BTP Motorway Flexing
Discussion
Just thought I'd nip in here and share something that happened to me yesterday. Not looking for any advice or arguments etc., I just thought it was a bit of an unusual incident that I'd share.
I was driving up the M1 with the cruise control on at a number below the speeding prosecution threshold so in reality probably 3 or 4 MPH below that given the speedo optimism (when I pass one of those illuminated signs to encourage people to be mindful of speed in built-up areas it usually reads ~2mph below my speedo so I would assume that at motorway speeds that differential would increase slightly).
I saw a marked BTP car in lane 2 and cruised past in lane 3 then proceeded in lane 3 with the intention of pulling back over when I had passed a couple more slower vehicles in lane 2. As I was about to do this, the BTP office flashed his headlights at me. I pulled into lane 2 as it was now clear then he pulled alongside my rear quarter and put his blue lights on. Initially I assumed he had taken a call and would zoom off into the distance but he just hung around there for a few seconds with the blues on. He didn't pull in behind or in front of me to pull me over so I knocked the cruise down by a couple of MPH, he turned off the lights, overtook, pulled in front of me and brake checked me.
every time we came towards some slower moving traffic for the next three or four miles I would see it in plenty of time and pull into lane three. And every time I got almost alongside the BTP car he would pull out dangerously closely and force me to brake.
Now I know technically if I had been going at 71mph he would've been within his rights to pull me but he didn't do that. It seems like I just came across an egotist who thought "I'm a police officer, nobody overtakes me."
Like I said, not looking for any specific feedback or anythgin here, just a cathartic rant really!
I was driving up the M1 with the cruise control on at a number below the speeding prosecution threshold so in reality probably 3 or 4 MPH below that given the speedo optimism (when I pass one of those illuminated signs to encourage people to be mindful of speed in built-up areas it usually reads ~2mph below my speedo so I would assume that at motorway speeds that differential would increase slightly).
I saw a marked BTP car in lane 2 and cruised past in lane 3 then proceeded in lane 3 with the intention of pulling back over when I had passed a couple more slower vehicles in lane 2. As I was about to do this, the BTP office flashed his headlights at me. I pulled into lane 2 as it was now clear then he pulled alongside my rear quarter and put his blue lights on. Initially I assumed he had taken a call and would zoom off into the distance but he just hung around there for a few seconds with the blues on. He didn't pull in behind or in front of me to pull me over so I knocked the cruise down by a couple of MPH, he turned off the lights, overtook, pulled in front of me and brake checked me.
every time we came towards some slower moving traffic for the next three or four miles I would see it in plenty of time and pull into lane three. And every time I got almost alongside the BTP car he would pull out dangerously closely and force me to brake.
Now I know technically if I had been going at 71mph he would've been within his rights to pull me but he didn't do that. It seems like I just came across an egotist who thought "I'm a police officer, nobody overtakes me."
Like I said, not looking for any specific feedback or anythgin here, just a cathartic rant really!
Mallard126 said:
Just thought I'd nip in here and share something that happened to me yesterday. Not looking for any advice or arguments etc., I just thought it was a bit of an unusual incident that I'd share.
I was driving up the M1 with the cruise control on at a number below the speeding prosecution threshold so in reality probably 3 or 4 MPH below that given the speedo optimism (when I pass one of those illuminated signs to encourage people to be mindful of speed in built-up areas it usually reads ~2mph below my speedo so I would assume that at motorway speeds that differential would increase slightly).
I saw a marked BTP car in lane 2 and cruised past in lane 3 then proceeded in lane 3 with the intention of pulling back over when I had passed a couple more slower vehicles in lane 2. As I was about to do this, the BTP office flashed his headlights at me. I pulled into lane 2 as it was now clear then he pulled alongside my rear quarter and put his blue lights on. Initially I assumed he had taken a call and would zoom off into the distance but he just hung around there for a few seconds with the blues on. He didn't pull in behind or in front of me to pull me over so I knocked the cruise down by a couple of MPH, he turned off the lights, overtook, pulled in front of me and brake checked me.
every time we came towards some slower moving traffic for the next three or four miles I would see it in plenty of time and pull into lane three. And every time I got almost alongside the BTP car he would pull out dangerously closely and force me to brake.
Now I know technically if I had been going at 71mph he would've been within his rights to pull me but he didn't do that. It seems like I just came across an egotist who thought "I'm a police officer, nobody overtakes me."
