anyway
0:05:13 > 0:05:15cos you've obviously had a heck of a dunt.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21The ambulance has arrived and the crew start work on releasing
0:05:21 > 0:05:23the badly injured man from the car.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26I can support you here. Just take your time. OK?
0:05:26 > 0:05:29MAN CRIES OUT
0:05:30 > 0:05:35The old gentleman who's in the vehicle is going to be treated
0:05:35 > 0:05:38by the emergency staff from the ambulance
0:05:38 > 0:05:41and then we'll get an assessment on what we need to do,
0:05:41 > 0:05:43but at the minute, we'll leave the situation locked down
0:05:43 > 0:05:47because, again, we need to be tentative because of his age.
0:05:47 > 0:05:48MAN CRIES OUT
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Do you want the Fire Service?
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Get the board under his bum and just slide him with the board.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55MAN CRIES OUT
0:05:55 > 0:05:56- MAN:- Aah! No!
0:05:59 > 0:06:02With the passenger in so much pain,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05the ambulance crew are struggling to free him from the car.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09If they can't release him soon, Stewart will have no choice
0:06:09 > 0:06:12but to call the fire brigade to cut him out.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15The next half hour will be critical.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23The A1 is the scene of more than 2,000 accidents every year.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26A large proportion of these occur where there's the greatest
0:06:26 > 0:06:30volume of traffic, such as the stretch of the road near Durham.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36It's 7.30am and Highways England traffic officers
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Peter Senior and Scott Wilson
0:06:38 > 0:06:41are heading into heavy rush-hour traffic
0:06:41 > 0:06:45when they get a report of a serious incident north of Durham.
0:06:50 > 0:06:56We'll head south in case 4-2 need any assistance. Over.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00An overturned lorry could mean serious injuries
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and, with a fire engine rushing towards the scene,
0:07:03 > 0:07:04it doesn't look good.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08We'll hit all the emergency lights and we'll pick our way through.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Even though the accident is on the other side of the road,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Peter and Scott are finding it difficult
0:07:17 > 0:07:19to battle through the traffic.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23This is all down to rubbernecking at the minute.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28And as Peter and Scott arrive at the scene, it's clear why.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31You can see the incident coming up now on the opposite carriageway.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43A 17-tonne truck has overturned after colliding with a 4x4...
0:07:44 > 0:07:46..and is now on its side,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49blocking a lane of traffic and the hard shoulder.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55Scott's first priority is to find out if there are any injuries.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Now, then, how are you doing?
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Amazingly, the lorry driver is shaken, but unhurt,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03after what sounds like a terrifying accident.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09He was overtaking an LGV and he pulled into lane one,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11not expecting to see anything,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14then there was, for some reason, a bit of traffic,
0:08:14 > 0:08:16so he's had to try and swerve to avoid,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19clipped one of them and he's overturned.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Thankfully, there's been no injuries,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23but he's had a lucky escape, to be honest.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28And paramedics have also given the driver of the silver 4x4
0:08:28 > 0:08:29the all-clear.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32With traffic still moving past,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Scott's keen to get him off the carriageway,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38so police escort him and his damaged vehicle away.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42With everyone safe,
0:08:42 > 0:08:47Peter and Scott can now concentrate on trying to clear the carriageway.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49We're keeping lane two running for the moment.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52We've got recovery en route for the LGV.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55When it's getting righted, we will have to put a full stop
0:08:55 > 0:08:58on the carriageway just to get it back on its wheels.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02But moving the lorry could be harder than they think.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Scott's just discovered it's beginning to leak its load
0:09:07 > 0:09:09all over the carriageway.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Yes, yes. That is containing milk
0:09:11 > 0:09:13and it has started to go into the gully.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18The lorry was transporting 3,000 litres of milk
0:09:18 > 0:09:19from Leeds to Gateshead.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24It may not sound like a hazardous fluid, but if it's not stopped,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27it could have an impact on the local environment.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30A little bit can cause a big danger.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32If it gets into drains and gets into the waterworks,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34it can kill fish and all sorts of things.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Using a specialist absorbent,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40the team mop up the leaks as best they can.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45But as the recovery cranes arrive to right the lorry,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Peter's worried that disturbing the load
0:09:48 > 0:09:50could make the spill even worse.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54It's full of milk cartons. Some of them have burst open.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58We won't really know anything else now until they right the vehicle.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01If the whole load spills,
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Peter and Scott could face an environmental threat
0:10:03 > 0:10:07on top of the traffic problems already unfolding.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11It's going to be a testing morning for the traffic officers.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21More than 110 miles north near Edinburgh,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23the emergency services are also tackling
0:10:23 > 0:10:26another challenging and serious situation.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33A1 patrol officers PCs Stewart Logan and Davey Johnson are
0:10:33 > 0:10:38at the scene of a horrific head-on collision between a car and a van.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Luckily, the driver of the van has escaped with just minor injuries.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54But a 72-year-old passenger is still in the back of the car
0:10:54 > 0:10:58with a suspected broken leg and suffering severe abdominal pain.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00PASSENGER GROANS IN PAIN
0:11:00 > 0:11:02- MAN:- Aah! No!
