Silly Season Vs. the Police question.
Discussion
R300will said:
If you recon you can make it safely then bugger him and do it. Common sense prevails. However if you mess it up be prepared for the i told you so speech or worse.
I think his question is if he is allowed to ignore plod or not.Is he committing an offense by ignoring the orders of the officer or as he said, are the words purely advisory?
It is an offence to not follow the instructions of an officer of the law. Best bet would be to lie and tell him you live at number 36 (or whatever - check beforehand).
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/sectio...
highway code said:
105
You MUST obey signals given by police officers, traffic officers, traffic wardens (see 'Signals by authorised persons') and signs used by school crossing patrols.[Laws RTRA sect 28, RTA 1988 sect 35, TMA 2004 sect 6, & FTWO art 3]
You MUST obey signals given by police officers, traffic officers, traffic wardens (see 'Signals by authorised persons') and signs used by school crossing patrols.[Laws RTRA sect 28, RTA 1988 sect 35, TMA 2004 sect 6, & FTWO art 3]
Edited by CoolHands on Sunday 11th December 17:09
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/sectio...
Edited by CoolHands on Sunday 11th December 17:10
dibbers006 said:
Then, legally, that is a bit of a farce no?
Will we have to start writing warning labels on hot drinks, or telling people there is fog or advertising that smoking is bad for you... oh... wait.
I'd invite you to come and stand on a road closure some time and plumb the depths of the idiocy of the average British motorist.Will we have to start writing warning labels on hot drinks, or telling people there is fog or advertising that smoking is bad for you... oh... wait.
If police have closed the road and then decide to let one go, you'll then have to argue the toss with every other motorist that wants to follow. That's on top of the ones - like you - who want to argue the toss anyway because they feel they can make it. And the ones with satnav's screaming about how they're lost and don't know their way around. Or saying just how important is that they go down this road but their lives are far more important than everyone else that is being diverted around. All whilst holding up the queue of traffic behind them.
But lets say that the officer were to humour you and let you go along - only to watch you crash into something or someone else (be it a pedestrian or a telegraph pole.) That officer will then be facing heavy criticism and will be seen as responsible for your driving. And also responsible for the clearing it up - dealing with another crashed motorist.
Quick question for you - does having a 4x4 make you skilled at car control in the snow? If not, how precisely can you tell whether someone is a competent snow driver in the 10 seconds or so you can spare to talk to them?
Road closures have to apply to one and all. If a road is unpassable to the majority and a decision is made to close it then it has to apply to everyone. It's not practical to spend the entire time trying to filter out the good from the bad. Of all people you should be the least affected by this anyway as you know it will be closed, know how long it will take to take a different route and can plan ahead.
tenohfive said:
I'd invite you to come and stand on a road closure some time and plumb the depths of the idiocy of the average British motorist.
If police have closed the road and then decide to let one go, you'll then have to argue the toss with every other motorist that wants to follow. That's on top of the ones - like you - who want to argue the toss anyway because they feel they can make it. And the ones with satnav's screaming about how they're lost and don't know their way around. Or saying just how important is that they go down this road but their lives are far more important than everyone else that is being diverted around. All whilst holding up the queue of traffic behind them.
But lets say that the officer were to humour you and let you go along - only to watch you crash into something or someone else (be it a pedestrian or a telegraph pole.) That officer will then be facing heavy criticism and will be seen as responsible for your driving. And also responsible for the clearing it up - dealing with another crashed motorist.
Quick question for you - does having a 4x4 make you skilled at car control in the snow? If not, how precisely can you tell whether someone is a competent snow driver in the 10 seconds or so you can spare to talk to them?
Road closures have to apply to one and all. If a road is unpassable to the majority and a decision is made to close it then it has to apply to everyone. It's not practical to spend the entire time trying to filter out the good from the bad. Of all people you should be the least affected by this anyway as you know it will be closed, know how long it will take to take a different route and can plan ahead.
Fully agree with all that tenohfive - and very well put too. Police officer? No question about it - I would obey without hesitation. However, when it comes to a 'self-appointed' MOP plonker, that is an entirely different matter. Like a relative of mine encountered last winter up the hills Henley-bound toward Nuneham Courtney. There was a queue of cars all stuck trying to get up the not-very-steep hill just before the village, in heavy snow. Waving his arms around: "You can't go up there, you'll not make it" So relative on winter Vredesteins told him (dunno how politely) to get out of the way pronto and just drove nicely up past them all and carried on into work, having been diverted from his normal A34 route due to a Proper road closure.If police have closed the road and then decide to let one go, you'll then have to argue the toss with every other motorist that wants to follow. That's on top of the ones - like you - who want to argue the toss anyway because they feel they can make it. And the ones with satnav's screaming about how they're lost and don't know their way around. Or saying just how important is that they go down this road but their lives are far more important than everyone else that is being diverted around. All whilst holding up the queue of traffic behind them.
But lets say that the officer were to humour you and let you go along - only to watch you crash into something or someone else (be it a pedestrian or a telegraph pole.) That officer will then be facing heavy criticism and will be seen as responsible for your driving. And also responsible for the clearing it up - dealing with another crashed motorist.
Quick question for you - does having a 4x4 make you skilled at car control in the snow? If not, how precisely can you tell whether someone is a competent snow driver in the 10 seconds or so you can spare to talk to them?
Road closures have to apply to one and all. If a road is unpassable to the majority and a decision is made to close it then it has to apply to everyone. It's not practical to spend the entire time trying to filter out the good from the bad. Of all people you should be the least affected by this anyway as you know it will be closed, know how long it will take to take a different route and can plan ahead.
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