Article on spotting unmarked Police cars
Discussion
I think most of us know what we are looking out for with regard to unmarked Police cars, but worth a share just for a quick read to see one of them and the VRM in the flesh for Hampshire if nothing else
Article on unmarked Police cars here
Article on unmarked Police cars here
Number six has always been a good indicator of a copper behind the wheel for me. If a BMW (though in Stockton-on-Tees you've got to look out for Ford people carriers in some remarkably garish colours) isn't parked just off my rear bumper, regardless of what speed I'm doing, the first thing that goes through my thoughts - police (it helped when I was followed by an unmarked car for six miles that I saw them pull a perfect 180 in one go in my rear view mirror when I pulled out the bottom of my street).
TheEnd said:
Hmmm, if there's infrared illumination coming out of one of the letters on the rear numberplate, that'll screw up any gatsos trying to photograph it.
Er why? A Gatso's strobe is far brighter than a few IR LEDs which won't be pointing up where the Gatso is. The Gatso's camera probably has an IR cut filter on it anyway.Here in W Yorks the general rule of thumb is if it's a dark coloured 3/5-series BMW estate younger than 2010 then it's likely to be plod, especially if it's grey. Tons of them round Leeds and Bradford. Spending 15 mins either side of shift change at Carr Gate off J41 usually spots most of the unmarked motorway fleet too.
All that jazz said:
Here in W Yorks the general rule of thumb is if it's a dark coloured 3/5-series BMW estate younger than 2010 then it's likely to be plod, especially if it's grey. Tons of them round Leeds and Bradford. Spending 15 mins either side of shift change at Carr Gate off J41 usually spots most of the unmarked motorway fleet too.
Quite right. Passed a dark grey one on the M62 at 85ish a few months back. Didn't even realise it was TrafPol until it overtook me, lit up, following the guy that just flew past me.
If you don't look directly at the cars they're very hard to spot amongst the other rep mobiles now.
Tom1312 said:
The real covert cars are the ones you'd never even think to be a job car but have all the above attached but its truly hidden. Very cool bits of kit.
There's one I saw in central London a couple of times. Tatty old white van with ladders on the roof blasting along with concealed (if they hadn't been flashing) blue lights and a siren. It looked like an unmarked fire engine.All that jazz said:
Here in W Yorks the general rule of thumb is if it's a dark coloured 3/5-series BMW estate younger than 2010 then it's likely to be plod, especially if it's grey. Tons of them round Leeds and Bradford. Spending 15 mins either side of shift change at Carr Gate off J41 usually spots most of the unmarked motorway fleet too.
The vast majority of them in West Yorkshire are YJ plates too - easy to spot.Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff