Getting out of the way of a police car
Discussion
Yesterday I was driving on the M1 Northbound in a 4 lane section. I was in lane 4.
Traffic was very heavy and moving only sporadically.
I heard a siren before I saw it and saw cars a few hundred metres behind moving out of the way. The police car - given the stationary traffic - was making progress by straddling lane 3 and 4.
As it approached though my lane started to move and picked up some speed (only 20-30mph) and the lane to my left cleared completely. It made sense for the police car to come up behind me, past the slow / stopped car in lane three that was helping create the gap then move into lane 3 to make progress.
I moved as far to the right of my lane as I could and put on my right indicator. My thinking was that this would show the police driver that I knew he was approaching and was keeping right.
So, advanced drivers / police did I do the right thing?
- would the police driver see my action and interpret it as intended
- did it make sense to do what I did
- was it a complete waste of time
- did I do anything wrong at all
Thanks in advance for any feedback
Traffic was very heavy and moving only sporadically.
I heard a siren before I saw it and saw cars a few hundred metres behind moving out of the way. The police car - given the stationary traffic - was making progress by straddling lane 3 and 4.
As it approached though my lane started to move and picked up some speed (only 20-30mph) and the lane to my left cleared completely. It made sense for the police car to come up behind me, past the slow / stopped car in lane three that was helping create the gap then move into lane 3 to make progress.
I moved as far to the right of my lane as I could and put on my right indicator. My thinking was that this would show the police driver that I knew he was approaching and was keeping right.
So, advanced drivers / police did I do the right thing?
- would the police driver see my action and interpret it as intended
- did it make sense to do what I did
- was it a complete waste of time
- did I do anything wrong at all
Thanks in advance for any feedback
Either way, the way in which 'we' deal with this scenario, with modern levels of traffic needs concentrating on when we're learning to drive. The amount of people I see, not moving, or moving just an inch to the side, or alternatively with an emergency vehicle coming up from a distance behind they just pull over and stop, with no thought to where they are positioned...can be very frustrating.
I've been on a busy motorway in the outside lane with a police car coming up straddling middle and outside. Everyone in the outside was pulling hard right and people in the middle moving further to the left, all ok, until for some reason behind me, my driver's door mirror almost touching the Armco, but Bib was beeping and waving...he seemed to be behind me, I couldn't move forwards but it was the eejit in the middle that hadn't moved across to the left. Can be very stressful.
I've been on a busy motorway in the outside lane with a police car coming up straddling middle and outside. Everyone in the outside was pulling hard right and people in the middle moving further to the left, all ok, until for some reason behind me, my driver's door mirror almost touching the Armco, but Bib was beeping and waving...he seemed to be behind me, I couldn't move forwards but it was the eejit in the middle that hadn't moved across to the left. Can be very stressful.
I suggest to all my learners to watch the video on bluelightawre.org this has good advice on how to react to a blue light vehicle run, all ex plod, ambulance, fire drivers hate the "over reaction " of joe public when they see or hear an emergency vehicle approaching. We have all got stories of stupid and dangerous reactions.
The OP gave a signal, waved that he knew the police car was behind him, and moved the best he could out of the way whilst maintaining control and staying safe for himself and other road users....good
The OP gave a signal, waved that he knew the police car was behind him, and moved the best he could out of the way whilst maintaining control and staying safe for himself and other road users....good
watchnut said:
I suggest to all my learners to watch the video on bluelightawre.org this has good advice on how to react to a blue light vehicle run, all ex plod, ambulance, fire drivers hate the "over reaction " of joe public when they see or hear an emergency vehicle approaching. We have all got stories of stupid and dangerous reactions.
