Police motorway speed tolerance
Discussion
Wacky Racer said:
Anyone who overtakes a police car doing "around" 70mph is asking for trouble (imo)
The UK speed limit is 70mph not 73/5/8 whatever.
Were you really in that much of a rush you had to overtake him?
IME they're normally doing 65mph and it's quite possible to go past them without expecting to be pulled.The UK speed limit is 70mph not 73/5/8 whatever.
Were you really in that much of a rush you had to overtake him?
Countdown said:
Wacky Racer said:
Anyone who overtakes a police car doing "around" 70mph is asking for trouble (imo)
The UK speed limit is 70mph not 73/5/8 whatever.
Were you really in that much of a rush you had to overtake him?
IME they're normally doing 65mph and it's quite possible to go past them without expecting to be pulled.The UK speed limit is 70mph not 73/5/8 whatever.
Were you really in that much of a rush you had to overtake him?
Tim
catman said:
Countdown said:
Wacky Racer said:
Anyone who overtakes a police car doing "around" 70mph is asking for trouble (imo)
The UK speed limit is 70mph not 73/5/8 whatever.
Were you really in that much of a rush you had to overtake him?
IME they're normally doing 65mph and it's quite possible to go past them without expecting to be pulled.The UK speed limit is 70mph not 73/5/8 whatever.
Were you really in that much of a rush you had to overtake him?
Tim
Police vehicle occupants notice you closing on them at a speed quite a bit above the speed limit, they then later gesture for you to keep the speed down to the limit. (Nothing strange there).
After you matched speed with them at 68 its seems to me that they waited for you to get alongside to warn you about the above (rather than pulling you over to a stop on the motorway in the dark in order to tell you that) & that they had been aware of your earlier closing speed. The warnings were about the prior behaviour not your behaviour after you matched speed & came alongside.
Matching speed with them doesn't negate your closing speed that they had been aware of.
After you matched speed with them at 68 its seems to me that they waited for you to get alongside to warn you about the above (rather than pulling you over to a stop on the motorway in the dark in order to tell you that) & that they had been aware of your earlier closing speed. The warnings were about the prior behaviour not your behaviour after you matched speed & came alongside.
Matching speed with them doesn't negate your closing speed that they had been aware of.
Edited by vonhosen on Saturday 13th May 16:36
HTP99 said:
catman said:
Countdown said:
Wacky Racer said:
Anyone who overtakes a police car doing "around" 70mph is asking for trouble (imo)
The UK speed limit is 70mph not 73/5/8 whatever.
Were you really in that much of a rush you had to overtake him?
IME they're normally doing 65mph and it's quite possible to go past them without expecting to be pulled.The UK speed limit is 70mph not 73/5/8 whatever.
Were you really in that much of a rush you had to overtake him?
Tim
I'm not saying I don't sometimes break the speed limit, but I certainly wouldn't do it within sight of a police car. Asking for trouble.
vonhosen said:
Police vehicle occupants notice you closing on them at a speed quite a bit above the speed limit, they then later gesture for you to keep the speed down to the limit. (Nothing strange there).
After you matched speed with them at 68 its seems to me that they waited for you to get alongside to warn you about the above (rather than pulling you over to a stop on the motorway in the dark in order to tell you that) & that they had been aware of your earlier closing speed. The warnings were about the prior behaviour not your behaviour after you matched speed & came alongside.
Matching speed with them doesn't negate your closing speed that they had been aware of.
You're giving them a lot more credit than they deserve most of the time.After you matched speed with them at 68 its seems to me that they waited for you to get alongside to warn you about the above (rather than pulling you over to a stop on the motorway in the dark in order to tell you that) & that they had been aware of your earlier closing speed. The warnings were about the prior behaviour not your behaviour after you matched speed & came alongside.
Matching speed with them doesn't negate your closing speed that they had been aware of.
Edited by vonhosen on Saturday 13th May 16:36
At a mile away (according to the OP, let's say half that) they are picking up on his 10mph speed differential (unlikely) and making an issue of it, in addition to which the OP was automatically looking ahead whereas they are not automatically looking behind. The reality is all they can really be sure of if they were paying attention is that they were doing near the limit and the OP was doing a little over it. So what, should anybody care? No.
Crackie said:
Retroman said:
going through a red light, even if it's safe.
WTF ??OP seems weird, maybe he was just having a slow night. A lot of my driving is motorway and (touch wood) it's pretty rare for me to see any marked cars.
cmaguire said:
vonhosen said:
Police vehicle occupants notice you closing on them at a speed quite a bit above the speed limit, they then later gesture for you to keep the speed down to the limit. (Nothing strange there).
After you matched speed with them at 68 its seems to me that they waited for you to get alongside to warn you about the above (rather than pulling you over to a stop on the motorway in the dark in order to tell you that) & that they had been aware of your earlier closing speed. The warnings were about the prior behaviour not your behaviour after you matched speed & came alongside.
Matching speed with them doesn't negate your closing speed that they had been aware of.
You're giving them a lot more credit than they deserve most of the time.After you matched speed with them at 68 its seems to me that they waited for you to get alongside to warn you about the above (rather than pulling you over to a stop on the motorway in the dark in order to tell you that) & that they had been aware of your earlier closing speed. The warnings were about the prior behaviour not your behaviour after you matched speed & came alongside.
Matching speed with them doesn't negate your closing speed that they had been aware of.
Edited by vonhosen on Saturday 13th May 16:36
At a mile away (according to the OP, let's say half that) they are picking up on his 10mph speed differential (unlikely) and making an issue of it, in addition to which the OP was automatically looking ahead whereas they are not automatically looking behind. The reality is all they can really be sure of if they were paying attention is that they were doing near the limit and the OP was doing a little over it. So what, should anybody care? No.
