How to spot an unmarked police car

[Marty Funkhouser]

I figure there are a few tell tale signs with an unmarked Police car, some obvious, some maybe not - and I'm sure I've missed a few things:

- Car never likely to be more than 3-4 years old
- Will be in good condition
- Will be relatively clean
- Unmodified
- Likely to be a saloon, SUV or estate
- Likely to be a well known manufacturer - BMW, Volvo, Ford etc
- Should be a driver and a passenger
- Likely to follow at a set distance for a mile or so
- Likely to be Grey, White or Black - i.e. unlikely to be bright red

This is all in my limited experience of seeing unmarked cars having pulled people over and having been pulled over once myself by one.

Anything I've missed or any of these criteria seem false?

I should add I am mainly referring to motorway unmarked cars.

Edited by Marty Funkhouser on Wednesday 15th March 23:28

[rxe]

You can often see the strobes from the back. Thin LED segments, once you've seen them, you'll know what to look for.

If you're going a bit fast and there is a car following you at a sensible distance, not driving like a tt...probably plod.

[99dndd]

No writing at the bottom of the number plate is another good thing to look for. That and 2 people in the car.

[Decoy]

2 rear view mirrors is normally a give away, so the passenger can see the same view behind as the driver (provided the car doesn't have L plates all over it )

[Sportidge]

99dndd said:

No writing at the bottom of the number plate is another good thing to look for. That and 2 people in the car.

There will be, as it's the law that the plate manufacturer must be listed on it.

It's just that they're very small, and likely to be something like just "M.V.S" (As the ones local to me are).

Probably more accurately, it'd be "No huge, sign-written dealer advert at the bottom of the plate."


And yes, the unmarked BMWs are easy to spot by the strobes int the grille which stand out a mile;

Edited by Sportidge on Wednesday 15th March 14:14

[anonymous-user]

Normally, unless a tech is road testing it, a police officer driving it is a good giveaway.

[Torquey]

-I've found that they often have a registration number from a different region. e.g. In Newcastle anything other than N* ** *** I'd add to the risk assessment.

-Large family sized cars (Mondeo, 3/5 series, A4, Insignia)

-Less than 5 year old.

[Marty Funkhouser]

Don't forget this needs to be stuff you can pick out in your rear view mirror at whatever speed you happen to be going on the road.

The hardest spot is at night where you have nothing but the shape and type of headlights.

[Hilts]

Marty Funkhouser said:

- Likely to be Grey, White or Black - i.e. unlikely to be bright red

This is all in my limited experience of seeing unmarked cars having pulled people over and having been pulled over once myself by one.

Anything I've missed or any of these criteria seem false?

There is/was a red Audi A4 doing the rounds a while back in Aberdeen.

[Fluffsri]

Over the years Ive seen these on the M3, grey BMW estate, blue Octavia VRS and a grey Audi S3.

[Agent XXX]

Sussex used to have a Golf R32 and they have some pretty tasty kit now too.

All met police cars will have a Brum B* prefix as they're all prepared by S McNeilie (sp?) and Sons which IS on th ebottom of the plate.

[TooMany2cvs]

DSGbangs said:

Normally, unless a tech is road testing it, a police officer driving it is a good giveaway.

Yeh, you'd think the uniform would be a bigger giveaway than peering to read the tiny text on the bottom of the plate.

[Dave Hedgehog]

in london they drive pretty much anything of any moderate age, had a 60 volvo estate go by me this morning

but i have seen just about any common car you can think of as an unmarked vehicle in london, incl SUV's, a ratty white transit and a shiny gun metal metalic VW Van

[IanH755]

The Octavia seems to be a popular choice in Kent recently, seen 3 different ones (2x Blue, 1x Grey) on the M20/M2.

[Marty Funkhouser]

TooMany2cvs said:

Yeh, you'd think the uniform would be a bigger giveaway than peering to read the tiny text on the bottom of the plate.

Its not that easy to spot the top half of a uniform in your rear view mirror on a day with good weather let alone your standard UK day. Anyone in a white shirt can look like old bill in your rear view.

[Pintofbest]

Marty Funkhouser said:

Anything I've missed or any of these criteria seem false?

I think your criteria capture about 50% of the cars on the road, if not more.

[littleredrooster]

My experience, after looking around a good few Police compounds is slightly different:

- Car never likely to be more than 3-4 years old Oh no - some are right old nails!
- Will be in good condition ...unless they're as rough as a badger's botty!
- Will be relatively clean Erm, no. Often filthy to blend in.
- Unmodified Agreed, probably
- Likely to be a saloon, SUV or estate Yup
- Likely to be a well known manufacturer - BMW, Volvo, Ford etc Yup
- Should be a driver and a passenger Almost all recent 'pulls' I've seen on the motorway were single-crewed
- Likely to follow at a set distance for a mile or so Not sure
- Likely to be Grey, White or Black - i.e. unlikely to be bright red Oh no - I collected a fluorescent yellow demonstrator from a Police force not so long ago; it had been used as an undercover surveillance car...

[Marty Funkhouser]

Pintofbest said:

I think your criteria capture about 50% of the cars on the road, if not more.

The two mirrors one would dramatically cut that figure.

I am just talking about cutting the odds a bit - of course there are no hard rules but there are certain cars you can dismiss instantly.

[Marty Funkhouser]

littleredrooster said:

My experience, after looking around a good few Police compounds is slightly different:

- Car never likely to be more than 3-4 years old Oh no - some are right old nails!
- Will be in good condition ...unless they're as rough as a badger's botty!
- Will be relatively clean Erm, no. Often filthy to blend in.
- Unmodified Agreed, probably
- Likely to be a saloon, SUV or estate Yup
- Likely to be a well known manufacturer - BMW, Volvo, Ford etc Yup
- Should be a driver and a passenger Almost all recent 'pulls' I've seen on the motorway were single-crewed
- Likely to follow at a set distance for a mile or so Not sure
- Likely to be Grey, White or Black - i.e. unlikely to be bright red Oh no - I collected a fluorescent yellow demonstrator from a Police force not so long ago; it had been used as an undercover surveillance car...

A surveillance car is unlikely to be used to pull people for speeding?

I thought they cleaned them before every shift?

Also I thought they had to have 2 officers to give you a ticket?

Fair points on the others - this is from my limited experience!

[slipstream 1985]

It's just not cricket nowadays. You used to see a vauxhall omega in your rear view mirror and 101% of the time you knew.