Police pursuit training on public roads?
Discussion
A few times recentley while driving on the A69 dual carriageway 10-15 miles west of Newcastle i have witnessed 4/5 marked Northumbria police Volvos carrying out what appears to be some sort of training exercise for high speed pursuits.Same scenario every time - one Volvo slows right down to 30-40mph puts on the blue lights,drives along centre of carriageway and holds back the traffic,then an unmarked car (supposed bandit vehicle,i presume) will accelerate away at high speed with the other Volvos in pursuit with blue lights and sirens operating,after a couple of miles the bandit vehicle is boxed in,and slowed right down just before all police vehicles involved leave the A69 at next exit in normal orederley manner.
So are these things just training exercises or did i witness actuall police pursuits on the same stretch of road several times,if so do other UK police forces carry out this sort of thing on busy public roads ?.
So are these things just training exercises or did i witness actuall police pursuits on the same stretch of road several times,if so do other UK police forces carry out this sort of thing on busy public roads ?.
wildone63 said:
A few times recentley while driving on the A69 dual carriageway 10-15 miles west of Newcastle i have witnessed 4/5 marked Northumbria police Volvos carrying out what appears to be some sort of training exercise for high speed pursuits.Same scenario every time - one Volvo slows right down to 30-40mph puts on the blue lights,drives along centre of carriageway and holds back the traffic,then an unmarked car (supposed bandit vehicle,i presume) will accelerate away at high speed with the other Volvos in pursuit with blue lights and sirens operating,after a couple of miles the bandit vehicle is boxed in,and slowed right down just before all police vehicles involved leave the A69 at next exit in normal orederley manner.
So are these things just training exercises or did i witness actuall police pursuits on the same stretch of road several times,if so do other UK police forces carry out this sort of thing on busy public roads ?.
So are these things just training exercises or did i witness actuall police pursuits on the same stretch of road several times,if so do other UK police forces carry out this sort of thing on busy public roads ?.
Sounds like training & yes other forces train on public roads.
wildone63 said:
So are these things just training exercises or did i witness actuall police pursuits on the same stretch of road several times,if so do other UK police forces carry out this sort of thing on busy public roads ?.
TPAC training. Cool isn't it? They do it in Cheshire too.
mr_annie_vxr said:
Oh I do hope this is not going to be another why don't they train on race tracks and what right have they got to endanger the public on road threads.
But they create a sterile area with the RRB so there's v. little chance of the public getting caught up in anything?
mr_annie_vxr said:
Oh I do hope this is not going to be another why don't they train on race tracks and what right have they got to endanger the public on road threads.
Well since actual pursuits take place on public roads it would make sense to train in the same environment, as long as 'common sense' is used (in both training and pursuits
) I see no problem with it. 
Vaux said:
mr_annie_vxr said:
Oh I do hope this is not going to be another why don't they train on race tracks and what right have they got to endanger the public on road threads.
But they create a sterile area with the RRB so there's v. little chance of the public getting caught up in anything?
Thats also part of the TPAC in real life situations as well.
I totally support training on public roads. A question though: The "suspect", being a police driver, will be driving safely. Might it be the case that techniques would differ for unsafe drivers? (E.G. unsafe driver overtaking on a blind summit, you could also overtake as at least _you_ wouldn't be involved in the crash)
Thanx for the replies,but what i was wondering is considering that the vast majority of pursuits take place in urban and built up areas with heavy traffic around,is it of any real value to the police for them to stage these practise pursuits on a dual carriageway which runs through open countryside with no traffic/pedestrians/buildings or other potential hazards in front of the participating police vehicles ?
Iam not saying these exercises are any danger to the public,but i just think the police probably could achieve the same ends if this were done on a race track or disused airfield etc.
Iam not saying these exercises are any danger to the public,but i just think the police probably could achieve the same ends if this were done on a race track or disused airfield etc.
wildone63 said:
Thanx for the replies,but what i was wondering is considering that the vast majority of pursuits take place in urban and built up areas with heavy traffic around,is it of any real value to the police for them to stage these practise pursuits on a dual carriageway which runs through open countryside with no traffic/pedestrians/buildings or other potential hazards in front of the participating police vehicles ?
Iam not saying these exercises are any danger to the public,but i just think the police probably could achieve the same ends if this were done on a race track or disused airfield etc.
Iam not saying these exercises are any danger to the public,but i just think the police probably could achieve the same ends if this were done on a race track or disused airfield etc.
This was one particular exercise applicable for dual carriageways & it was carried out in conditions similar to how it would be done for real (ie keeping the public out of it). They use other training methods for different scenarios.
bertbert said:
mr_annie_vxr said:
Oh I do hope this is not going to be another why don't they train on race tracks and what right have they got to endanger the public on road threads.
I was gonna complain...about not having seen it myself...sounds great to watch.
Bert
I'd LOVE to see something like that. Be brilliant. Better yet I live in hope that I might manage to persuade someone to let me passenger one day...
wildone63 said:
i just think the police probably could achieve the same ends if this were done on a race track or disused airfield etc.
My inextensive survey of race tracks and airfields has taught me one thing - they are nothing like the road.
No hedges, no farm machinery, no variation in surface etc etc etc ad infinitum.
Yes there is risk inherent in Police training, but I would guess that this is for the greater good.
At least you noticed them training - I've seen too many drivers carry on holding up BiB and Ambulances "on a shout". Maybe J Public could do with a couple of lessons on what to do when an ambulance is trying to get through at a set of red lights...
spokey said:
mr_annie_vxr said:
Oh I do hope this is not going to be another why don't they train on race tracks and what right have they got to endanger the public on road threads.
Why don't they train on race tracks and what right have they got to endanger the public on the road?
Indeed...and think on
Race tracks have rabbits...won't somebody think of the rabbits?
Train on the moon, if you must...
wildone63 said:
A few times recentley while driving on the A69 dual carriageway 10-15 miles west of Newcastle i have witnessed 4/5 marked Northumbria police Volvos carrying out what appears to be some sort of training exercise for high speed pursuits.Same scenario every time - one Volvo slows right down to 30-40mph puts on the blue lights,drives along centre of carriageway and holds back the traffic,then an unmarked car (supposed bandit vehicle,i presume) will accelerate away at high speed with the other Volvos in pursuit with blue lights and sirens operating,after a couple of miles the bandit vehicle is boxed in,and slowed right down just before all police vehicles involved leave the A69 at next exit in normal orederley manner.
So are these things just training exercises or did i witness actuall police pursuits on the same stretch of road several times,if so do other UK police forces carry out this sort of thing on busy public roads ?.
So are these things just training exercises or did i witness actuall police pursuits on the same stretch of road several times,if so do other UK police forces carry out this sort of thing on busy public roads ?.
Cleveland do it all the time on the A19 South of Middlesbrough. I was pootling along there one day when they used the Marked Ford Galaxy (ARV ?) to slow the traffic and one of their unmarked Octavia vRS's as the target vehicle.....
Yours truly, travelling in an identical Silver Octavia got a couple of confused looks after theirs had departed elsewhere
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