Like I said, not looking for any specific feedback or anythgin here, just a cathartic rant really!
Not much to add other than if you have the reg details and dash cam footage you can log it as an official complaint. I was driving up the M1 with the cruise control on at a number below the speeding prosecution threshold so in reality probably 3 or 4 MPH below that given the speedo optimism (when I pass one of those illuminated signs to encourage people to be mindful of speed in built-up areas it usually reads ~2mph below my speedo so I would assume that at motorway speeds that differential would increase slightly).
I saw a marked BTP car in lane 2 and cruised past in lane 3 then proceeded in lane 3 with the intention of pulling back over when I had passed a couple more slower vehicles in lane 2. As I was about to do this, the BTP office flashed his headlights at me. I pulled into lane 2 as it was now clear then he pulled alongside my rear quarter and put his blue lights on. Initially I assumed he had taken a call and would zoom off into the distance but he just hung around there for a few seconds with the blues on. He didn't pull in behind or in front of me to pull me over so I knocked the cruise down by a couple of MPH, he turned off the lights, overtook, pulled in front of me and brake checked me.
every time we came towards some slower moving traffic for the next three or four miles I would see it in plenty of time and pull into lane three. And every time I got almost alongside the BTP car he would pull out dangerously closely and force me to brake.
Now I know technically if I had been going at 71mph he would've been within his rights to pull me but he didn't do that. It seems like I just came across an egotist who thought "I'm a police officer, nobody overtakes me."
Like I said, not looking for any specific feedback or anythgin here, just a cathartic rant really!
https://www.btp.police.uk/fo/feedback/complaints/m...
Personally I wouldn't have knocked down the speed if you weren't speeding in the first place, it's not illegal to overtake a marked police car going the speed limit.
Yeah I've got the dashcam footage but not sure there's much value in posting a complaint - for the most part I absolutely support the police in the hard job they do but on one previous occasion I made a complaint to the Lincolnshire force about one of their officers and it wasn't even acknowledged.
Had exactly this myself (but 12-15 years ago) from a BTP Astra estate on the A329m. Each time they pulled alongside and waved to slow down I just shrugged, mouthed go away/what's your problem and carried on - nothing more happened.
It's likely a jumped-up officer with an inferiority complex
It's likely a jumped-up officer with an inferiority complex
On my driver training with GMP I was told that if you take a divisional car on the motorway you are to drive at 62mph in order to allow other cars to flow around you, and deffo no blue lights.
Dunno if BTP are even allowed to blue light on motorways as even divisional stuff when it hits motorway have to cancel blue lights until they exit the motorway. We use the M6 all the time cross division and have to adhere to this. Advanced and Traffic are the only ones I think who are allowed to blue light on motorways.
I would suggest a copper who is showing off.
Dunno if BTP are even allowed to blue light on motorways as even divisional stuff when it hits motorway have to cancel blue lights until they exit the motorway. We use the M6 all the time cross division and have to adhere to this. Advanced and Traffic are the only ones I think who are allowed to blue light on motorways.
I would suggest a copper who is showing off.
I immediately thought dashcam too - so many threads now that are just crying out for footage.
You can overtake if your speed doesn't go above the limit, implying the car being overtaken is going under the limit.
Which is what you meant I'm sure, but could be read differently.
The grey area is using the non prosecutable area above the limit to overtake a car going at the speed limit..
...none of which excuses the dick like driving of the btp officer that has been described
J2daG1990 said:
Personally I wouldn't have knocked down the speed if you weren't speeding in the first place, it's not illegal to overtake a marked police car going the speed limit.
For pedantry: you can't legally overtake a police car (or any car) that is going the speed limit.You can overtake if your speed doesn't go above the limit, implying the car being overtaken is going under the limit.
Which is what you meant I'm sure, but could be read differently.
The grey area is using the non prosecutable area above the limit to overtake a car going at the speed limit..
...none of which excuses the dick like driving of the btp officer that has been described
Having made a complaint to Kent Police about similar driving (brake testing, dangerous lane changes, tailgating), the Sergeant called me and pretty much made all the right noises, but did sod all.
I appreciate being part of the police is a thankless task, but bluntly, if the public see you drive like that they think it is okay as well. Very few will recognise normal non traffic car v traffic cars v armed response cars. It does the public perception no favours whatsoever.
It leaves me with a little bit of a mixed bag view of Kent Police as sometimes they have knocked it out of the park regarding thefts in the area, other times despite having dashcam footage registrations, person on camera (no hoods etc.) they do sod all. The officer in the normal beat car deserves a bloody flogging.
