Overtaking slow moving police cars on country roads...?
Discussion
Had a camera van cause big problems like this on the A75 in Scotland a year or two back.
He surely knew what he was doing.
60 MPH road, and he was driving at 30 with the camera window open. He must have had a tailback of 20 or so cars too scared to pass him.
Overtaking would have bene dangerous, due to the huge queue and some very nervy drivers.
The van pulled over in a layby. I wanted to stop and simply quesiton them about their actions. Don't know much about traffic law but deliberately driving that slow on a busy A road, causeing a massive tailback has to be a case of driving without due care and attention.
Anyway, Mrs W.Cat was driving and she wouldn't stop for me to have a chat with them. There may have been some good reason for it. But the vehilce wasn't a police van as such, had it had blues on or soemthing I could have accepted it as some sort of rolling roadblock.
I think thgough it was a couple of Camera Partnership officers simply having a laugh.
He surely knew what he was doing.
60 MPH road, and he was driving at 30 with the camera window open. He must have had a tailback of 20 or so cars too scared to pass him.
Overtaking would have bene dangerous, due to the huge queue and some very nervy drivers.
The van pulled over in a layby. I wanted to stop and simply quesiton them about their actions. Don't know much about traffic law but deliberately driving that slow on a busy A road, causeing a massive tailback has to be a case of driving without due care and attention.
Anyway, Mrs W.Cat was driving and she wouldn't stop for me to have a chat with them. There may have been some good reason for it. But the vehilce wasn't a police van as such, had it had blues on or soemthing I could have accepted it as some sort of rolling roadblock.
I think thgough it was a couple of Camera Partnership officers simply having a laugh.
London-bound west of Reading on the M4 early one commuting morning. It's not a country road admittedly but it is in the countryside and as a pointer to Police attitudes it couldn't have been better for my money. It was summer, it was light, it was dry, visibility was good. A highly visible marked Police car mostly in the middle lane doing a steady 80 was being followed by a lot of like minded folk, me included, with the overtaking lane empty as a result. In the mirror you could see 'em coming and 99% of them clocked what was happening, slowed down and drew in. One guy though, came up at a good 100, slowed down to a shade over 80 and went slowly past the Police car. Once clear, he indicated, moved into the middle lane and started to increase his speed. The Police car accelerated, overtook him, pulled into the middle lane in front of him and slowed back down to 80. The guy thought about this for a few moments, indicated and pulled out to overtake again. Once he was back in the middle lane the Police car did the same and slowed him down again. Three times they did this. How clearly did the guy need the copper to make his intentions plain? "Drive along with me at 80 and we'll all be fine." This isn't a sentiment the Police officer would be able to say in words, of course, so matey had blown it for himself and presumably was hearing something a bit different now he had been pulled over.
It was hilarious. The guy brought it all on himself.
Irrespective of where you are, in the presence of a Police car, drive normally and within the spirit of the law and you'll be fine. If you think you've got their full attention, drive within the letter of the law. That's what they're after I reckon. If they're going slowly and you can overtake safely, overtake.
It was hilarious. The guy brought it all on himself.
Irrespective of where you are, in the presence of a Police car, drive normally and within the spirit of the law and you'll be fine. If you think you've got their full attention, drive within the letter of the law. That's what they're after I reckon. If they're going slowly and you can overtake safely, overtake.
LeeThr said:
Wills2 said:
LeeThr said:
Wills2 said:
LeeThr said:
CDP said:
Acheron said:
One of the annoying things, is the people who see the police behind them, and feel the need to drop to 25mph in a 30. Whilst i appreciate this is safe and legal, and in certain environments, required, this sometimes creates problems for everyone else stacking up behind, and sometimes forces the impatient one to pull out, realise there's a cop car in the mix and slow down again. Even a speedo reading 30mph isnt actually doing 30mph, so if im behind you, feel free to do 32 or 33. I wont put you before the court for it... 
You won't but I wouldn't like to risk it with every cop on every day of the week as there's a minority who would take this as a threat to their precious authority. When they're in that mood arguing is very counter productive.Not long after i pased my test, i was going along a back road at a steady pace, night time as well, slowed down for the blind corner knowing there's a junction on it as well, and there was a copper sat in the junction who then followed me for the next 3 miles, then pulls me. Breathalised, but she was thick as s
t. Because i'd just passed, all my documents where either down in swansea (DVLA) or in the post. So when she asked me did i have my licence or anything on me I said no, it was wherever due to not long having passed my test. Ok, wanders back off to car to fetch breathaliser machine, comes back, have you got any documents on you. No I havent just told you. breathalises me, goes back to car again. Comes back any documents? No! Goes back to car again whilst on phone/radio, comes back to car ok you can go now. I was half expecting a producer. Which would have fked me up big time because I had nothing to produce.
That symbol indicates I'm being sarcastic ref the "advice" But it's true I got stopped loads when I was a young lad, bombing around back roads late at night is always going to bring you to the attention of plod.
Yer, but I wasnt bombing it thought, having only just passed my test still didnt quite have the confidence on my own to push the loud pedal. I didnt mind being pulled too much I wasnt in a rush to get anywhere. I knew it was going to happen at some point. What botherd me was that this thick woman couldnt get it into her little head that I had no documents on me because I had only just passed. I thought the whole point of this ANPR crap was so they could check it without having to ask for documents?
