How many times have you been 'pulled over' ?

[DaveH23]

Twice when I was younger and both times where to check if I had been drink driving.

1st I had been in the pub for several hours with a friend who was working there. I gave him a lift home and the police who used to regularly sit at the end of the road commented how he had seen my car there for quite some time.

2nd I clocking off a night shift early. Again they said seeing a young driver at 2-3 am on a weekend got their spidey senses tingling.

The other I never got pulled over but had a traffic car pull along side me and ushered me to slow down, I put my hand up and mimed sorry, he gave me a thumbs up and pulled away.

[irocfan]

I bloke I used to know got pulled over so many times that the police knew him by first name (even said hi to him when he was a passenger in a car that was pulled over ). In all honesty I suspect he'd say that it was deserved.

I got pulled over for going sideways up a road (not realising there was a police car behind me!) D'oh!!

[PixelpeepZ4]

as terminator x pointed out - it doesn't seem like the PH demographic is very diverse lol.

Thank you for everyone who has voted so far.

[Paul Dishman]

plasticman said:

When I was young I had a highly modified Sunbeam alpine with massive wheels ,wild bodywork poorly finished and lots of noise from the Holbay engine . I was stopped relatively rarely . When it got smashed up I bought a standard 3L Capri and got stopped every 2 weeks . The reason given was normally because it was a car that frequently got stolen and after a while that is what happened to it.

My brother had a Capri and was stopped quite a few times too. It was stolen once, but he found it again a couple of streets from where he'd left it. "It must have made one of its funny noises" he reckoned.

[Paul Dishman]

I'm male and pale, I've been stopped three times in 48 years driving. All for speeding, let off twice. FPN for 42 in a 30.

[james_TW]

There was a time when I younger that I was pulled over so often while driving (various different cars, never speeding, occasionally breath tested - I lived in Rural Lincolnshire at the time) that I would refer to it and to my friends as DWB - Driving While Black.

One time, I was pulled over three times just driving in to Suffolk (I was 19, I think).

I haven't been pulled for about 10+ years now, but then again, I am in my 40s living in South Yorkshire now

[GetCarter]

Never in 46 years of driving, including being a van driver and cab driver in London in the 70s and 80s.

I ALWAYS get stopped by airport security however!

White.

Edited by GetCarter on Thursday 9th July 12:47

[sgtBerbatov]

White, 3 times.

2 times on random drink drive check.

Once at night on a national speed limit road, apparently I ran a red. I didn't. I couldn't stop the car to zero from 60mph safely and the traffic light was faulty, as it switched straight from green to orange to red in a small number of seconds. Got let go, traffic light was fixed.

[Nightmare]

cmvtec said:

Also one police chase. That I didn't know was a police chase.

Feels unfair for not to share a little more detail than that!

Male and pale too. Lots.
Mostly deserved (front plate fallen off, speeding, spirited roundabout use, racing on M25 etc)
All the undeserved ones were basically ‘being too young to be driving that, what are you hiding’ stops. Only minded once cos I had to stand in a biblical monsoon to explain why I wasn’t going very fast in said weather.
Oh and once for driving an utter st heap in a dodgy area at 2am. But that seemed a fair one too

[belzok]

White, numerous times when I was in my teens and 20s mainly driving at night.

Generally just a check over the car, maybe a breathalyser.

In part I suspect it was just boredom on the police's side.

[ElectricSoup]

Been pulled over three times in the UK, once in France. Once for speeding, the other times just because I was a young bloke in an atypical or frequently stolen type of car. I am white British, although ginger, which often sets people off for some reason. Suspected Irish traveller maybe? Who knows. I'm 50 now and haven't had a pull since my 20s.

[Jasandjules]

Loads. And I don't include the times I have been followed too. But I think a young guy driving a reasonably nice car attracts their attention. I even got pulled over once leaving my college because "I had a bag on the back shelf and burglars do that".. I had no idea burglars were so helpful to the police as to advertise the fact and questioned why burglary rates were so high on that basis........