Sadly, it is not the first time I have heard such stories as my youngest cousin's friend was an officer for Nottinghamshire, for a variety of reasons he was sacked, but the final nail in the coffin was him driving like a dick in a normal beat car.
I appreciate being part of the police is a thankless task, but bluntly, if the public see you drive like that they think it is okay as well. Very few will recognise normal non traffic car v traffic cars v armed response cars. It does the public perception no favours whatsoever.
It leaves me with a little bit of a mixed bag view of Kent Police as sometimes they have knocked it out of the park regarding thefts in the area, other times despite having dashcam footage registrations, person on camera (no hoods etc.) they do sod all. The officer in the normal beat car deserves a bloody flogging.
Sadly, it is not the first time I have heard such stories as my youngest cousin's friend was an officer for Nottinghamshire, for a variety of reasons he was sacked, but the final nail in the coffin was him driving like a dick in a normal beat car.
If they were definitely BTP, I would say:
1. I'm not aware that BTP can have any jurisdiction on a motorway, as they would need to be 'fast roads' certified to do anything. If you were speeding, the worst they could do is report via radio to be passed to the area force to deal.
2. Following from 1, their use of blue lights would also seem to be outside of their authority.
3. Brake-checking is straightforward dangerous driving, and if you have the footage, report them without question. This is unforgiveable.
1. I'm not aware that BTP can have any jurisdiction on a motorway, as they would need to be 'fast roads' certified to do anything. If you were speeding, the worst they could do is report via radio to be passed to the area force to deal.
2. Following from 1, their use of blue lights would also seem to be outside of their authority.
3. Brake-checking is straightforward dangerous driving, and if you have the footage, report them without question. This is unforgiveable.
I remember drifting along an empty A1 years ago in my (at the time) M5 doing around 95mph, I noticed a grey A4 keeping pace with me so slowed down, I must have forgotten about him as I drifted up again to around 95mph suddenly he was filling my mirrors, came past me pulled into the centre of the road braked hard and put his blues on took me down to 30mph then just shot off up the road.
It was my lucky day, I didn't chase after him.
littleredrooster said:
If they were definitely BTP, I would say:
1. I'm not aware that BTP can have any jurisdiction on a motorway, as they would need to be 'fast roads' certified to do anything. If you were speeding, the worst they could do is report via radio to be passed to the area force to deal.
2. Following from 1, their use of blue lights would also seem to be outside of their authority.
3. Brake-checking is straightforward dangerous driving, and if you have the footage, report them without question. This is unforgiveable.
1 You're wrong as you are confusing legal authority, which they have, and force policy which is another issue but as a former Fast Roads trainer, I've had BTP cops on my courses........Even so, Law trumps policy. You'd get done at court, then the cop might get fizzed. You'd still get prosecuted though.1. I'm not aware that BTP can have any jurisdiction on a motorway, as they would need to be 'fast roads' certified to do anything. If you were speeding, the worst they could do is report via radio to be passed to the area force to deal.
2. Following from 1, their use of blue lights would also seem to be outside of their authority.
3. Brake-checking is straightforward dangerous driving, and if you have the footage, report them without question. This is unforgiveable.
2 As above - wrong
3. Can't disagree with that
Rushjob said:
littleredrooster said:
If they were definitely BTP, I would say:
1. I'm not aware that BTP can have any jurisdiction on a motorway, as they would need to be 'fast roads' certified to do anything. If you were speeding, the worst they could do is report via radio to be passed to the area force to deal.
2. Following from 1, their use of blue lights would also seem to be outside of their authority.
3. Brake-checking is straightforward dangerous driving, and if you have the footage, report them without question. This is unforgiveable.
1 You're wrong as you are confusing legal authority, which they have, and force policy which is another issue but as a former Fast Roads trainer, I've had BTP cops on my courses........Even so, Law trumps policy. You'd get done at court, then the cop might get fizzed. You'd still get prosecuted though.1. I'm not aware that BTP can have any jurisdiction on a motorway, as they would need to be 'fast roads' certified to do anything. If you were speeding, the worst they could do is report via radio to be passed to the area force to deal.
2. Following from 1, their use of blue lights would also seem to be outside of their authority.
3. Brake-checking is straightforward dangerous driving, and if you have the footage, report them without question. This is unforgiveable.
2 As above - wrong
3. Can't disagree with that
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