Retro, my friend was also a Class 1 Traffic Officer. He regularly patrolled the North Section of the M62 in Manchester. This was in the early 70's, when the M62 had first opened opened. No central barriers; no lighting. It was a total death trap. One section, between J16 & J17 was well known as Death Valley, which was very appropriate. People were killed there every week. And who was it that always copped for the "Deathograms"? My mate. It got to him in the end. Every week having to go and tell someone that their son/father/daughter was dead after having helped to drag their mangled bodies from the wreckage, then having to write write it all up, with the images still in his mind.
A policemans' lot is not a happy one.