Police using a HGV unit...........
Discussion
To catch other HGV drivers not wearing seatbelts, using phone, sat nav, eating etc etc.
The police in some areas are using a unrestricted HGV tractor unit to catch out the above. They are pulling along side HGV drivers and filming them with a video camera and then a car will stop the offending truck and deal with it. A lot of this is being carried out on DCs where the HGV speed limit is a maximum 50mph, the police HGV unit is travelling at a lot more than 50 mph as most Hgv drivers will do 56 on a DC and the police unit is easily catching them up and passing if no offence witnessed.
Now my question is, can the police use a HGV unit and ignore the speed restrictions in place for that class of vehicle???
The police in some areas are using a unrestricted HGV tractor unit to catch out the above. They are pulling along side HGV drivers and filming them with a video camera and then a car will stop the offending truck and deal with it. A lot of this is being carried out on DCs where the HGV speed limit is a maximum 50mph, the police HGV unit is travelling at a lot more than 50 mph as most Hgv drivers will do 56 on a DC and the police unit is easily catching them up and passing if no offence witnessed.
Now my question is, can the police use a HGV unit and ignore the speed restrictions in place for that class of vehicle???
I'm sure this has been featured on one of the TV cop shows - the Scottish guy (Angus???) was an HGV driver before becoming a cop and mentioned in one of the progs that he used an unmarked HGV to catch out other HGV drivers. He's also regularly featured as being one of the few cops who can read a tacho log! IIRC his brother is also a motorway cop.
jagracer said:
he police can ignore the speed limit in a car why would doing it in a truck be any different? Do you have a link to this info?
My understanding is the police can ignore the speed limit if on an emergency call, surely the police can't break speed limits on the off chance of catching someone on the phone or eating an apple.http://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=2&...
Maybe you need to read the thread that is a sticky at the top of SP&L.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
grumpyscot said:
I'm sure this has been featured on one of the TV cop shows - the Scottish guy (Angus???) was an HGV driver before becoming a cop and mentioned in one of the progs that he used an unmarked HGV to catch out other HGV drivers. He's also regularly featured as being one of the few cops who can read a tacho log! IIRC his brother is also a motorway cop.
PC Angus NairnTraffic cops was the show IIRC...
The only question that this raises for me, is whether disconnecting or bypassing the speed restrictor is lawful.
Using a mobile phone in an HGV is extremely foolish, but I wouldnt support the use of a vehicle like this if it was being used principally to nick drivers who werent wearing their seat belts.
Using a mobile phone in an HGV is extremely foolish, but I wouldnt support the use of a vehicle like this if it was being used principally to nick drivers who werent wearing their seat belts.
rewc said:
tvrgit said:
If it's being used for police purposes it can travel at any speed it can reach, on any road.
Yes and remember it will not be being driven by a mere mortal. billybob69 said:
If the cab is plated to less than 7.5 tonnes it can legally travel at 60 mph on a DC and 70 on a Motorway.
HGV are limited to 56 but legally can do 60 on a motorway.
Everything over 3.5 tonnes has to be limited to 56 mph (or the KM/H equivalent anyway) these days. No one would plate a cab to 7.5 tonnes, unless it was not used for towing anything, and even if they did, it'd still need to be limited. In fact, I'd be surprised if a normal tractor unit weighed significantly less than 7.5 tonnes even unladen, a tri-axle one won't).HGV are limited to 56 but legally can do 60 on a motorway.
As has been mentioned though, the police can use their exemption to allow them to do away with a limiter.
Of course, delivery drivers are allowed to travel without wearing a seatbelt when they're engaged in multi-drop operations (although that implies they must use it once they're transiting somewhere on a DC or Motorway). I always wore mine all the time, it was just force of habit, and the use of it never slowed me up anyway.
Super Slo Mo said:
Everything over 3.5 tonnes has to be limited to 56 mph (or the KM/H equivalent anyway) these days.
Not exactly everything. My 4250kg Motor Caravan, tax class PHGV, is not limited at all and is legal at 70mph on the motorway. I assume you mean a commercial vehicle classification of some type or other.rewc said:
Not exactly everything. My 4250kg Motor Caravan, tax class PHGV, is not limited at all and is legal at 70mph on the motorway. I assume you mean a commercial vehicle classification of some type or other.
I forget exactly, but yes probably. It was an age related thing, there was a point a few years back where all new commercials over 3.5t had to be limited from the outset. At that point, they also stopped being allowed to use the right hand lane of a motorway due to the limiter. Vehicles from the 90's were not limited, and there was a small window during the 2000's where they weren't limited either, but without doing a bit of research, I can't recall what those dates were.
DrDeAtH said:
PC Angus Nairn
Traffic cops was the show IIRC...
The man himself.Traffic cops was the show IIRC...
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/01/12/article-...
rewc said:
DrDeAtH said:
PC Angus Nairn
Traffic cops was the show IIRC...
The man himself.Traffic cops was the show IIRC...
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/01/12/article-...
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