What's going on at M40 J2
Discussion
I added this to the end of the 'Car Thefts in High Wycombe' thread but it really deserves a thread of its own.
At 16:00hrs today, Wednesday, I left the M40 westbound at J2 and not only had there been a m/c policeman on the hard shoulder at the M25 on slip north/westbound (about 5 miles back along the M'way) accompanied by a traffic car, but the entrance to the Hedgerley road from the A355 immediately adjacent to the roundabout of J2 was swarming with Police vehicles. That road runs parallel with the motorway and is where the new Prescott Service Area is to be built. Just after you enter it and pass the timber yard, the road lies very close to the off slip at J2 and you can see the Police activity from the slip road.
Is this part of the 'big thing' that was mentioned on the other thread?
At 16:00hrs today, Wednesday, I left the M40 westbound at J2 and not only had there been a m/c policeman on the hard shoulder at the M25 on slip north/westbound (about 5 miles back along the M'way) accompanied by a traffic car, but the entrance to the Hedgerley road from the A355 immediately adjacent to the roundabout of J2 was swarming with Police vehicles. That road runs parallel with the motorway and is where the new Prescott Service Area is to be built. Just after you enter it and pass the timber yard, the road lies very close to the off slip at J2 and you can see the Police activity from the slip road.
Is this part of the 'big thing' that was mentioned on the other thread?
I was actually "pulled" yesterday by a BiB on a m/cycle. He passed me on the M40 at motioned me to follow him off the M/way at Beaconsfield, and I followed him round to Hedgerley Lane, where there were at least a dozen cars and BiB. I was told that I had been stopped as my car details had come up as no registered keeper and untaxed. Having bought the car last week and MOT'ing it and taxing it this Monday, I wasn't surprised that the car's details weren't upto date.
Once the BiB saw my current valid tax disc, he sent me on my way.
It's funny how your heartrate picks up when you see the Law with the blue lights going, in your rearview mirror, even though you know you've done nothing wrong!!
Once the BiB saw my current valid tax disc, he sent me on my way.
It's funny how your heartrate picks up when you see the Law with the blue lights going, in your rearview mirror, even though you know you've done nothing wrong!!
CatherineJ said:
Doh, actually that is one use of camera's that agree with 100%.
Mmmm, I'm not so sure. I'd much rather the BiB concentrated their efforts on dealing with the causation factors of colliions rather than simply acting as tax collectors.
If a Traffic Officer is on patrol for 8 hours is his time better sent pulling people for no tax or for careless driving? Seems a bit of a no brainer to me.
>> Edited by volvos70t5 on Thursday 19th January 15:34
volvos70t5 said:
[quote=CatherineJ]
If a Traffic Officer is on patrol for 8 hours is his time better sent pulling people for no tax or for careless driving? Seems a bit of a no brainer to me.
>> Edited by volvos70t5 on Thursday 19th January 15:34
Why can't they do both?
Don't forget a lot of people with no tax are also likely to have no MOT and no insurance. I think I'd prefere to be involved in an rta with someone driving carelessly with insurance than someone driving to the letter of the law with no insurance.
Phill
PhillVR6 said:
[quote=CatherineJ]
If a Traffic Officer is on patrol for 8 hours is his time better sent pulling people for no tax or for careless driving? Seems a bit of a no brainer to me.
>> Edited by volvos70t5 on Thursday 19th January 15:34
Why can't they do both?
Don't forget a lot of people with no tax are also likely to have no MOT and no insurance. I think I'd prefere to be involved in an rta with someone driving carelessly with insurance than someone driving to the letter of the law with no insurance.
Phill
They can and I am sure they do. But it is, surely, a matter of priorities. Is the greater good served better by a TrafPol dealing with a careless driver or an untaxed vehicle?
An untaxed/unlicensed/uninsured driver might be driving illegally but not unsafely.
I'm sure if someone passed the police and had tax but were seen to be driving in an unsafe fashion they would still get pulled.
Also no matter how safe someones driving is, there is always the possibility of being involved in an RTA. It is for this reason that uninsured drivers should be targeted (the easiest way of doing this is by checking tax as you can't tax an uninsured car).
In the past I have been hit by a driver who drove off. Fortunately he was insured, but if he hadn't been I would have been up the creek without a paddle.
In my opinion getting uninsured drivers off the road is as important as removing careless drivers. I do no however believe that the two are mutually exclusive.
Phill
Also no matter how safe someones driving is, there is always the possibility of being involved in an RTA. It is for this reason that uninsured drivers should be targeted (the easiest way of doing this is by checking tax as you can't tax an uninsured car).
In the past I have been hit by a driver who drove off. Fortunately he was insured, but if he hadn't been I would have been up the creek without a paddle.
In my opinion getting uninsured drivers off the road is as important as removing careless drivers. I do no however believe that the two are mutually exclusive.
Phill
PhillVR6
I don't think they are mutually exclusive but if a TrafPol sees 2 offences being committed I would hope that he would be able to deal with that offence that has more chance of causing a collision.
ANPR is great when the data is accurate but often it isn't. Don't get me wrong, I fully support our BiB's but I do want them to use their time most effectively and, in my view, that means targetting unsafe driving and not technical infringements of documentation.
>> Edited by volvos70t5 on Thursday 19th January 16:40
I don't think they are mutually exclusive but if a TrafPol sees 2 offences being committed I would hope that he would be able to deal with that offence that has more chance of causing a collision.
ANPR is great when the data is accurate but often it isn't. Don't get me wrong, I fully support our BiB's but I do want them to use their time most effectively and, in my view, that means targetting unsafe driving and not technical infringements of documentation.
>> Edited by volvos70t5 on Thursday 19th January 16:40
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