RE: Top cop speeds away
Tuesday 25th October 2005
Driving for the circumstances?Many road safety groups are frothing in ferment following the conviction for speeding of the driver of the UK's top traffic cop. He is said to have been driving at 86mph on the A12, and received a £250 fine.
Top cop speeds away
While his driver cops a £250 fine
Driving for the circumstances?
The passenger, London's Metropolitan Police Service Chief Superintendent Les Owen, received no penalty -- fair enough, given that he wasn't actually driving.
Of course, the road safety groups have a point: the driver's passenger is among those who have been active in promulgating the message that 'speed kills', a message that's been refuted by serious analysis of road accident statistics. So it is hypocritical for Owen to encourage his driver to break the speed limit and use blues and twos, simply because he was reportedly late for a meeting.
On the other hand, we don't know the exact circumstances of the incident, and 86mph may well have been a perfectly safe speed given the time of day, the visibility and road conditions, and traffic density, or it may not. The driver was in the best place to determine that.
The trouble is that some road safety groups take the 'speed kills' message far too literally.
Discussion
simonpac said:
Hey, I got a 2 month ban for doing 97mph coming into London on a deserted M1 Christmas Eve. Percentage wise less over the limit than in this case. The police driver should have been banned too as far as I'm concerned.
How do you figure that? The A12 is a dual-carriageway for a large proportion of the non-50mph-or-lower-limit part, therefore same limit as you were in: 70mph.
stace3610 said:
How do you figure that? The A12 is a dual-carriageway for a large proportion of the non-50mph-or-lower-limit part, therefore same limit as you were in: 70mph.
It's a dual-carriageway for the section in question as well (despite the low limit). With barriers, proper entry exit slip roads and stuff too.
Yes, of course it's hypocritical for Owen to represent an organisation which says "speed kills" and then seemingly to encourage doing what most safe motorists do anyway, i.e. travel at a speed appropriate to the circumstances, which often means faster than the many too low limits.
Time and time again senior (and junior) BIB do this; it's yet another nail in the coffin of outmoded too low speed limits.
Time and time again senior (and junior) BIB do this; it's yet another nail in the coffin of outmoded too low speed limits.
I'm more than thankfully that argument of "speed kills" has fallen by the wayside in most of the US .
All 50 states have dropped the 55 mph speed limit on interstates . 60 mph limit in 1 state , 65 mph limit in 17 states , 70 mph limit in 19 states , 75 mph limit in 13 states , 80 mph limit soon in west Texas. Many western states have adopted 65 or 70 mph on all 2 lane rural highways . And as speed limits have increased as of last year the death rate per miles driven are the lowest in recorded history in North America .
I routeenly drive across the US and the higher speed limits have made traffic flow the safest I've ever seen . Speeds of 70 to just under 90 mph are common . Speed doesn't kill , stupid people do !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>> Edited by rotarykid on Tuesday 25th October 14:54
All 50 states have dropped the 55 mph speed limit on interstates . 60 mph limit in 1 state , 65 mph limit in 17 states , 70 mph limit in 19 states , 75 mph limit in 13 states , 80 mph limit soon in west Texas. Many western states have adopted 65 or 70 mph on all 2 lane rural highways . And as speed limits have increased as of last year the death rate per miles driven are the lowest in recorded history in North America .
I routeenly drive across the US and the higher speed limits have made traffic flow the safest I've ever seen . Speeds of 70 to just under 90 mph are common . Speed doesn't kill , stupid people do !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>> Edited by rotarykid on Tuesday 25th October 14:54
rotarykid said:
I'm more than thankfully that argument of "speed kills" has fallen by the wayside in most of the US .
All 50 states have dropped the 55 mph speed limit on interstates . 60 mph limit in 1 state , 65 mph limit in 17 states , 70 mph limit in 19 states , 75 mph limit in 13 states . Many western states have adopted 65 or 70 mph on all 2 lane rural highways . And as speed limits have increased as of last year the death rate per miles driven are the lowest in recorded history in North America .
I routeenly drive across the US and the higher speed limits have made traffic flow the safest I've ever seen . Speeds of 70 to just under 90 mph are common . Speed doesn't kill , stupid people do !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, but no matter how often you beat control freaks over the head with these facts, they just don't want to listen. (I realise for some their livelyhoods depend on camera income.)
Practice what you preach! Thats what i say, i don't care how safe it was to be doing 86mph in that particular situation (and i have no doubt that it was perfectly safe) if you are a top cop who pushes the 'speed kills' bollox on the public you should be made an example of for speeding, simple as that. If the blues and twos bit was true the punishment should be even more severe! 
turbobungle said:
Practice what you preach! Thats what i say, i don't care how safe it was to be doing 86mph in that particular situation (and i have no doubt that it was perfectly safe) if you are a top cop who pushes the 'speed kills' bollox on the public you should be made an example of for speeding, simple as that. If the blues and twos bit was true the punishment should be even more severe!