They are paid to care about it & warned him that they were aware of it.
vonhosen said:
They know exactly what speed they are doing & they can see whether the OP was closing quicker than the available legal differential.
They are paid to care about it & warned him that they were aware of it.
He said he was doing about 80, he has GPS so we can assume this is true.They are paid to care about it & warned him that they were aware of it.
He said they were doing 68, he has GPS so we can assume this is true.
He said he saw them a mile away, this is dubious (although he does have GPS, haha) but he could certainly see them at half that.
He slowed when he saw them.
One of three things is possible:
Firstly he is lying,
Secondly one of the coppers was hanging out of the window with a laser gun,
Or thirdly, they know he was going a bit faster than them (legal differential, are you having a laugh? There is no way they could place him in that 77-80mph window) and they are a couple of petty tossers.
Or, as Greendubber said, it has nothing to do with his speed and will forever remain a mystery.
cmaguire said:
vonhosen said:
They know exactly what speed they are doing & they can see whether the OP was closing quicker than the available legal differential.
They are paid to care about it & warned him that they were aware of it.
He said he was doing about 80, he has GPS so we can assume this is true.They are paid to care about it & warned him that they were aware of it.
He said they were doing 68, he has GPS so we can assume this is true.
He said he saw them a mile away, this is dubious (although he does have GPS, haha) but he could certainly see them at half that.
He slowed when he saw them.
One of three things is possible:
Firstly he is lying,
Secondly one of the coppers was hanging out of the window with a laser gun,
Or thirdly, they know he was going a bit faster than them (legal differential, are you having a laugh? There is no way they could place him in that 77-80mph window) and they are a couple of petty tossers.
Or, as Greendubber said, it has nothing to do with his speed and will forever remain a mystery.
They are also unlikely to worry about what you personally think of them.
He was spotted & warned.
End of, it's no biggie.
vonhosen said:
They don't have to be able to measure his speed at 80mph to know he was exceeding the limit. They don't have to lean out the window because they don't need to measure it with a laser. They are quite capable of noting him closing & the rate of closure decreasing as he got closer.
They are also unlikely to worry about what you personally think of them.
He was spotted & warned.
End of, it's no biggie.
Not forgetting about the 'legal differential' they were aware he was exceeding of course. Otherwise why bother making an issue of it?They are also unlikely to worry about what you personally think of them.
He was spotted & warned.
End of, it's no biggie.
As you say though, it's no biggie. Surprising they bothered with it at all.
vonhosen said:
They don't have to be able to measure his speed at 80mph to know he was exceeding the limit. They don't have to lean out the window because they don't need to measure it with a laser. They are quite capable of noting him closing & the rate of closure decreasing as he got closer.
They are also unlikely to worry about what you personally think of them.
He was spotted & warned.
End of, it's no biggie.
If the police are sitting at 68mph it is very easy to determine that someone approaching is exceeding the speed limit. They are also unlikely to worry about what you personally think of them.
He was spotted & warned.
End of, it's no biggie.
Well done to the OP for being able to measure the speed of the police car so accurately and for everyone accepting that. It does seem that the same people have big issues about the accuracy of police speed measurements even when they have approved equipment to make those measurements and are trained to do so.
Maybe people who have never measured the speed of a car need to think about what they post.
TooMany2cvs said:
B'stard Child said:
TooMany2cvs said:
B'stard Child said:
I read that as the car was fitted with adjustable headlight range - and he wound it down to min
With WHAT...?You mean a switch to manually height-adjust the lights to compensate for load?
And they aren't "adjustable range", nor have they ever been.
Perhaps a parrot is required on my part, but...
I also read this as the OP had his full-beam on.
Nobody, ever, in the history of driving has used those load-adjusting buttons as an 'adjustable beam' whilst driving as people are speculating.
That would be mental. Plus, as the OP hasn't been back tot he thread I suspect he has realised the error of his ways and is embarrassed.
Nobody, ever, in the history of driving has used those load-adjusting buttons as an 'adjustable beam' whilst driving as people are speculating.
That would be mental. Plus, as the OP hasn't been back tot he thread I suspect he has realised the error of his ways and is embarrassed.
Weird that this has turned into a major debate.
OP lowered his headlight range to pass so as not to dassle the plod for too long which is a perfectly considerate action if traffic is very light.
As to why they behaved the way they did who knows??? Unfortunately some of the UKs police forces Plod are utter jobsworth knobbers for whom I would have little time.
Every police force is different. Personally I have never had any real issues with police officers on motorways and normally pass at around 75-80mph with no major issues and dont get pulled. So long as you are driving sensibly most leave you alone.
You will occasionally be at risk from certain forces such as sussex police or Met police (Met police btw on the two occasions I had interactions with them were the biggest rudest assholes ever)
Some forces see speeding as the biggest crime in the universe ever. Essex police hate motorists and in particular speeding though in the thousands of miles I have done through essex they have yet to catch me.
Other forces are far more interested in making the roads safe.
OP lowered his headlight range to pass so as not to dassle the plod for too long which is a perfectly considerate action if traffic is very light.
As to why they behaved the way they did who knows??? Unfortunately some of the UKs police forces Plod are utter jobsworth knobbers for whom I would have little time.
Every police force is different. Personally I have never had any real issues with police officers on motorways and normally pass at around 75-80mph with no major issues and dont get pulled. So long as you are driving sensibly most leave you alone.
You will occasionally be at risk from certain forces such as sussex police or Met police (Met police btw on the two occasions I had interactions with them were the biggest rudest assholes ever)
Some forces see speeding as the biggest crime in the universe ever. Essex police hate motorists and in particular speeding though in the thousands of miles I have done through essex they have yet to catch me.
Other forces are far more interested in making the roads safe.
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