Agressive driving from an unmarked car
Agressive driving from an unmarked car
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WCZ

Original Poster:

11,489 posts

223 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
I was driving on the M6 yesterday at a fairly sedate pace in the middle lane then a 5 series bmw flys up from nowhere behind me and starts tailgating me with a dangerously close proximity to my bumper. Around 1 minute later he overtakes me accelerates towards to the next car in front and does the same. We encountered traffic and he was undertaking everything, pulling into small gaps without indicating and clearly aggravating other road users. Traffic cleared and another BMW 5 series was his next obstacle - who attempted to accelerate away from him and was subsequently shown the blue lights and pulled over.

Is it fair that the police are driving in an aggressive manner seemingly to instigate bad driving from other vehicles?



jonm01

819 posts

266 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
Sounds totally out of order to me.

jon-

16,534 posts

245 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
Wouldn't that be regarded as entrapment, if anyone could prove the case?

Dracoro

9,025 posts

274 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
If you feel there was aggressive/dangerous driving then report it (to the police, not us here! biggrinbiggrin)

dododo

761 posts

156 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
WCZ said:
at a fairly sedate pace in the middle lane
maybe he was trying to get you to drive properly and not just sit in the middle lane?

HT281

118 posts

186 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
It could be that he was trying to catch-up with or follow another vehicle without alerting the driver to a presence of police.


WCZ

Original Poster:

11,489 posts

223 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
dododo said:
maybe he was trying to get you to drive properly and not just sit in the middle lane?
I doubt it as the other lanes had slower flowing traffic but the furthermost right hand lane was empty.

V8forweekends

2,501 posts

153 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
Sounds about par for the course for an unmarked BMW - maybe they are just trying to blend in by driving like other 5 series?

WCZ

Original Poster:

11,489 posts

223 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
HT281 said:
It could be that he was trying to catch-up with or follow another vehicle without alerting the driver to a presence of police.
Perhaps, seemed coincidental that the first person who was speeding in his presence got pulled though

Censorious

15,169 posts

263 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
Sounds like a bit of baiting!

Durzel

12,999 posts

197 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
Entrapment as a concept doesn't exist in UK Law as far as I'm aware.

trashbat

6,300 posts

182 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
Durzel said:
Entrapment as a concept doesn't exist in UK Law as far as I'm aware.
True-ish, I think, but this is worth a read: http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/55972.article

article said:
there is no defence of entrapment in English law (R v Sang [1980] AC 402). However, it is also considered to be an abuse of court process for agents of the state to lure citizens into committing illegal acts and then seek to prosecute them for doing so. State-created entrapment of this sort will result in a stay of proceedings.

The leading case on entrapment is R v Loosely [2001] UKHL 53. The case was concerned with the actions of undercover police officers carrying out test purchase operations. Lord Nicholls identified that a useful guide when considering whether the conduct of the police amounted to inciting or instigating crime was to ascertain whether the police did more than present the defendant with an unexceptional opportunity to commit a crime. If the police conduct preceding the commission of the offence was no more than might have been expected by others in the circumstances this would not constitute entrapment. If, however, it went beyond this an abuse of process by the state may well be established.

blindswelledrat

25,257 posts

261 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
WCZ said:
Is it fair that the police are driving in an aggressive manner seemingly to instigate bad driving from other vehicles?
Did you consider stopping and offering to be a witness for the car that was pulled over?.

WCZ

Original Poster:

11,489 posts

223 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
blindswelledrat said:
Did you consider stopping and offering to be a witness for the car that was pulled over?.
No, would you have done?


Lost soul

8,712 posts

211 months

Monday 28th April 2014
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I was busted in Germany once by an unmarked Golf using the same tactics frown €568 - on the spot fine

blindswelledrat

25,257 posts

261 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
WCZ said:
No, would you have done?
Not sure. I think in all likelihood it would be one of those things that would have occurred to me, circumstances on the motorway make it difficult to stop, I would have not bothered and then regretted it afterwards.
I do always try and stop though as I have experienced the results of no one stopping to offer to be a witness for me in a crash and so understand quite how frustrating it can be that so many people witnessed something that they could stop me being wronged but didn't bother for whatever reason.

Bennet

2,133 posts

160 months

Monday 28th April 2014
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blindswelledrat said:
...stop me being wronged but didn't bother for whatever reason.
If a magic sign appeared over the guilty party's head for all to see that said "I am going to lie about this later", I think most people would stop.

Assumption both parties will be honest and sort it out + not wanting to be an interfering do-gooder + nowhere to stop + having stuff to do = Most won't stop.

Annoying though in the wrong circumstances, I know.

Bennet

2,133 posts

160 months

Monday 28th April 2014
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This thread has given me another reason to wish I could afford a dashcam system.

Sounds like the "victim" BMW would have quite a strong case now if he had a rear dashcam.

trashbat

6,300 posts

182 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
You'd presumably be done for stopping on a hard shoulder without an emergency.

V8forweekends

2,501 posts

153 months

Monday 28th April 2014
quotequote all
If the coppers were driving like such total twunts, what do you think their reaction to someone stopping and offering help to the stopped geezer would be? Clue - unlikely to be "oh thank you for helping us Mr Public spirited motorist".