What did I do?
Discussion
richie99 said:
btcc123 said:
I am not sure who is the biggest idiot you or the policeman.Probably you and were lucky he did not do you for 78 in a 70.
Get real. An indicated 78 is at most 72 to 74. Maybe the copper could have booked him for that and for stealing his lollipop too. 
JM said:
richie99 said:
btcc123 said:
I am not sure who is the biggest idiot you or the policeman.Probably you and were lucky he did not do you for 78 in a 70.
Get real. An indicated 78 is at most 72 to 74. Maybe the copper could have booked him for that and for stealing his lollipop too. LoonR1 said:
Centurion07 said:
No-one going to offer an explanation as to why the officer was driving like a bellend then?
Because the OP has chosen to describe his driving like that. ging84 said:
LoonR1 said:
Centurion07 said:
No-one going to offer an explanation as to why the officer was driving like a bellend then?
Because the OP has chosen to describe his driving like that. ging84 said:
LoonR1 said:
Centurion07 said:
No-one going to offer an explanation as to why the officer was driving like a bellend then?
Because the OP has chosen to describe his driving like that. OP, if he slammed his brakes on from +90mph & managed to SLOW down into the spot you were hoping to fill, that does sound like your indicator spooked him into thinking you were about to pull out, especially given your proximity to the horsebox.
No excuse for the tailgating, but not worth taking it further.
Jakeztx said:
The road is quite busy and I remain behind him usign cruise control at around 76mph.
Using my steering wheel controls I eased the CC up to 78 and crawled past him.
Around 5 miles pass and I am on a nearly empty motorway, still using CC at no more than 77.
I reduce my CC to around 72 (still closing on the horsebox)
This time I set my CC to match him and there is a Ford Focus between myself and him.
I see too much reliance on cruise control in circumstances that don't seem entirely suitable.Using my steering wheel controls I eased the CC up to 78 and crawled past him.
Around 5 miles pass and I am on a nearly empty motorway, still using CC at no more than 77.
I reduce my CC to around 72 (still closing on the horsebox)
This time I set my CC to match him and there is a Ford Focus between myself and him.
Sometimes you need to lift off a bit to create space, other times you need a bit of a squeeze of throttle to increase your speed. In a dynamic environment such as a motorway with other vehicles at differing speeds, travelling (or attempting to travel) at a set constant speed is unlikely to be the best way.
Driving directly alongside another vehicle is less sensible than being in the adjacent lane but either in front or behind... "Crawling past" another vehicle puts you in this less desirable position for longer.
Your reluctance to slow when approaching the horsebox placed you closer to them than necessary, and also put you in the position of appearing to force your way out when the police car was passing you, or at least having to make a sharp lane change immediately after them.
Try driving without using the cruise control, and practice greater awareness and anticipation.
You mentioned being on a motorway so I checked to see if there were three lanes as if I had been driving a car catching you as you describe I would use the third lane, except the A55 does not become a motorway five miles or so after Bodelwyddan castle. Dual carriageways can have three lanes and motorways two, however the lack of additional space you get on a motorway may have contributed to the police drivers braking.
It does sound like you got the timing wrong, I'll use an early indicator if the other car is creeping past particularly if they have another lane to use, but it does read as if you left it to the last second. On the other hand I would not go stonking past someone with a closing gap as you describe unless I had seen them brake first, even then I would want a few second to make sure.
That aside I had a police car box me in behind a lorry a couple of years ago, I saw it catching me quickly so pulled over into a gap to let it past and it slowed and sat on my rear quarter until I had to slow down behind the lorry in front. I was in my kit car and as there are less than ten of them on the road maybe they were just checking out the reg or something. Still, a bit irritating that they forced me to brake after I got out of their way.
It does sound like you got the timing wrong, I'll use an early indicator if the other car is creeping past particularly if they have another lane to use, but it does read as if you left it to the last second. On the other hand I would not go stonking past someone with a closing gap as you describe unless I had seen them brake first, even then I would want a few second to make sure.
That aside I had a police car box me in behind a lorry a couple of years ago, I saw it catching me quickly so pulled over into a gap to let it past and it slowed and sat on my rear quarter until I had to slow down behind the lorry in front. I was in my kit car and as there are less than ten of them on the road maybe they were just checking out the reg or something. Still, a bit irritating that they forced me to brake after I got out of their way.
Toltec said:
That aside I had a police car box me in behind a lorry a couple of years ago, I saw it catching me quickly so pulled over into a gap to let it past and it slowed and sat on my rear quarter until I had to slow down behind the lorry in front. I was in my kit car and as there are less than ten of them on the road maybe they were just checking out the reg or something. Still, a bit irritating that they forced me to brake after I got out of their way.
From my perspective this is what appeared to happen to me also, but everyone is probably right he was likely just spooked. As per the criticism of my use of cruise control I am fully aware of how to drive on a motorway and the fact it this was a clear road and without the police car speeding up behind me it would have been a completely routine overtake. The simple fact is that I was prepared for him to continue past me at speed and so was taken by surprise when he stopped alongside me.
Personally when I am in the outside lane and someone is following a slower vehicle in the inside lane I am constantly aware of the fact they may wish to pull out. Fair enough this police car probably did have a reason to be approaching me at 90mph but if I was less attentive as many drivers are I may have not seen him at all.
I find it unlikely that the OP managed to spook plod by indicating. Especially travelling at speed plod would have seen the situation developing. If plod had seen the indicator and really thought the OP was going to pull out into him, then braking heavily and ending up alongside a moving out car would not be a sensible plan.
It just looks like plod intended to block the OP for whatever reason/lesson that he thought appropriate.
Bert
It just looks like plod intended to block the OP for whatever reason/lesson that he thought appropriate.
Bert
Sometimes police are just knobs.
Few years ago a couple of policemen in a marked Range Rover were sat in the inside lane at around 70 mph, causing tail backs as no one wanted to pass them at more than the speed limit. I noticed if I travelled at a GPS indicated speed of 70 mph, I was able to gain on them enough to slowly pass them. They did not like that! They sped up, and as they overtook me the passenger angrily gesticulated at me to slow down, and then sped up the road. Idiots.
Ever since then, I've noticed the police tend to sit in the inside lane below the speed limit, which I suppose is to avoid causing tail backs as above.
Few years ago a couple of policemen in a marked Range Rover were sat in the inside lane at around 70 mph, causing tail backs as no one wanted to pass them at more than the speed limit. I noticed if I travelled at a GPS indicated speed of 70 mph, I was able to gain on them enough to slowly pass them. They did not like that! They sped up, and as they overtook me the passenger angrily gesticulated at me to slow down, and then sped up the road. Idiots.
Ever since then, I've noticed the police tend to sit in the inside lane below the speed limit, which I suppose is to avoid causing tail backs as above.
That's just how the traffic police generally behave on the A55, they get into "tussles" with you then leave you be if you deal with them in a way that doesn't escalate things, it's like an attitude test for your driving. You shouldn't report it since you were in the wrong.
They love to do the off/on move at the Bangor roundabout, a lot of bad drivers must fall for it. Never speed under that junction, there's a police car waiting on the slip-roads very often.
They love to do the off/on move at the Bangor roundabout, a lot of bad drivers must fall for it. Never speed under that junction, there's a police car waiting on the slip-roads very often.
Edited by LocoCoco on Tuesday 30th June 10:49
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