0:11:02 > 0:11:05He urgently needs medical attention.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15- Well done, well done. - You've not far to go.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18So far, the man's injuries have made paramedics apprehensive about moving
0:11:18 > 0:11:23him from the vehicle, but they need to transport him to hospital.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- PASSENGER GROANS - I know, I know, I know.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28With his condition not improving,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32they decide he'll have to make a painful exit from the car.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34GROANING CONTINUES
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Finally, after 15 minutes, he's free from the vehicle.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Is most of the pain coming from your left leg?
0:11:46 > 0:11:47- Leg and his chest.- Just the left.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51The injured man is an American tourist on holiday
0:11:51 > 0:11:53with his wife and friends.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57They were due to fly home in the next 24 hours.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59But with the man needing hospital treatment,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02it could be weeks before he's well enough to travel.
0:12:02 > 0:12:07The main concern is down to age. The gentleman's 72.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10People's bodies just can't cope with the same level of injury
0:12:10 > 0:12:13as younger people can, so we therefore have to be quite tentative
0:12:13 > 0:12:15about how we go about dealing with it.
0:12:17 > 0:12:18The man's injuries are serious,
0:12:18 > 0:12:22but Stewart knows things could have been significantly worse.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27In a collision of this level, if both vehicles had been older,
0:12:27 > 0:12:28then, yes, you'll be looking
0:12:28 > 0:12:31probably at more serious injuries on the...
0:12:31 > 0:12:33certainly the driver of the Nissan,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36because they'll have taken quite a whack of the impact.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Everybody involved in the crash was wearing a seatbelt
0:12:41 > 0:12:43and that will have saved their lives.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47You could be the driver of this van, driving along the road,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49minding completely your own business,
0:12:49 > 0:12:51and then two seconds later,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54a vehicle crosses your path and you're involved
0:12:54 > 0:12:55in a head-on collision with it.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Anyone who thinks, "I'll be OK, I'm only going two minutes up the road,"
0:12:58 > 0:13:02well, this is the consequence of the things that we witness
0:13:02 > 0:13:03and you just never know.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07As the man is taken to hospital,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Stewart and Davey get to work clearing the road,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13so that some of the local traffic can get moving again.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17We're going to tow this vehicle back a bit, using our X5,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20so that we can at least get the road partially open.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24While the clear-up continues, some of the surrounding roads
0:13:24 > 0:13:30must stay closed, but not everyone wants to follow the police signs.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32If you wait there for us.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Can you wait there for us?
0:13:41 > 0:13:43We have road closed signs at both ends of this road
0:13:43 > 0:13:45and as you can see,
0:13:45 > 0:13:49people come along and just say, "Oh, well, I'll just drive through it..."
0:13:49 > 0:13:53paying absolutely no consideration for what that sign means.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55It means the road's closed, so if it says closed,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58it means you cannae drive through it.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Is there still a sign in the middle of the road
0:14:00 > 0:14:02- saying the road's closed?- Yes.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04You know, there's people's safety at risk here.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07I'm out sweeping up debris in the middle of the road
0:14:07 > 0:14:11and you're coming battering along on a national speed limit road
0:14:11 > 0:14:13just because you've decided you can't be bothered
0:14:13 > 0:14:15complying with a road closed sign.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18You know, they're there for a reason, so if you see one,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21then please do what it says.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Before long, the van and the car are recovered
0:14:26 > 0:14:29and the road's treated to soak up any oil and fuel spillages.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34As the traffic starts to flow again,
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Stewart and Davey can finally head back to the A1.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Nearly 120 miles south of rural Scotland
0:14:47 > 0:14:50is one of the busiest sections of the A1 near Durham.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55It's here traffic officers Peter Senior and Scott Wilson
0:14:55 > 0:14:58are dealing with a serious accident.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05A lorry carrying 3,000 litres of milk has overturned.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08The driver has escaped unhurt,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10but his load is leaking all over the carriageway,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14with potentially devastating effects for local wildlife.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20It's a dramatic scene and passing drivers are slowing down to look,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24so Scott needs to try and keep everything moving.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28People slow up and it is a danger and it also hinders the traffic
0:15:28 > 0:15:31and makes traffic further back slow down and there can be
0:15:31 > 0:15:33further shunts further and further back,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35not even close to this incident.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39It's going to take two heavy recovery vehicles
0:15:39 > 0:15:42to right the 17-tonne lorry
0:15:42 > 0:15:43and the road will need to be clear.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46We do have to stop the whole carriageway
0:15:46 > 0:15:50to get the vehicle back on its wheels, so it is going to cause
0:15:50 > 0:15:54a few further delays, but it's just one of those unfortunate things.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58The specialist recovery team get started,
0:15:58 > 0:16:03raising the lorry with inflating cushions and onto wooden blocks.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10They can then secure the winch underneath, ready to pull.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12- Is it getting ready now, is it? - I would think so.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16It's time for Scott to step out into the traffic to shut the road.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Reporting Alpha Charlie Echo 4-1.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23That's the traffic stopped by hand. Over.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31But as the recovery truck starts to pull the lorry
0:16:31 > 0:16:34slowly onto its wheels, there's a problem.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40As they're starting to winch the truck over,
0:16:40 > 0:16:44because all the cargo's lying against the side of the wagon,
0:16:44 > 0:16:48the side's starting to split out of it, so what their concern is,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50if they get it so far, and it suddenly bursts,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53we're going to have milk burst all over the carriageway.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58The consequences would be serious,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01so the team have no choice but to stop.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07The lorry's sides simply aren't designed to bear
0:17:07 > 0:17:10the three-tonne weight of the load and so they need to secure them
0:17:10 > 0:17:14with heavy-duty straps before they can continue.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18But with the road closed, and traffic building,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21they need to work quickly.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Closing the road is a huge decision for traffic officers
0:17:29 > 0:17:33and it can happen because of breakdowns, rather than accidents.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Further south on the A1 in Doncaster,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41it's a chilly Friday morning.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46RAC patrol Noel Bonner has just started his shift.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49The roads can be a little bit busier on Fridays.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51It can cause a little bit of traffic.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56This stretch of the A1 - there's very little hard shoulder,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58so it makes it quite dangerous when people break down.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Within a few minutes of joining the road,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Noel receives his first call-out of the day.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09We've just got a job on the Doncaster bypass, so the A1M.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11We've got a vehicle that's got a puncture.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14It's had a blowout and it's got no spare with it,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17so we're going to go and see what we can sort out with that.
