Unmarked police car, no flashing lights, pulled over

[Caddyshack]

poo at Paul's said:

I had some copper being a lane hogger in his own car a dual carriageway, eventually I slid up the inside, he then glues himself to the back of my car, and is gesticulating. I came off at my slip road to turn right at the roundabout and he’s up the inside waving his warrant card, I ignored him any drive off and he follows turning right from the left lane, so I stay on the roundabout and kept going round, quicker and quicker, and within three laps, I am right up behind him! Lol
It was a big interchange roundabout, no traffic lights so once up his chuff, I buggered off up my exit, and he had to go all the way around again, by which time I was gone!
Never heard anything else.
I’d not bother stopping for anyone unless I’m sure it’s a proper on duty cop, off duty in their own car, waving walkie talkies……. Nope!

I guess it must be frustrating for them to see something that annoys them when not on duty and sometimes their ego will get the better of them and try to pull you over but actually have no real clout other than to vent their anger?

[av185]

Caddyshack said:

citizensm1th said:

pulling away a bit quickly is against the law huh?

i have always thought as long as you did not break the posted speed limit and remained in control then it is fine.

i am not convinced this actually happened in the manner described

I think things like excessive use of acceleration is now a "thing" Doing 0-40 in 1 second in a 40 limit can be excessive

But not illegal.

[Caddyshack]

It seems that a Police Officer MUST show a warrant card regardless of being asked for it and they do not have the power to stop traffic when off duty (I am a little unsure if an off duty traffic cop could do a stop)

[Caddyshack]

av185 said:

Caddyshack said:

citizensm1th said:

pulling away a bit quickly is against the law huh?

i have always thought as long as you did not break the posted speed limit and remained in control then it is fine.

i am not convinced this actually happened in the manner described

I think things like excessive use of acceleration is now a "thing" Doing 0-40 in 1 second in a 40 limit can be excessive

But not illegal.

Probably not illegal but does not mean you could not be stopped and possibly prosecuted for something like dangerous driving? I do not know but have heard of people getting told off for wheelspinning away from a junction...that sort of thing. Bikers get done for wheelies (which should be applauded really)

[av185]

Caddyshack said:

av185 said:

Caddyshack said:

citizensm1th said:

pulling away a bit quickly is against the law huh?

i have always thought as long as you did not break the posted speed limit and remained in control then it is fine.

i am not convinced this actually happened in the manner described

I think things like excessive use of acceleration is now a "thing" Doing 0-40 in 1 second in a 40 limit can be excessive

But not illegal.

Probably not illegal but does not mean you could not be stopped and possibly prosecuted for something like dangerous driving? I do not know but have heard of people getting told off for wheelspinning away from a junction...that sort of thing. Bikers get done for wheelies (which should be applauded really)

Very few cars can reach 40 in 1 second anyway e.g. the 992 Turbo S takes 0.9 sec to reach 30 mph (and only 2.2 secs to reach 60 mph).

Wheelspinning or pulling a wheelie on a m/bike is a totally different scenario and could lead to other charges being brought but simply accelerating up to the speed limit driving safely and within a cars limits could never lead to any charges being brought and for obvious reasons.

[Captain Answer]

Young and on a trip back from south coast with sailing boat on the back had a small vauxhall behind for a while near Newbury, I indicate and came off into a lay by as I wanted to stop to check the straps etc the small vauxhall flys in behind me, comes in front at a 45 degree angle and jumps out a fully uniformed officer - i'd never been stopped before so I was bricking myself

Started asking me all sorts of weird questions about how the car towed, what the boat was, where I'd been out on the water (no-where I had been to collect it from the seller) then says he's in a rush and has to go - later realised he was maybe thinking of learning to sail or get his own boat but it was very bizarre

[LightningBlue]

Could've run out of marked cars. I've sometimes seen local uniformed police in dark blue Corsas but they're usually for staff.

