Followed by car with white flashing lights
Followed by car with white flashing lights
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M12093

Original Poster:

3 posts

41 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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I was driving down the M1 the other night going fairly quickly when I noticed a car following a few car lengths back. Wanting to play it safe, I backed off and pulled into the middle lane thinking they’d come past but they slipped in behind and kept following before turning on what looked like alternating white flashing lights on their roof. My friends and I aren't really sure whats happening at this point but I slow down further and move into the left lane where we're followed again. I then pulled up on the hard shoulder to see if he was actually trying to stop us but he keeps on going and turns the flashing white lights off. Was this some sort of emergency vehicle or was someone messing with us?

Just to be clear, these lights didn’t look as bright as police lights and nor did they flash in the same way. They were the only flashing lights on the car as far as we could tell. The car was a grey/silver Skoda Octavia which I know is used as an unmarked car but I didn’t think unmarked cars were fitted with roof lights

P675

894 posts

62 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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Nonce trying to have you. Had a similar experience with someone with a bright blue light on their dash many years ago, didnt stop though as it was 3am and didn't feel right. After moving to the left of the lane and slowing a bit for a few mins they overtook and disappeared.

ScoobyChris

2,307 posts

232 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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Sounds a bit Waltish! If you got their reg, worth reporting...

Chris

M12093

Original Poster:

3 posts

41 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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Thanks guys, unfortunately none of us got the reg as we came off shortly after and by that point he was gone

Still paranoid I’m gonna get something in the post but then again, it was 2am, completely dead and it definitely didn’t look like the other car was already dealing with something else (if he was legit) so surely we would’ve just been pulled over and dealt with there and then if it was actually a police car? And probably with blue lights too

sunnyb13

1,204 posts

68 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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Do you remember what part of the motorway and roughly what time?



Fr0dders

216 posts

254 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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Definitely somebody messing with you.

If it was the actual police, one of the following would happen

1) They just wanted to get by. They'd put their lights on and be on their way and speed off into the distance as soon as you moved into the inside lane
2) they wanted to pull you over. When you pulled into the hard shoulder they'd have got out and spoke to you.

If the police officer is in the car on the road with you, he won't just issue you a ticket in the post. They'll pull you over and hand it over to you. Although not impossible, in every circumstance where I've got a ticket, it's either been from a fixed camera, a speed camera van (these have been in the post) or if I've been pulled over, I've been given a ticket. Never had a ticket in the post from an office driving on the road.

bumskins

2,268 posts

45 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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sunnyb13 said:
Do you remember what part of the motorway and roughly what time?
Good call, may be covered in cameras with footage 'the bods' can check if you report it.

Justatwist

92 posts

192 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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Sounds like someone who was pissed off that you were in lane 3 when the motorway was empty.

jeremyh1

1,525 posts

157 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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Pull over and smack him over the ed with something
Its only a Prince Andrew fan and you can handle yourself no problem

Red9zero

11,266 posts

87 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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Justatwist said:
Sounds like someone who was pissed off that you were in lane 3 when the motorway was empty.
Sounds that way.

M12093

Original Poster:

3 posts

41 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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Red9zero said:
Sounds that way.
They were quite a few car lengths back and weren’t gaining - only when we moved over and slowed down did they decide to catch up and sit behind us

jeremyh1

1,525 posts

157 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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M12093 said:
They were quite a few car lengths back and weren’t gaining - only when we moved over and slowed down did they decide to catch up and sit behind us
Why were you in the outside lane
Please say you were not or you were over taking

Cambs_Stuart

3,536 posts

114 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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I had something similar on the M11 a few weeks ago. Joined the motorway heading north (left lane, 75mph, motorway not very busy) and a white VW tourag kept flashing me and indicating left. I had my wife and young son in the car so i wasn't going to pull over for anyone that wasn't clearly a policeman. They didn't pull alongside, occasionally dropped back then came up closer, flashed a few times then went back. At the time i'd assumed it was mistaken identity. When i got off the motorway they carried on.

MustangGT

13,846 posts

310 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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Red9zero said:
Justatwist said:
Sounds like someone who was pissed off that you were in lane 3 when the motorway was empty.
Sounds that way.
Agreed.

Pica-Pica

16,648 posts

114 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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Cambs_Stuart said:
I had something similar on the M11 a few weeks ago. Joined the motorway heading north (left lane, 75mph, motorway not very busy) and a white VW tourag kept flashing me and indicating left. I had my wife and young son in the car so i wasn't going to pull over for anyone that wasn't clearly a policeman. They didn't pull alongside, occasionally dropped back then came up closer, flashed a few times then went back. At the time i'd assumed it was mistaken identity. When i got off the motorway they carried on.
Left your left indicator on, or left tail lamps were not working?

georgeyboy12345

4,632 posts

65 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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M12093 said:
Red9zero said:
Sounds that way.
They were quite a few car lengths back and weren’t gaining - only when we moved over and slowed down did they decide to catch up and sit behind us
Doubt they “decided to catch up”, more likely they had their cruise control set to a certain speed and caught up with you. It was you who decided to slow down.

king arthur

7,892 posts

291 months

Friday 5th May 2023
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Pica-Pica said:
Cambs_Stuart said:
I had something similar on the M11 a few weeks ago. Joined the motorway heading north (left lane, 75mph, motorway not very busy) and a white VW tourag kept flashing me and indicating left. I had my wife and young son in the car so i wasn't going to pull over for anyone that wasn't clearly a policeman. They didn't pull alongside, occasionally dropped back then came up closer, flashed a few times then went back. At the time i'd assumed it was mistaken identity. When i got off the motorway they carried on.
Left your left indicator on, or left tail lamps were not working?
Driving in the dark with just DRLs?

Red9zero

11,266 posts

87 months

Saturday 6th May 2023
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king arthur said:
Driving in the dark with just DRLs?
Bruce Springsteen for the 21st Century ?

Cambs_Stuart

3,536 posts

114 months

Tuesday 16th May 2023
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king arthur said:
Driving in the dark with just DRLs?
No, checked and double checked all lights. It's a 2006 Subaru, so pre-dates DRLs. Got home and made sure nothing was hanging off/dripping out.

Saleen836

12,508 posts

239 months

Tuesday 16th May 2023
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