Police and bad driving

[ruggedscotty]

Now Im not a police knocker - but on this occasion ill make an exception - Sherifhall roundabout - came round roundabout and took the exit for A7 south. It can be a reasonably quick roundabout if you get the lights in your favour....

I left the roundabout and was met by a police car on the wrong side of the road heading towards the roundabout.....

extremely dangerous action indeed. Yes blues and siren were on but still id have questioned that activity. if they had been a bit further up then there would have been an accident.

[ruggedscotty]

Actually I wasnt going too fast for the conditions - there was no collision. Where the A7 meets with city bypass it was busy cars were queued side by side for a few hundred yards on approach. I came off of the roundabout taking the A7 south - not going fast. but not going slow there was no visual indication no siren and no visible flashing lights seen. As the road straightened out the line of vision straightened and there plod was approaching at a fair lick.

Litrally slammed on the brakes and pulled into the far left..... my original post was that it was dangerous driving on the coppers part by approaching what was a busy junction on the wrong side of the road.

[ruggedscotty]

going to a threat to life......

like what the hell - causing a threat to life while doing it isnt the best approach now is it ?

Saved your life mate but killed four folk getting here.... ?

[ruggedscotty]

Right to give some background - here is a little knock up.... The A7 comming up to the roundabout is a widish two lane road. It does not have much in the way of two lane approach but this junction does back up. on this occasion there was a fair bit of backup and this had split into two columns on the northbound approach. You can see that in the pic. This means that there is traffic over the centre lane markings for some distance on the approach.

I came round the roundabout from the west section of the A720. And was lucky enough to get the lights in my favour - this means not doing 70 mph but going at a speed that would not as if I had just pulled away from being stopped. Does that make sense now ? Id say I would be doing around 35 40 or there abouts as the A7 straightened up.

The whole time I was not aware of siren or had seen any lights. I had my wife and daughter in the car. I saw the police car and my wife had let out a scream due to the evasive action required to prevent an accident. If I was over 35 then the closing speed could well have been 70....

I braked and pulled into the left off the road. Bear in mind there were cars on the other side of the road two queues together in what was a single lane so there was already encroachment into my side of the road.

And a copper running up on the wrong side.....

As for the idiot label - entitled to your own opinion on this. But id say that the copper was the one that was in the wrong here and indeed an idiot himself / herself for thinking that they could approach this junction in this manner with what I would regard as a total disregard to other road users.

Yes if you have to make a emergency run then you should be following your training and doing it in a style that does not pose a grave danger to other road users. Yes the speed would have been low enough if there had been a collision that there would not have been any fatality - but that does not mean that it gives cart blanche to drive like that.

You drive to the conditions and you drive in such a manner as you do not put other road users at risk.

Edited by ruggedscotty on Sunday 2nd November 08:54