0:18:20 > 0:18:2359-year-old grandmother Janet
0:18:23 > 0:18:26was driving alone when her tyre blew out.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Hiya. Who's Janet? Hi, Janet. Right.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33We'll get something sorted for you and get you on your way.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Well, I was driving from my house to my daughter's
0:18:36 > 0:18:39and they heard a noise... I pulled over and found my tyre out.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44I phoned my daughter up and she's come out with friends to my rescue.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48It's been really scary.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Shocked me. It has shocked me.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57With no spare wheel in Janet's car, Noel has to use a special one
0:18:57 > 0:19:00he carries that fits most makes of vehicles.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Wheel's going to be fine. It's just where it's shredded,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06just makes it more difficult to pull them off. That's all.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12- He's doing really well. Yeah. - Fast service!- Brilliant.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14He's definitely my hero.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Noel knows the hard shoulder is no place to gather your family...
0:19:18 > 0:19:21..because, on average, around 50 people are killed
0:19:21 > 0:19:25or seriously injured in accidents at the roadside every year.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28You don't realise how fast the vehicles are going
0:19:28 > 0:19:29while you're stood here.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32- They are going at some speed.- Yeah.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38This is what scared me. I didn't like being out here on my own.
0:19:38 > 0:19:39Yeah.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45Within just 25 minutes, Noel has got Janet's car ready to rejoin the A1.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48- She'll laugh about it tonight when she's in bed.- Yeah.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52- When I'm nice and warm in bed.- Yeah.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Keep on the hard shoulder because you're within 200 yards.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Just take your time and then just watch out for any traffic
0:19:59 > 0:20:01that's coming off to then merge into it.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Noel has got Janet safely away from a dangerous situation.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08The majority of the time we're helping people
0:20:08 > 0:20:11on the A1 who are happy to see you.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13They're happy that they're going to get something sorted.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18Along with the road noise and the wind and the chill factor,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21it does make it a scary place to be.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28But more than 90 miles further north at the A1 in County Durham,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32traffic officers are still tackling another high-risk job...
0:20:32 > 0:20:35A recovery team is battling to lift an overturned truck
0:20:35 > 0:20:39which is carrying 3,000 litres of milk.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43They've been forced to stop the winch after worries
0:20:43 > 0:20:46the pressure of the load could cause the sides
0:20:46 > 0:20:48of the lorry to burst at any second.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Scott has no choice but to reopen the outside lane
0:20:54 > 0:20:58while they try and secure the sides to prevent a major spill.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Our aim is to keep traffic moving, that's why we're here.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08So instead of having it all stopped while they put more straps round it,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11it's safe enough to keep things moving in lane two.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15Then when they're ready, I'll stop it again by hand and then
0:21:15 > 0:21:17we'll go and try and re-right it again.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19It's now 11am.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23Peter and Scott have been at the scene for three-and-a-half hours.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26There are massive tailbacks,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29but this is one job the recovery team can't rush.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Soon, the heavy-duty straps are in place, and they're ready to go.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38So once again, Scott needs to stop the traffic.
0:21:38 > 0:21:39Charlie Echo 4-1.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43We've just temporarily hand-stopped traffic while they reposition
0:21:43 > 0:21:45this LGV, over.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51A mechanical winch begins to lift the truck.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56While a second cable on the other side ensures the lorry,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59and its precarious cargo, is lowered very gently.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08They've managed to get the wagon back on its wheels.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Luckily, the big extra strap they put round
0:22:11 > 0:22:13prevented the side from bursting over.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Some milk is still leaking.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19But thankfully, it's only minor,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22and the team are able to shovel it away.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Now the priority is to get the traffic moving.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31As the milk lorry is towed away,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Scott and Peter remove the cones
0:22:33 > 0:22:36and traffic is released into the inside lane.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Alpha Charlie Echo 4-1.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41That's the lane one closure now removed,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43you can reset your signs, over.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51Finally, after more than four hours, Peter and Scott can be on their way.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55And the major spill they feared has been averted.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03If it had gone, it would have caused a lot of problems.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06It's one of the worst things you can spill, isn't it, milk?
0:23:06 > 0:23:10Why, there's no point crying over spilt milk, is there?
0:23:10 > 0:23:12That's true. So they say.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Thankfully, overturned milk lorries
0:23:22 > 0:23:25AREN'T an everyday occurrence on the A1.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27But sadly, speeding motorists ARE.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33It's a constant problem for the A1 police patrols,
0:23:33 > 0:23:34especially in roadworks
0:23:34 > 0:23:39when speed restrictions are in place to protect workers.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43CAMERA BEEPS
0:23:43 > 0:23:4461.
