Safe Speed Forums

I've been a reader here for a while but an incident this morning has prompted me to speak up and I'd like some opinions on something that happened to me this morning.

While driving down an A road (NSL) this morning a police car appeared at a side turning and after hesitating pulled out in front of me, mounting the kerb as it did so. It then dawdled along forcing me to slow to about 35MPH. After the next bend it speeded up a little to 45MPH so as it was a clear straight I overtook, nice clean maneuver with no other vehicles in sight. After some nice twisties (taken at a steady 60MPH) the copper caught me and needless to say the blue lights came on. After I stopped the conversation that followed surprised me...

Young female copper steps out of the patrol car and meets me at the rear of my car (I know I haven't done anything wrong so am feeling a bit feisty, much to my wife's distress ).

WPC: I know I pulled out in front of you but when I started the maneuver you weren’t in sight, but overtaking a police car is not the done thing.

Me: And you mounted the kerb, you didn't seem to be paying attention.

WPC: When you passed me I was doing the speed limit.

Me: No you weren't, immediately after I'd overtaken you I set my cruise control at 60MPH. You were doing about 45.

WPC: I've run the vehicle licence number and I need you to prove your identity.

I show her my driving license.

WPC: overtaking a police car is not the done thing.

I'm speechless. No more is said. The conversation ends and we part ways.

I don't know what she was up to, was I supposed feel like I'd been ticked off? For what? And what the hell does "overtaking a police car is not the done thing" mean?

This is the most pathetic and petty minded policing I've ever come across. I was being ticked off by a silly girl who can't even drive

Was I wrong to overtake a police car? I'm sure there are no rules against it.

difference of opinion.... nothing legally enforceable.

had something similar with going 'too fast' after an 'accident police slow' sign.

very annoying, best forgotten. write a letter if it makes you feel better.

Perhaps in a couple of weeks time she will feel differently.

If you have described the situation fairly and accurately, I would say you did nothing wrong.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

This story demonstrates:

- the changing attitudes of the public to the police (possibly due to road policing policies)
- the attitude of the police to the public (poor attitude by younger officers)

Sad, isn't it.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

Yeah. Unbelieveable.

Could she have been a special or a PCSO or something?

If she'd said that to me I think I'd have burst out laughing.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

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http://www.nitrucking.tk

Karl - start a new topic in the General section - that way people will have some idea of what you are looking for!
Tell them what's great about haulage in the province, and why it flourishes there - a lot of us probably have no idea!

I had a look at the site, and no doubt there are some interested drivers reading and posting here.

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

I know it is not quite the same but on Motorways I frequenstly see police cars cruising along in the left hand lane at 60-65. I remember in the "olden days" traffic was reluctant to overtake, so it would be a rolling road block. Everyone just ignores them now and goes past at 70-75.

Overtaking is not illegal. It is also another potential driving test failure if you stay behind a slow moving car when it is safe to overtake, police car or not.

The only reason for not overtaking a police car is if there is a STOP sign showing on the back of the car..

Rule number 1 when being stopped by a WPC....do not call her "Luv"

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Speed camera policy Kills

It is sad, and laughable. The attitude of the WPC was appalling and did nothing to enhance my (already limited) respect for the police. She didn't disagree with any of the points I made about her driving yet felt justified in admonishing me for doing something that is perfectly legal.

If the situation arose again I would behave in exactly the same way.

Pieman,

You have to understtand that this onlyhappened whilst the new WPC became familiar with her car.

Driving on the pavement, as well as at 159 mph in the dark is perfectly acceptable if you're in the force. In fact, they are being taught to walk on water as we speak.

Quite right about the overtaking too. What you should have done on seeing the police car and having had the disgusting thought about an overtaking manoeuvre, as simple as it might have been, would be to stop and fill in the latest blank S172 forms available on the web everywhere and send it in with sixty quid because they need your money and as you have admitted to driving a car - you should pay.

I don't know, Pieman. After all this speed enforcement stuff how you could contemplate driving in excess of 10 mph is beyond me.

P of A. Get yourself a "red flag". Dangle it on a fishing rod (with flashing LED red light) so that the flag can be seen by any drunks out on a rural countryside road at 4am too (God we nearly forgot thyat kids sometimes do play on these sorts of roads - and motorways too, especially between Reading and Swindon).

It's actually considered good practice and jolly-well-amenable to set up a direct debit to the police force, so that they can take any number of sixty quids at any time they like. This softens the blow for them when they catch you driving over cat's eyes on the road and the like - while they know they can count on your cash - well the sytem runs faultlessly and everyone os happy.