To be fair it sounds like you 'fail the attitude test' straight away.
And if all you have just passed and all your documents are with the DVLA you probably arn't on the ANPR system.
Back to the original question though, I've over taken police plenty of times in the Peak District. One time on the cat and fiddle a police car was doing 40ish with a great queue behind them, just steadily went past the whole chain of cars
Lordglenmorangie said:
There in lies the problem your idea of safely may not be officer dibble's and when it comes to a decision on the matter. Who do you think is going to win ! Messing with plod is a risky business , do you feel lucky ?
My method has looked after me for 33 years of driving and I've driven some very fast cars, some of them very fast. Like everywhere else in life you come up against some weirdos and there's little you can do with weirdo coppers other than go along with them. I think they're fairly scarce. Years ago a couple of plain clothes officers in an unmarked car had been following me in traffic and stopped me for leaving what they thought was a suspiciously large gap between me and a marked Police car car some way in the distance. I was just in Trolling Along Mode. They weren't happy but they proceeded about their duties in due course after wasting my time for a bit.Off Topic: It was quite funny really. Stop me if I've already told you. They did good cop, bad cop on me. My Range Rover had come up as a Land Rover when they ran a check on it. That was the basis of their interrogation.
Bad Cop: "How would you describe this car?"
Me: "Pardon?"
"What do you say to people, when you tell them about your car? It's..."
"A four by four?"
"No."
"An off roader?"
"No."
"Private Light Goods?"
"No."
"Blue?"
"Grrrraaaarrr!!!" Stalks off to light theatrically and drag heavily on an unfortunate cigarette.
Good Cop: "Don't wind him up for Christ's sake! He's had a bad day."
Me: "Well, I'm sorry about that but I don't understand what he means."
"Look. When you tell people about this car, you say, "I've got a...?"
"Range Rover."
Bad Cop, wheeling round and bellowing: "OH! IT'S A RANGE ROVER, IS IT?"
Me: "Yes."
"Well we've run a check on it and it comes up as a Land Rover!"
"It is a Land Rover."
"You said it was a Range Rover!"
"It is a Range Rover."
"Grrrraaaarrrrr!!!"
"Don't wind him up!"
"Grrrrraaaarrrr!!!"
"Your car, officer."
"What about it?"
"Is it a Vauxhall, or is it a Astra?"
The two coppers looked at each and without another word got in their car and drove away.
Back On Topic: If you've done nothing wrong and you don't look or sound guilty of something if you're pulled over, what can they do? If you're uninsured and your tyres are bald, best you don't don't overtake.
DickyC said:
Back On Topic: If you've done nothing wrong and you don't look or sound guilty of something if you're pulled over, what can they do? If you're uninsured and your tyres are bald, best you don't don't overtake.
I've had one (well, I was a passenger in the car) where the copper threatened to smash the lights in just so he'd have something to book on us on.GSP said:
LeeThr said:
Wills2 said:
LeeThr said:
Wills2 said:
LeeThr said:
CDP said:
Acheron said:
One of the annoying things, is the people who see the police behind them, and feel the need to drop to 25mph in a 30. Whilst i appreciate this is safe and legal, and in certain environments, required, this sometimes creates problems for everyone else stacking up behind, and sometimes forces the impatient one to pull out, realise there's a cop car in the mix and slow down again. Even a speedo reading 30mph isnt actually doing 30mph, so if im behind you, feel free to do 32 or 33. I wont put you before the court for it...
You won't but I wouldn't like to risk it with every cop on every day of the week as there's a minority who would take this as a threat to their precious authority. When they're in that mood arguing is very counter productive.Not long after i pased my test, i was going along a back road at a steady pace, night time as well, slowed down for the blind corner knowing there's a junction on it as well, and there was a copper sat in the junction who then followed me for the next 3 miles, then pulls me. Breathalised, but she was thick as s
t. Because i'd just passed, all my documents where either down in swansea (DVLA) or in the post. So when she asked me did i have my licence or anything on me I said no, it was wherever due to not long having passed my test. Ok, wanders back off to car to fetch breathaliser machine, comes back, have you got any documents on you. No I havent just told you. breathalises me, goes back to car again. Comes back any documents? No! Goes back to car again whilst on phone/radio, comes back to car ok you can go now. I was half expecting a producer. Which would have fked me up big time because I had nothing to produce. That symbol indicates I'm being sarcastic ref the "advice" But it's true I got stopped loads when I was a young lad, bombing around back roads late at night is always going to bring you to the attention of plod.
Yer, but I wasnt bombing it thought, having only just passed my test still didnt quite have the confidence on my own to push the loud pedal. I didnt mind being pulled too much I wasnt in a rush to get anywhere. I knew it was going to happen at some point. What botherd me was that this thick woman couldnt get it into her little head that I had no documents on me because I had only just passed. I thought the whole point of this ANPR crap was so they could check it without having to ask for documents?
To be fair it sounds like you 'fail the attitude test' straight away.
And if all you have just passed and all your documents are with the DVLA you probably arn't on the ANPR system.
Back to the original question though, I've over taken police plenty of times in the Peak District. One time on the cat and fiddle a police car was doing 40ish with a great queue behind them, just steadily went past the whole chain of cars
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