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Covert Surveillance and Road Laws

A lot of readers of my blogs will have seen recent shows including Hunted and Police Interceptors but how does Covert Surveillance and Road Laws combine when it’s shown as fast paced adrenaline filled driving.

Private investigators and surveillance operatives are still classed as civillians so the rules still apply but can they be bent a little? Let’s discuss. 

Hands Free Driving

I have completed surveillance courses and assisting in the teaching of surveillance courses and one of the things everyone struggles learning is the multi-tasking whilst behind the wheel. At speed your mind simply fills up and things can get dangerous. 

The tasks include; 

  • Driving – obviously
  • Recording evidence – if its an insurance case and the subject claims to not be able to drive due to anxiety after a crash that is crucial
  • Map reading – knowing where you are and where you’re going is essential 
  • Vehicle Tracking – sometimes instead of directly following we will follow our technical capabilities to prevent any compromises 
  • Communicating – a huge part of surveillance is teamwork and the team needs to know where the subject is and where they’re going

 

Now doing all that at motorway speeds doesn’t sound safe but with the right kit, equipment and training it is. The best example is our cameras. These are mounted and we run remotes so that we can press record as and when evidence presents itself. I won’t show you how, that would be telling.. 

The Law is Clear

Regardless of being a smooth and slick surveillance operative, covert surveillance and road laws still apply in their entirety. 

We can’t run through red lights, speed or perform dangerous manoeuvres such as under-taking. Even the police under blue lights won’t under-take and will be persuasive of getting drivers to move from the over-taking lane. 

So for anyone looking to enter the industry as a surveillance operative, take it from me. Speeding to keep up with your subject is not worth it, it’s your licence which is worth more than the cost of an angry client. 

Covert Surveillance and Road Laws

How to Get ahead

The Highway Code is a clear guide on the road laws. However, there are still ways to get ahead to ‘make ground’ to rejoin the team after being the trigger. 

Some most commonly used are; 

  • Jumping roundabouts – this a common and well known tactic where traffic built in other lanes is blown past for the operative to enter the round about and go round as many times as needed to get head 
  • Bus Lanes – commonly used in London, use of Bus Lanes will not amount to points on your licence however, you will end up with fines so if the team are looking to employ this tactic you need to have clearance from your client and the job needs to be at a level to permit the heavy fines
  • Teamwork – one of the best ways for operatives to catch up, especially in traffic is for the team with control of the surveillance to make room of the back markers to slot into. 
  • Local Knowledge or Good Map Reading – if you can pre-empt the destination the subject is travelling to such as their home address. picking an alternative and faster route can often get you ahead of the subject so you get clear evidence of their return without the need to follow them all the way. 

To Finish

Driving and being a Private Investigator go hand in hand. I personally rack up around 20,000 miles on the roads a year according to my MOT. As an investigator specialising in covert surveillance driving on the job hugely increases. 

A few things to note.

Please make sure you are confident driver if you are looking to enter the industry. Suitable courses to assist include Advanced Driving Training. I won’t recommend any companies as there are lots to choose from but Googling RoSPA would be a good place to start. 

Lastly, your licence is yours and yours alone. Don’t lose by not sticking to the law, you will be out of the industry if you do as driving is crucial to the job. Be safe and go steady. 

Thanks, Dan 

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