Their as bent as the day is long, just think what they would do if given even more powers, powers that this labour government is planning, I just cant remember when we had such a talentless bunch of morons running our police forces they simply have one rule for us and another for themselves, look at the riots they have known this was coming for years but did fuk all about it.
stace3610 said:
Hey, I got a 2 month ban for doing 97mph coming into London on a deserted M1 Christmas Eve. Percentage wise less over the limit than in this case. The police driver should have been banned too as far as I'm concerned.
How do you figure that? The A12 is a dual-carriageway for a large proportion of the non-50mph-or-lower-limit part, therefore same limit as you were in: 70mph.
The offence, as I heard it, occured in a 50mph limit. The car was caught on a speed camera, hence it coming to light.
The problem here is not that he was speeding, but rather its another example of one rule for us and another for the rest of you.
Last time i was caught speeding the excuse of running late did not wash and points as well as a fine were the result.
How come it works for this lot? Hypocrisy at its worst.
Last time i was caught speeding the excuse of running late did not wash and points as well as a fine were the result.
How come it works for this lot? Hypocrisy at its worst.
ellroy said:
The problem here is not that he was speeding, but rather its another example of one rule for us and another for the rest of you.
Last time i was caught speeding the excuse of running late did not wash and points as well as a fine were the result.
How come it works for this lot? Hypocrisy at its worst.
Totally agree with you..
Hypocrisy is the worst part of it!! We are often spoken to and treated worse than thieves and Violent criminals if we exceed speed limits, but the very same people imposing this treatment are flaunting these laws!
Its a disgrace!!!
simonpac said:
stace3610 said:
simonpac said:
Hey, I got a 2 month ban for doing 97mph coming into London on a deserted M1 Christmas Eve. Percentage wise less over the limit than in this case. The police driver should have been banned too as far as I'm concerned.
How do you figure that? The A12 is a dual-carriageway for a large proportion of the non-50mph-or-lower-limit part, therefore same limit as you were in: 70mph.
The offence, as I heard it, occured in a 50mph limit. The car was caught on a speed camera, hence it coming to light.
Ah ... bit of an assumption, as it didn't mention the limit, that a) a police-driver wouldn't be going _that_ crazy, and b) that sort of thing would be worth more than a £250 fine (in the eyes of the authorities, for right or wrong).
Made an a$$ out of u and me ...
Stace.
>> Edited by stace3610 on Tuesday 25th October 15:49
According to the Telegraph they were 'swiftly on the scene' (and braking hard?) of a recent accident. Because they were in the area of the accident Scotland Yard held an enquiry and worked out from the on-board camera that they were doing 80+ in a 40 limit.
I wonder what would have happened if the Chief Super had been at the wheel?
I wonder what would have happened if the Chief Super had been at the wheel?
james_j said:
....Time and time again senior (and junior) BIB do this; it's yet another nail in the coffin of outmoded too low speed limits.
I'm not sure I agree. It's another indication that some in the police can get away with it (not the driver, sadly, who was the fallguy for this), but this indicates that the law is imposed on the plebs by the new aristocracy. Mr Blair can use bus lanes and the Queen's jets, Mrs Blair gets armoured cars, Mr Prescott gets multiple grace-and-favour houses, while we get potholes, increasing council tax, pensions fund raids, and later retirement age.
86mph!!! what a monster! lock him up and throw away the key.dogwatch said:Er, he would have been let off? Police business, you know.
According to the Telegraph they were 'swiftly on the scene' (and braking hard?) of a recent accident. Because they were in the area of the accident Scotland Yard held an enquiry and worked out from the on-board camera that they were doing 80+ in a 40 limit.
I wonder what would have happened if the Chief Super had been at the wheel?
Peter Ward said:
....Time and time again senior (and junior) BIB do this; it's yet another nail in the coffin of outmoded too low speed limits.
I'm not sure I agree. It's another indication that some in the police can get away with it (not the driver, sadly, who was the fallguy for this), but this indicates that the law is imposed on the plebs by the new aristocracy. Mr Blair can use bus lanes and the Queen's jets, Mrs Blair gets armoured cars, Mr Prescott gets multiple grace-and-favour houses, while we get potholes, increasing council tax, pensions fund raids, and later retirement age.
There is a voice in my head that says you may be correct in this.
God help us if the "VIP" lanes for the Olympics are a success, they'll be everywhere the highways authorities have created congestion by neglect (crumbling roads) or design (humps, pinch points, ghost traffic islands, low speed limits etc etc).james_j said:
james_j said:
....Time and time again senior (and junior) BIB do this; it's yet another nail in the coffin of outmoded too low speed limits.
I'm not sure I agree. It's another indication that some in the police can get away with it (not the driver, sadly, who was the fallguy for this), but this indicates that the law is imposed on the plebs by the new aristocracy. Mr Blair can use bus lanes and the Queen's jets, Mrs Blair gets armoured cars, Mr Prescott gets multiple grace-and-favour houses, while we get potholes, increasing council tax, pensions fund raids, and later retirement age.
There is a voice in my head that says you may be correct in this.
'VIP' lanes is a joke, why is this country trying to copy an old russian idea that is now used by anyone who can get away from it eg. organised crime. Maybe they have more in common
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