Remember, you have had the verbal NIP over this one (overtaking a pilice car) so you may as well pay up anyway.

Other matters: Some (erm, well 2 people actually) on here are convinced that everyone must obey the law at all times. In light of the recent decision to persecute a motorist who drove his land rover at a staggering six miles an hour across the white stop line at a set of traffic lights to get out of the way; one jolly nice fellow actually said he'd be quite happy for one of his children to die in the back of an ambulance if it meant everyone was obeying the law. What a wonderful man to say such a thing - his kids can die in the back of an ambulance delayed by gridlock rather than anyone else (police aside {see top of post}) do something like drive up the kirb to get out of the way - because we all know that this is illegal and should cost sixty quid.

Too right, saving the life of someone in an ambulance should cost more than £60. Perhaps everyone who sees anyone drive across a stop line to let an ambulance through without immediately ringing "999" to get the boys (and girls) out in force to stop this sort of menacing maniac should have to pay £60 too??? Hmmmm could make a lot more cash, I suppose.

Ok, OK, OK. I'll stop now.

Reality check:- For doing this, the police are a sad joke and bring the whole system into disrepute

No reason not to overtake a Police car legally.

The few times i have passed one on single carriageway NSL they have even moved over slightly to let me know they have seen my approach.

From what you have described i would be very surprised if she was a Traffic Officer, and i am sure those Traffic Police on this forum will be as surprised as you that she pulled you over.

Maybe she got rejected for Advanced Driver training and has made it her mission to stop drivers for no reason?

I wonder if it was the same young WPC I saw overtake me whilst exceeding the speed limit, drinking an drink and putting her seatbelt on.

If so then I can vouch for her driving ability.

From this weeks Sunday Times...

Pieman, the pic or link you posted does not seem to be linking properly. Or is it just my browser

Anyways, what a great thread. I have always wondered about this myself. I have just never got up the nerve to actually overtake one they always seem to be hitting the limit on the button when I am around

Oh well, maybe one day.

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Another day, another ticket.

Oops,

Neverind Pieman it is comin through now. Sorry.

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Another day, another ticket.

The only time I've ever overtaken a police car has been on the motorway, when they've been stuck in the left hand lane doing about 68. It seems that all the traffic bunches up into L2 and L3 doing 75, and slowly creeps their way past, until the police car's a 'safe distance' away, at which point everyone goes back to the 85 they were doing before. Madness!

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-mike[F]
Caught in the rush of the crowd, lost in a wall of sound..

Never overtaken police cars, However have been tailgated by a few.

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Oct 11 Birmingham Half Marathon. I am running for the British Heart Foundation.
http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-Taylor

On the rare occasions when I actually see them on the motorway doing 60 - 65 I will happily pass them while all the others around are reacting like headless chickens by pulling into L2 and staring frantically at the speedo to make sure that they are doing exactly 70 - while being apparently unaware that they only have a 0.3 second gap to the vehicle in front and the same to the vehicle behind. This is really not safe, but you see it all the time as after all speed is the only thing to worry about. I will happily drive past at 80 or so leaving a safe gap, and have never been stopped yet. That is never been stopped by the Police, for anything, ever.

However in town it is different - on the local ring road which is 3 lanes wide and has a thirty limit, you cannot get close to the Police cars because they are all going too fast (except where the camera is located). On the open road I have never had the opportunity to overtake, mainly because they are so rare, and if you do see them they are always speeding. The last I do remember seeing was a pair of Police vans on the A491 (the one that had a limit reduction, lane removed, etc) that flew past me at 90 odd in the 60 limit looking for all the world like a pair of boy racers having a race with each other, and seeing who would brake last for the roundabout. They hadn't bothered with lights, so I assume that they were late for the doughnuts or something.

Had a friendly encounter with a trafpol car out on the M4 last night. Cruising along at a nice steady 80 in L2 as part of a 4-5 car train, overtaking a bunch of stuff in L1, when I see in my wing mirror some rather dazzling pure white xenons approaching in L3. Wanting to get them out of my mirrors sooner rather than later I dropped down to about 75 and waited for the car to pass. Looking over to the right as it did so, I noticed the trafpol markings... It then disappeared on down L3 doing around 85-90, without any indication that it was in any way concerned about all of us terribly naughty people in L2 speeding along the Queens Highway. All in all a nice bit of visible road policing that didn't cause anyone to suddenly slam on the brakes or otherwise panic about their speed.

I've passed quite a few on motorways when they've been tootling along in lane 1. Keep the speed below about 85 on the clock and they don't seem to bother. That's been my experience so far.

Best wishes all,
Dave.