Vehicle and Aircraft Recovery 1980-2000
This playlist contains rare archive footage documenting vehicle recovery operations, road traffic accidents and breakdown incidents from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. These videos provide an authentic record of how vehicle recovery was carried out before many of today's modern techniques, equipment and safety procedures became standard practice. Most incidents were filmed on major roads in Surrey and South London, particularly the A3, Kingston Bypass and Esher Bypass, although other locations are also featured.
Many of the vehicles, recovery trucks, companies and working practices featured no longer exist, making these films an increasingly valuable historical record of the British vehicle recovery industry. Some footage includes serious accidents and incidents that resulted in injury or loss of life. The videos are presented for their historical, educational and documentary value.
Many of today's recovery operators will be shocked at the techniques used and the lack of PPE. However, although Risk Assessments were not written down, we all risk assess in real time, throughout the job. The work was done with no hydraulic safety cut-offs, but a good man could hear just by the tension on a cable when he was stressing it too far, and there needed to be another snatch block in the line.
All videos in this playlist
See also the companion playlist of Vehicle and Aircraft Recovery after 2000, and the story of Miss Milly Tant.
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