The OP gave a signal, waved that he knew the police car was behind him, and moved the best he could out of the way whilst maintaining control and staying safe for himself and other road users....good
Just watched that film on YouTube, it ought to be mandatory for all learner drivers to watch it.The OP gave a signal, waved that he knew the police car was behind him, and moved the best he could out of the way whilst maintaining control and staying safe for himself and other road users....good
Thanks for putting the link on 
easy to watch....easy to understand.....it just requires some 31,000,00 hits now for the penny to drop....the amount of times i see people driving through red lights nearly causing accidents, and pulling up on to pavements....not only do they risk hitting a cyclist/pedestrian but they can damage their car/van....the worst are they ones who just hit the brake...hard!
easy to watch....easy to understand.....it just requires some 31,000,00 hits now for the penny to drop....the amount of times i see people driving through red lights nearly causing accidents, and pulling up on to pavements....not only do they risk hitting a cyclist/pedestrian but they can damage their car/van....the worst are they ones who just hit the brake...hard!What i tend to do, if being followed, is acknowledge his presence with a wave of arm, watch ahead for traffic suddenly doing the emergency stop and start to select a place where i can pull in safely, and give him the 'wagons roll' sign, when i am about to go into said spot. if done correctly you dont have to slow down. It is just a matter of reading the road ahead, he knows how to get around you ,they have been trained, the majority of drivers dont have a clue.
Oh and i dont jump red lights, i let them do that. Traffic 'crossing' will expect a emergency vehicle, not a clot in a car. PLUS if there is a camera,no amount of pleading in the world will get you off 100GBP and three points thank you.
Oh and i dont jump red lights, i let them do that. Traffic 'crossing' will expect a emergency vehicle, not a clot in a car. PLUS if there is a camera,no amount of pleading in the world will get you off 100GBP and three points thank you.
You said the majority of drivers don't have a clue.
A bit patronising in my opinion are all police drivers so expert whilst belting along at speed?
I take more notice of ambulance drivers or first responders most of them are very good moving through traffic with caution in a emergency.
A bit patronising in my opinion are all police drivers so expert whilst belting along at speed?
I take more notice of ambulance drivers or first responders most of them are very good moving through traffic with caution in a emergency.
Driving down some country A-roads yesterday, and with a car behind me, I spotted an ambulance a mile or so back when the road got straight enough to see it. Immediately I started looking for a safe spot to pull in, and pulled in to a turning on the left. The car behind me went past, and a few seconds later the ambulance passed me. I got to watch what happened next.
The ambulance was now close enough to be constantly in the rear view of the car I'd been in front of, but he drove past a nice big layby. When the ambulance got really close, the car more or less stopped, on the carriageway, so the ambulance had to do what looked like quite a violent overtake judging by how far it leaned over.
I don't recall getting out of the way for the emergency services being on the driving test, perhaps that's something that needs to be looked at?
The ambulance was now close enough to be constantly in the rear view of the car I'd been in front of, but he drove past a nice big layby. When the ambulance got really close, the car more or less stopped, on the carriageway, so the ambulance had to do what looked like quite a violent overtake judging by how far it leaned over.
I don't recall getting out of the way for the emergency services being on the driving test, perhaps that's something that needs to be looked at?
pim said:
You said the majority of drivers don't have a clue.
A bit patronising in my opinion are all police drivers so expert whilst belting along at speed?
I take more notice of ambulance drivers or first responders most of them are very good moving through traffic with caution in a emergency.
If I were you I would so a little bit of research at the training requirements of the various blue light users, A bit patronising in my opinion are all police drivers so expert whilst belting along at speed?
I take more notice of ambulance drivers or first responders most of them are very good moving through traffic with caution in a emergency.
while the law is rather open regarding warning devices and exemptions the organisational policies aren't.
the percieved differences between ambulance and police driving especially police 'advanced' is down to the subtle differences in how the training is delivered...
davepoth said:
Driving down some country A-roads yesterday, and with a car behind me, I spotted an ambulance a mile or so back when the road got straight enough to see it. Immediately I started looking for a safe spot to pull in, and pulled in to a turning on the left. The car behind me went past, and a few seconds later the ambulance passed me. I got to watch what happened next.
The ambulance was now close enough to be constantly in the rear view of the car I'd been in front of, but he drove past a nice big layby. When the ambulance got really close, the car more or less stopped, on the carriageway, so the ambulance had to do what looked like quite a violent overtake judging by how far it leaned over.