[Blanchimont]

A week after picking up my 125cc scooter at 17. I, along with a mate, were told to follow a policeman on a bike to a check area type place, where we had to show our licenses and checked over the bikes.
They wanted to dyno my bike, told them that it was less than a week old and was being run-in, so no. Once they realized I could ride a 125 they send us on our way.

[ElectricSoup]

Just remembered another 2 in the UK from my 20s (one breathalyser when stone cold sober and one for apparently no reason whatsoever, I'd pulled in to the dead end close I lived in, and Mr Police thought it was a suspicious thing to do until I pointed and told him "that's my home"), and one each in Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia when in my 30s (all the last 3 for speeding). So my under 5 vote needs upgrading...far more pulls than I remembered initially.

[hoganscrogan]

Gratuitous bragging incoming - pasty white Yorkshire man stopped 3 times for good reason...

1993 - March passed test
1993 - June - Dads VW Passat - 60 in a 40 zone 3 points
1995 - Red Fiat Coupe - 80 in 40 zone - spoken to, no points
2000 - S2000 - 9,000 rpm on Sat lunchtime though a tunnel in Leeds - 'it's noisy in 1st gear officer but not that fast' spoken to very briefly.
2001 - Smart for2 - gave me a lift partway home (I'd say this doesn't count)

I know what various cars speedos will show: S2000 157 Lexus LS430 155, 996 165, TVR Cerbera 150, Chimera 140ish, Fiat Coupe 145, Fiat Cinquecento 900cc 100mph <<after many days trying during commute. Also a fan of wet roundabouts, tunnels and hump back bridges.

Only crashed once where it was my fault (driven into by all sorts) and that was a Smart For2 that I rolled over a few times. Police didn't officially stop me that time as car was already in a ditch with me nearby, no breath test, but did give me a lift home... up until an exciting sounding car chase came over radio when they ditched me at side of another road and screeched off, nearly hitting someone on a roundabout!

Based on my reckless driving, 3 stops in 27 years is pretty good, would be interesting what my stop count would be if BAME. PH - Diversity matters.

Edited by hoganscrogan on Thursday 9th July 16:00

[DaveCWK]

Never been pulled myself.
The problem with this poll is that one mans 'no reason' is another's 'good reason'

There's a popular narrative right now that is intended to make us think the police go about randomly pulling over mr law abiding average BAME on his way to the shops, solely because they are inherently racist & therefore take enjoyment from victimising black people, but I don't buy it.

[rustfalia]

5

[98elise]

PixelpeepZ4 said:

Thought it would be interesting to get a real world idea of figures relating to 'random' traffic stops.

This is to cover your entire driving life.

if we split BAME and NON BAME incidents then, imo, we can see just how disproportionate it might be.

where i have put 'for good reason' i would expect you to be honest, like; you're in a modified car, you have dodgy number plates, you were driving like a cock, you're young and have a nice car etc - like it or not these are factors that would increase your chances of being tugged.

i would have liked to gather more metrics such as age and if the stop was pleasant etc but the poll won't allow me to do funky things.

Hope no one takes offence to this, with so much fake news around i thought it would give a good indication as to what is actually happening out there.

thank you.

Surely this is already well known? BAME people are far more likely to be pulled over.

[hoganscrogan]

DaveCWK said:

Never been pulled myself.
The problem with this poll is that one mans 'no reason' is another's 'good reason'

There's a popular narrative right now that is intended to make us think the police go about randomly pulling over mr law abiding average BAME on his way to the shops, solely because they are inherently racist & therefore take enjoyment from victimising black people, but I don't buy it.

Having lived in LA, where a lot more of my friends were browner than me, I was the preferred designated driver and it was not because of my skills at the wheel. Even being a front seat passenger made a difference, sat in the back I saw depressingly more blue lights.

Not had same experience here as colour of friends is much whiter so not even a conversation we'd think about having. Our Police today do seem to be emulating the special forces look, kit and attitude that US police have honed to deadly perfection. I think much of the narrative comes from experience that someone my colour is unlikely to share.

Edited by hoganscrogan on Thursday 9th July 16:06

[Jasandjules]

98elise said:

Surely this is already well known? BAME people are far more likely to be pulled over.

Interesting. A friend of mine is BAME and he never gets pulled over.. Mind, he is plod........