How to spot an unmarked police car
Discussion
Dave Hedgehog said:
in london they drive pretty much anything of any moderate age, had a 60 volvo estate go by me this morning
but i have seen just about any common car you can think of as an unmarked vehicle in london, incl SUV's, a ratty white transit and a shiny gun metal metalic VW Van
My friend works for the fire brigade, and a lot of the unmarked cars with blue lights in London are theirs as part of rapid response.but i have seen just about any common car you can think of as an unmarked vehicle in london, incl SUV's, a ratty white transit and a shiny gun metal metalic VW Van
Marty Funkhouser said:
TooMany2cvs said:
Yeh, you'd think the uniform would be a bigger giveaway than peering to read the tiny text on the bottom of the plate.
Its not that easy to spot the top half of a uniform in your rear view mirror on a day with good weather let alone your standard UK day. Anyone in a white shirt can look like old bill in your rear view.I think the style of driving is one of the biggest giveaways. If you take all of the relatively fruity BMWs and Audis that aren't being driven like a tw***, you will have cut the numbers down to less than 10%. Then add in the list of checks mentioned by the OP and you'll probably have a BIB.
Marty Funkhouser said:
Don't forget this needs to be stuff you can pick out in your rear view mirror at whatever speed you happen to be going on the road.
The hardest spot is at night where you have nothing but the shape and type of headlights.
A good one for night time driving is Police will not have from fog lights on.. Many others will.The hardest spot is at night where you have nothing but the shape and type of headlights.
Marty Funkhouser said:
I figure there are a few tell tale signs with an unmarked Police car, some obvious, some maybe not - and I'm sure I've missed a few things:
- Car never likely to be more than 3-4 years old
- Will be in good condition
- Will be relatively clean
- Unmodified
- Likely to be a saloon, SUV or estate
- Likely to be a well known manufacturer - BMW, Volvo, Ford etc
- Should be a driver and a passenger
- Likely to follow at a set distance for a mile or so
- Likely to be Grey, White or Black - i.e. unlikely to be bright red
This is all in my limited experience of seeing unmarked cars having pulled people over and having been pulled over once myself by one.
Anything I've missed or any of these criteria seem false?
So basically, this could apply to 95% of the cars on the road every day. Good luck spotting them!- Car never likely to be more than 3-4 years old
- Will be in good condition
- Will be relatively clean
- Unmodified
- Likely to be a saloon, SUV or estate
- Likely to be a well known manufacturer - BMW, Volvo, Ford etc
- Should be a driver and a passenger
- Likely to follow at a set distance for a mile or so
- Likely to be Grey, White or Black - i.e. unlikely to be bright red
This is all in my limited experience of seeing unmarked cars having pulled people over and having been pulled over once myself by one.
Anything I've missed or any of these criteria seem false?
When I'm following what I think might be an unmarked car, but want to overtake, I look for a towbar (nil) and anything "personal" in the car, such as a dangling air freshener or some sort of Poundland mascot or sticker. Plod never have anything in or on their cars to show private ownership.
littleredrooster said:
My experience, after looking around a good few Police compounds is slightly different:
- Car never likely to be more than 3-4 years old Oh no - some are right old nails!
Indeed, back in about 2005 I remember being gobsmacked seeing a sheddy looking unmarked Volvo 440 pulling over some lads in a Corsa.- Car never likely to be more than 3-4 years old Oh no - some are right old nails!
Marty Funkhouser said:
A surveillance car is unlikely to be used to pull people for speeding?
I thought they cleaned them before every shift?
Also I thought they had to have 2 officers to give you a ticket?
Fair points on the others - this is from my limited experience!
Sorry, your OP didn't mention solely being used for pulling people for speeding. I just took it as general purpose, unmarked Police cars.I thought they cleaned them before every shift?
Also I thought they had to have 2 officers to give you a ticket?
Fair points on the others - this is from my limited experience!
slipstream 1985 said:
It's just not cricket nowadays. You used to see a vauxhall omega in your rear view mirror and 101% of the time you knew.
Back when I was a nipper, drinking in the backstreets - hear a diesel stop at the bottom of the alleyway and sit idling. Nearly always a cop car, normally a Granada. The cops would come striding up the alleyway saying "Don't run away or we will arrest you!"Would they feck, a 13 year old kid can outrun a cop in a flak jacket and carrying his gun, radio, baton, etc. any day of the week!
Marty Funkhouser said:
Also I thought they had to have 2 officers to give you a ticket?
Not at all.If we're talking speeding in England or Wales, then on a road other than a motorway, one plod and some form of corroboration would be required. This could be another officer, but it could also be a speedometer, VASCAR, stopwatch, etc.
On a motorway, the opinion of one plod without any corroboration could be enough to secure conviction.
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