0:23:47 > 0:23:4967.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52That's absolutely outrageous, 67mph in a 40.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57It's 10:20 in the evening on the A1 near Newcastle
0:23:57 > 0:24:01and PC Alan Keenleyside is on the lookout for speeding drivers...
0:24:03 > 0:24:06..in a 50 mile an hour stretch of roadworks near Dunston.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14So, I've got colleagues of mine from our partner agencies,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17from Highways England, from construction firms,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21actually working on the road surface of the A1 northbound tonight.
0:24:21 > 0:24:27And clearly the dangers of speeding on the roads,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29at this exact stretch of road here,
0:24:29 > 0:24:33last year saw a fatal road traffic collision at high speed.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37One vehicle lost control,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40overturned and the driver of that vehicle was killed.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47It's Friday night, the most common day of the week to have an accident,
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and Alan doesn't want speeders taking any chances
0:24:50 > 0:24:53with the lives of the workforce on the road.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59And it's not long before he spots a clear offender.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06His onboard camera shows the car in front in the outside lane
0:25:06 > 0:25:09travelling well over 80mph.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19Using a detection device, he's able to record the car's average speed.
0:25:19 > 0:25:2288 miles an hour in a 50.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26And the driver's not done yet.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28And he's getting quicker.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Alan has to get up to more than 90mph to catch up.
0:25:34 > 0:25:35Flash the blue light.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37SIREN WAILS
0:25:37 > 0:25:40It's time to pull this driver over.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44We've got roadworks on with a full road closure
0:25:44 > 0:25:46and I've got the driver at 88mph,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50so we'll be stopping this driver and having a word.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54I think this is a driver that potentially knows
0:25:54 > 0:25:56he's possibly in a spot of bother.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Hello, how are you? Do you know why I've stopped you this evening?
0:26:04 > 0:26:06What sort of speed do you think you were doing
0:26:06 > 0:26:07when I put the blue lights on to alert you?
0:26:07 > 0:26:12- Um, 70, 80?- 70, 80? OK. And the speed limit is?
0:26:12 > 0:26:14- 50.- 50.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18I've got it recorded at 88mph. OK?
0:26:18 > 0:26:21The average stopping distance for a car doing 80mph
0:26:21 > 0:26:24is more than 120 metres.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28The equivalent of around 27 car lengths.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30A collision with road workers or their equipment
0:26:30 > 0:26:34would almost certainly have resulted in fatalities.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40So, it took you 14.705 seconds, all right?
0:26:40 > 0:26:45To cover a distance of 0.3604 miles.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47So that equates to your average speed being...
0:26:47 > 0:26:5088 miles an hour in a 50.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Certainly way over the top, isn't it?
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Appreciate you're on your way home from work, all right?
0:26:55 > 0:26:58But there's actually guys on this bit of the road here
0:26:58 > 0:26:59who are at work on the A1.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03And you're barrelling into their roadworks doing 88mph.
0:27:03 > 0:27:04Seriously not cool.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09The driver is immediately facing penalty points and a fine.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence
0:27:12 > 0:27:14if you don't mention now something you later rely on in court.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Anything you do say may be given in evidence.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22I don't usually speed, I usually stick to the speed limit.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Just a bit eager to get home today.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Probably lucky I'm not losing my licence.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38For Alan, this has been a typical Friday night job.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41People have had a pretty rubbish week at work
0:27:41 > 0:27:43and they just want to get home to the wife and kids.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46But do you know what? It doesn't matter how bad your week's been,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49don't bring that frustration, that tiredness, onto the A1.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Because people get hurt on the A1
0:27:51 > 0:27:53and that's the last thing anybody wants.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04The American tourist who was injured in the head-on collision
0:28:04 > 0:28:06spent more than three weeks in hospital
0:28:06 > 0:28:10before returning home to the States to continue his recovery.