I don't recall getting out of the way for the emergency services being on the driving test, perhaps that's something that needs to be looked at?
No, but looking in your fecking mirrors is. You average driver just doesn't look in the damn things between maneuvers, and even then only sometimes.The ambulance was now close enough to be constantly in the rear view of the car I'd been in front of, but he drove past a nice big layby. When the ambulance got really close, the car more or less stopped, on the carriageway, so the ambulance had to do what looked like quite a violent overtake judging by how far it leaned over.
I don't recall getting out of the way for the emergency services being on the driving test, perhaps that's something that needs to be looked at?
And please, when you do finally see the big flashy thing behind you, do not hit the brakes.....
There comes a point on a motorway / DC in heavy traffic where the preferred option changes from picking a path through slow moving or stationary traffic to getting back out in the outside lane and staying there allowing people to move across out of your way. That point is normally when traffic is moving at a decent enough pace with the potential and ability to get across and out of the fastest lane.
Reading your post it sounds like you were passed by the police car as that point was changing. It also sounds like you made your intentions clear and so probably did the right thing.
However, once a police car is established in the fast lane making progress, anybody who remains in that lane, indicates right, moves over more to the right or basically fails to change lanes to the left becomes a huge pain in the backside, and it's probably the scenario that causes the most rude expulsion from a police driver's mouth. Literally about the worst driving you could see.
Reading your post it sounds like you were passed by the police car as that point was changing. It also sounds like you made your intentions clear and so probably did the right thing.
However, once a police car is established in the fast lane making progress, anybody who remains in that lane, indicates right, moves over more to the right or basically fails to change lanes to the left becomes a huge pain in the backside, and it's probably the scenario that causes the most rude expulsion from a police driver's mouth. Literally about the worst driving you could see.
Had an experience on Friday. A329 southbound, there is a bike lane, this carries the same rules as a bus lane. motorised traffic doesnt use it.
So plod is bearing down on me passing other traffic who are pulling into the bike lane.....the road ahead of me is clear and no approaching traffic . so i keep position,as close to the bike lane as i am allowed by law. He goes past and gives me a very ungentlemanly blast on the horn.perhaps he anted me to mount the pavement for him!!!,
I would have loved to discuss that with him ,and give him the 'What if there was a cyclist in that lane?' routine, as they regularly do on the various TV progs. As in their scenarios they usually paint, there wasnt any danger,its always a 'what if' to emphasise their POV. from his position on the road he had no idea if anything was in the cycle lane.....not a brownie point for him then.
So plod is bearing down on me passing other traffic who are pulling into the bike lane.....the road ahead of me is clear and no approaching traffic . so i keep position,as close to the bike lane as i am allowed by law. He goes past and gives me a very ungentlemanly blast on the horn.perhaps he anted me to mount the pavement for him!!!,
I would have loved to discuss that with him ,and give him the 'What if there was a cyclist in that lane?' routine, as they regularly do on the various TV progs. As in their scenarios they usually paint, there wasnt any danger,its always a 'what if' to emphasise their POV. from his position on the road he had no idea if anything was in the cycle lane.....not a brownie point for him then.
Surely if there cycle lane was clear there was no reason not to use it - so were you being difficult for the sake of it?
Plus, your making assumptions on other driver's view points - you have no idea how much of the road he saw on the approach to you and whether or not he knew if it was clear.
If it was clear and you were being obstreperous than a horn note was probably justified, all be it falling foul of the offence of misuse of horn
Plus, your making assumptions on other driver's view points - you have no idea how much of the road he saw on the approach to you and whether or not he knew if it was clear.
If it was clear and you were being obstreperous than a horn note was probably justified, all be it falling foul of the offence of misuse of horn
Dizeee said:
Surely if there cycle lane was clear there was no reason not to use it - so were you being difficult for the sake of it?
that is the thing that I noticed about that video. It states you should should not use bus lanes, pavements, grass verges to get out of the way. By inference that should include cycle lanes too.Which does go against what most people would do and, it would appear, what the police would expect........
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