[Caddyshack]

av185 said:

Caddyshack said:

av185 said:

Caddyshack said:

citizensm1th said:

pulling away a bit quickly is against the law huh?

i have always thought as long as you did not break the posted speed limit and remained in control then it is fine.

i am not convinced this actually happened in the manner described

I think things like excessive use of acceleration is now a "thing" Doing 0-40 in 1 second in a 40 limit can be excessive

But not illegal.

Probably not illegal but does not mean you could not be stopped and possibly prosecuted for something like dangerous driving? I do not know but have heard of people getting told off for wheelspinning away from a junction...that sort of thing. Bikers get done for wheelies (which should be applauded really)

Very few cars can reach 40 in 1 second anyway e.g. the 992 Turbo S takes 0.9 sec to reach 30 mph (and only 2.2 secs to reach 60 mph).
.

I think you took the example a little too literally, for clarity the police won’t time you and do you for being faster than a 911….it was a silly example to try and explain excessive and inappropriate use of speed.

The bit I was trying to get at was a warning under section 59:

Vehicles used in manner causing alarm, distress or annoyance

(1)Where a constable in uniform has reasonable grounds for believing that a motor vehicle is being used on any occasion in a manner which—

(a)contravenes section 3 or 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52) (careless and inconsiderate driving and prohibition of off-road driving), and

(b)is causing, or is likely to cause, alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public,

he shall have the powers set out in subsection (3).
(2)A constable in uniform shall also have the powers set out in subsection (3) where he has reasonable grounds for believing that a motor vehicle has been used on any occasion in a manner falling within subsection (1).



Your example of accelerating hard up to the speed limit but not exceeding could fall under section 59. The key word I used was "excessive" when talking about acceleration.

Edited by Caddyshack on Friday 25th June 16:22

Edited by Caddyshack on Friday 25th June 16:27

[Caddyshack]

From these pages:



Thread here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Derek Smith]

Caddyshack said:

It seems that a Police Officer MUST show a warrant card regardless of being asked for it and they do not have the power to stop traffic when off duty (I am a little unsure if an off duty traffic cop could do a stop)

Not sure that's quite correct.

A driver of a car must obey directions of a police officer engaged for the time being in the regulation of traffic. This includes stopping the vehicle and not proceeding along a specified route among other things. No uniform is mentioned. No warrant card showing is mentioned.

A police officer, for this power, and a number of others, is never 'off-duty'.

[Super Sonic]

Caddyshack said:

av185 said:

Caddyshack said:

citizensm1th said:

pulling away a bit quickly is against the law huh?

i have always thought as long as you did not break the posted speed limit and remained in control then it is fine.

i am not convinced this actually happened in the manner described

I think things like excessive use of acceleration is now a "thing" Doing 0-40 in 1 second in a 40 limit can be excessive

But not illegal.

Probably not illegal but does not mean you could not be stopped and possibly prosecuted for something like dangerous driving? I do not know but have heard of people getting told off for wheelspinning away from a junction...that sort of thing. Bikers get done for wheelies (which should be applauded really)

Ithink lighting up the tyres is considered 'failure to maintain control' or somesuch nonsense. The last time I got pulled over was for this.

Edited by Super Sonic on Friday 25th June 22:48

[anonymous-user]

I remember two slightly amusing incidents involving friends.

One was pulled over for ‘accelerating too quickly’ (in an old 530D Touring) which resulted in a what was essentially a shouting match between the officer and my friend as they ‘discussed’ why accelerating quickly up to the speed limit was actually a problem, or not a problem. Nothing happened in the end.

Another one was a friend pulled over for doing an extremely long wheelie on a Supermoto. He was threatened with a ticket for ‘not being in proper control of a motor vehicle’. He argued vehemently that someone who was able to perform a 12 O’clock wheelie all the way through the gearbox most definitely had proper control of a vehicle…

[NMNeil]

Derek Smith said:

A police officer, for this power, and a number of others, is never 'off-duty'.

As we knew when we got a call out on our day off at 2am to help secure a house for a search warrant.

