Police drivers
Discussion
A category of police drivers called Class 1 is often mentioned on this forum. I'm curious about how it fits in to the overall picture.
- Is 'Class 1' an actual categorisation currently used in the British police?
- How many other classes are there?
- Briefly, what are the differences between the classes and what roles require Class 1 drivers?
- Are all traffic officers Class 1 drivers?
- Is 'Class 1' an actual categorisation currently used in the British police?
- How many other classes are there?
- Briefly, what are the differences between the classes and what roles require Class 1 drivers?
- Are all traffic officers Class 1 drivers?
SamHH said:
A category of police drivers called Class 1 is often mentioned on this forum. I'm curious about how it fits in to the overall picture.
- Is 'Class 1' an actual categorisation currently used in the British police?
- How many other classes are there?
- Briefly, what are the differences between the classes and what roles require Class 1 drivers?
- Are all traffic officers Class 1 drivers?
- Is 'Class 1' an actual categorisation currently used in the British police?
- How many other classes are there?
- Briefly, what are the differences between the classes and what roles require Class 1 drivers?
- Are all traffic officers Class 1 drivers?
Used to be class one class two and class three.. these all being specialist driving levels. National policy recently changed to just have two classes of driver that being one of advanced the other 'standard'. Below this are other classes allowing officers to drive cars but not exceed the highway code. TPAC is a different qualification that most forces now only allow class one drivers to do. On top of these courses there are other specialised courses. Most traffic officers will be class one with the odd being class two.
VH is probably better qualified to explain the full classes.
Class 1 & class 2 are both (what are now called Level 1) advanced drivers. Class 1 just denotes that the driver not only exceeded the pass mark for class 2 (76%), but got over 85%.
Class 1 & Class 2 don't officially exist anymore (although candidates who exceeded 85% are told so on the courses in my force area). They are all just designated as a Level 1 driver.
Level 1 means that they can drive vehicles designated as advanced cars & are qualified to engage in tactical pursuit options.
The newly created Level 2 (not to be confused with class 2) are qualified to drive advanced designated cars in response mode, but may not engage in tactical pursuit options, only initial phase pursuits.
Level 3 drivers may drive in response mode & initial phase pursuits (not tactical options), but only in response designated cars. They may drive advanced designated cars but not using exemptions etc.
Level 4 may drive response & advanced designated cars, but are not entitled to use exemptions & so therefore can't drive in response mode or engage in pursuits initial or tactical.
Class 1 & Class 2 don't officially exist anymore (although candidates who exceeded 85% are told so on the courses in my force area). They are all just designated as a Level 1 driver.
Level 1 means that they can drive vehicles designated as advanced cars & are qualified to engage in tactical pursuit options.
The newly created Level 2 (not to be confused with class 2) are qualified to drive advanced designated cars in response mode, but may not engage in tactical pursuit options, only initial phase pursuits.
Level 3 drivers may drive in response mode & initial phase pursuits (not tactical options), but only in response designated cars. They may drive advanced designated cars but not using exemptions etc.
Level 4 may drive response & advanced designated cars, but are not entitled to use exemptions & so therefore can't drive in response mode or engage in pursuits initial or tactical.
Does it not vary from force to force? For example I have a Basic Driving Permit (because I'm fairly new to the job and blues courses are in short supply). I can drive any car, regardless of power, but only within the Highway Code. Can't even use the blues to pull someone over. Strangely, whilst I can drive vans on my normal licence, I need to do a separate course to drive police vans. I'll only get this when I do my blues course. I'll probably have to wait another year or two to get my blues course. 
julianhj said:
Does it not vary from force to force? For example I have a Basic Driving Permit (because I'm fairly new to the job and blues courses are in short supply). I can drive any car, regardless of power, but only within the Highway Code. Can't even use the blues to pull someone over. Strangely, whilst I can drive vans on my normal licence, I need to do a separate course to drive police vans. I'll only get this when I do my blues course. I'll probably have to wait another year or two to get my blues course.
You are in the "basic" or "level 4" that I have described above.
quote=julianhj] Strangely, whilst I can drive vans on my normal licence, I need to do a separate course to drive police vans. I'll only get this when I do my blues course. I'll probably have to wait another year or two to get my blues course. [/quote]
Like the van driver in my area - indicated right- so i slipped up on the inside , to get shoved over as he changed to indicating left.Result an Inspector kissing my ass not to make a complaint (damage - white paint on my front bumper)
A week or two later i met my CBO --told the story with lots of laughs from him and coment " would have loved to have my ass kissed by inspector)
Many BIB might like it .
[/quote] Like the van driver in my area - indicated right- so i slipped up on the inside , to get shoved over as he changed to indicating left.Result an Inspector kissing my ass not to make a complaint (damage - white paint on my front bumper)
A week or two later i met my CBO --told the story with lots of laughs from him and coment " would have loved to have my ass kissed by inspector)
Many BIB might like it .
streaky said:
[quote=who me ?]" would have loved to have my ass kissed by inspector)
Many BIB might like it .
Depends how pretty he is, I guess - Streaky Many BIB might like it .
[/quote]
Our CBO was a fireball - but to him getting ass kissed by Inspector -"yessir no sir " would have been any CBO dream . (From a BIB point of view )
thinfourth said:
How about 4x4s do you get taught about the extra buttons and levers in one of those and how to use it properly
Also HGVs do you get shown those as i can imagine situations where a traffic plod would want to move one of those
Also HGVs do you get shown those as i can imagine situations where a traffic plod would want to move one of those
Yes with regards both the above questions. There are also course for PSV's trailers and the standard and advanced bike. Not sure if the TPAC etc question got answered but in short response is to call driving, initial pursuit is starting and safely maintaining contact with a car and TPAC is the box and tactical contact bit.
thinfourth said:
How about 4x4s do you get taught about the extra buttons and levers in one of those and how to use it properly
Yes, there are seperate on road & off road 4x4 courses for those that require them.
thinfourth said:
Also HGVs do you get shown those as i can imagine situations where a traffic plod would want to move one of those
There are C1, D1, C , D , C+E, D+E courses available, both for those who already have those DSA licence categories & just need to be familiarised/assessed, or full courses with a DSA test for those who need them.
local plod seem to think it is fine to over take on a blind bend on a country road, had 2 of them in unmarked cars do that to me, they just missed the truck coming round the corner. saw them a few miles later looking very, very lost 
saw their colleagues come out of some building and looking puzzled, expet they flew past so quick they missed them, 70-90 mph on nsl road
saw their colleagues come out of some building and looking puzzled, expet they flew past so quick they missed them, 70-90 mph on nsl road
With regards to this...
In my force, only a student who obtains score of 85% and above will achieve a pass. The old class 2 was removed years ago, and all those who qualified as class 2, and were still driving advanced level cars, had to re-attend the school on a 2-week refresher, after which they had to pass at class 1 level. This resulted in quite a few noses being put out of joint.
So now, less people pass advanced courses, as class 2 is a fail and in theory, the overall standard of advanced drivers is higher.
Vanhosen said:
Class 1 & Class 2 don't officially exist anymore (although candidates who exceeded 85% are told so on the courses in my force area). They are all just designated as a Level 1 driver.
In my force, only a student who obtains score of 85% and above will achieve a pass. The old class 2 was removed years ago, and all those who qualified as class 2, and were still driving advanced level cars, had to re-attend the school on a 2-week refresher, after which they had to pass at class 1 level. This resulted in quite a few noses being put out of joint.
So now, less people pass advanced courses, as class 2 is a fail and in theory, the overall standard of advanced drivers is higher.
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