[donkmeister]

Caddyshack said:

I think you took the example a little too literally, for clarity the police won’t time you and do you for being faster than a 911….it was a silly example to try and explain excessive and inappropriate use of speed.

The bit I was trying to get at was a warning under section 59:

Vehicles used in manner causing alarm, distress or annoyance

(1)Where a constable in uniform has reasonable grounds for believing that a motor vehicle is being used on any occasion in a manner which—

(a)contravenes section 3 or 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52) (careless and inconsiderate driving and prohibition of off-road driving), and

(b)is causing, or is likely to cause, alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public,

he shall have the powers set out in subsection (3).
(2)A constable in uniform shall also have the powers set out in subsection (3) where he has reasonable grounds for believing that a motor vehicle has been used on any occasion in a manner falling within subsection (1).



Your example of accelerating hard up to the speed limit but not exceeding could fall under section 59. The key word I used was "excessive" when talking about acceleration.

Edited by Caddyshack on Friday 25th June 16:22

Edited by Caddyshack on Friday 25th June 16:27

I find it alarming and distressing (I bawled my eyes out) when I am faced with the prospect of joining 80mph traffic at 50mph because some twunt hasn't accelerated reasonably on the slip. Do you think the police will accept dashcam footage of that to hit them with points and hopefully get them off the road?

[OverSteery]

Lord Marylebone said:

I remember two slightly amusing incidents involving friends.

One was pulled over for ‘accelerating too quickly’ (in an old 530D Touring) which resulted in a what was essentially a shouting match between the officer and my friend as they ‘discussed’ why accelerating quickly up to the speed limit was actually a problem, or not a problem. Nothing happened in the end.

Another one was a friend pulled over for doing an extremely long wheelie on a Supermoto. He was threatened with a ticket for ‘not being in proper control of a motor vehicle’. He argued vehemently that someone who was able to perform a 12 O’clock wheelie all the way through the gearbox most definitely had proper control of a vehicle…

Your supermoto friend was lucky. I would go for grovelling apology in his case..

https://www.whitedalton.co.uk/motorbike-blog/2020/...

[vonhosen]

Lord Marylebone said:

I remember two slightly amusing incidents involving friends.

One was pulled over for ‘accelerating too quickly’ (in an old 530D Touring) which resulted in a what was essentially a shouting match between the officer and my friend as they ‘discussed’ why accelerating quickly up to the speed limit was actually a problem, or not a problem. Nothing happened in the end.

Another one was a friend pulled over for doing an extremely long wheelie on a Supermoto. He was threatened with a ticket for ‘not being in proper control of a motor vehicle’. He argued vehemently that someone who was able to perform a 12 O’clock wheelie all the way through the gearbox most definitely had proper control of a vehicle…

Your friend obviously came up against an inexperienced officer.
An experienced officer would have gone with careless/dangerous riding, because for careless/dangerous your friend's experience or skill level is irrelevant.
His actions would be considered in relation to those of a notional careful & competent rider & then he'd be stuffed.

[Speed Badger]

It could have been an officer using a pool car for a home visit to a victim of crime or something along those lines, if marked cars were at a premium that day.

[un1corn]

it'll be a pcso given the st corsa because they cant be arsed walking, and they strut around thinking they are the bks.

[HantsRat]

Sound legit - Lots of our cars are plain/unmarked without lights of sirens. I wouldn't however try and stop someone by waving a radio.

[Nibbles_bits]

Caddyshack said:

It seems that a Police Officer MUST show a warrant card regardless of being asked for it and they do not have the power to stop traffic when off duty (I am a little unsure if an off duty traffic cop could do a stop)

Nope. A Warrant card is just a fancy ID card. The Officer holds the appointment of Constable.
A uniformed Officer doesn't need to carry one, and neither does an off duty Officer.
Once an off duty Officer identifies themselves as such, they are then 'On duty' and have all the powers and privileges, albeit they still can't execute powers requiring 'an Officer in uniform'.

If they aren't in a marked car or in uniform, you MAY have a defence for not stopping.

• FYI - a "traffic cop" is still just a Police Officer