The Police - How Fast Is Too Fast?
Discussion
Bit shaken up by a near miss this morning.
I had dropped my Daughter off at nursery and was turning right onto a main road with a 40mph limit. The road has a slight rise to the left of the exit and traffic was crawling down it. A truck signalled to let me into the flow of traffic and I checked left and right. There have been a couple of motorbike accidents outside the nursery carpark so I am always extremely cautious.
After checking right I started to edge out, and just as I checked right again a Volvo V70 Police car flew past. I regularly see traffic going past at 40mph and I'd estimate he was doing twice that. Although I know I am responsible for checking that nothing is coming but it really was a split second instance. He wasn't there, then the next I hear him and he flies past.
Could easily have been a lot worse had a car been turning from behind the lorry unsighted.
I had dropped my Daughter off at nursery and was turning right onto a main road with a 40mph limit. The road has a slight rise to the left of the exit and traffic was crawling down it. A truck signalled to let me into the flow of traffic and I checked left and right. There have been a couple of motorbike accidents outside the nursery carpark so I am always extremely cautious.
After checking right I started to edge out, and just as I checked right again a Volvo V70 Police car flew past. I regularly see traffic going past at 40mph and I'd estimate he was doing twice that. Although I know I am responsible for checking that nothing is coming but it really was a split second instance. He wasn't there, then the next I hear him and he flies past.
Could easily have been a lot worse had a car been turning from behind the lorry unsighted.
The rule of Police driving is that you have to be able to stop in the distance that you can see to be safe. Having said that if someone pulls out in front of you on your right of way can't always odds that, but must be aware to that chance so they should be cautious of any dodgy junctions etc.
As mentioned a part of the training for the standard driving course (which I have done) is to be able to stop within the distance that you can see.
I exceeded 80 in a 30mph zone, but only when the roads were very quiet at night. Judgement is the most important thing.
In busy traffic there is no point caning it as people don't have a chance to see you and react - approach slowly and allow people a chance to get out of the way.
It was amazing how many people don't seem to see you, but suddenly become aware when you overide the siren by pressing the horn - suddenly they see you and then panic.
That speed at that time of day sounds excessive, but hard to judge without being there - also we don't know what they were going to, every second could be crucial.
I exceeded 80 in a 30mph zone, but only when the roads were very quiet at night. Judgement is the most important thing.
In busy traffic there is no point caning it as people don't have a chance to see you and react - approach slowly and allow people a chance to get out of the way.
It was amazing how many people don't seem to see you, but suddenly become aware when you overide the siren by pressing the horn - suddenly they see you and then panic.
That speed at that time of day sounds excessive, but hard to judge without being there - also we don't know what they were going to, every second could be crucial.
When i first past my test i was turning right on a green light. Not really a thing you think about after just passing, no experience, expect it to be clear etc. Nope a police car hammering down a 30mph at approx 70+ no flashing lights or sirens. Missed by inches. He obviously got a fright as suddenly the sirens go on and the lights.
PompeyPaul said:
The rule of Police driving is that you have to be able to stop in the distance that you can see to be safe. Having said that if someone pulls out in front of you on your right of way can't always odds that , but must be aware to that chance so they should be cautious of any dodgy junctions etc.
I hate picking people up on stuff like this, as I'm not generally one of _those_ people. I've underlined a statement which makes me cringe.
Right of way is where you have the right to access some land for walking or some other leisure activities.
There is no right of way on the road. You can be given priority, you can be committed to a maneuver at your own risk. You cannot take priority, you are not afforded any right of priority.
The only correct statement here is 'you have to be able to stop in the distance you can see to be' where we remove safe and add clear.
Sometimes however it is a given that the police have to respond fast, and take risks. However I would also expect the majority of drivers on a shout to take into account and use beacons/sirens to warn people who may be trying to merge into traffic of their approach.
If there was parked vehicles either side of the road, and enough space to do an estimated 80mph, should a siren not have been being used, as the old under/over/through at that speed is one hell of a lot of data to be processing while looking far enough down the road for that speed.
God I hate myself for being that guy. Sorry everyone.
HJMS123 said:
Zoon said:
Paramedic yes, Police not so much.
so if there were a hostage situation or shooting at your child's school, would you want them to not exceed the speed limit on the way?Your partner had just been attacked?
Get where I'm going? ......
Watched one of those Police programmes and an Accident Investigation officer drove very forcefully under the bells for a considerable distance to what was little more than a minor bump that had happened an hour before he got there.
I was turing right out of the car park. It's difficult to see but the road rises to a brow just after the next turn off on the left (after turning left out the car park).
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.65835,-1.809892,...
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.65835,-1.809892,...
andrewparker said:
I was turing right out of the car park. It's difficult to see but the road rises to a brow just after the next turn off on the left (after turning left out the car park).
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.65835,-1.809892,...
So just to make sure I understand correctly:https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.65835,-1.809892,...
You were turning right out of the car park
Traffic from left to right was slow and truck had stopped to let you into the line of traffic
Traffic from right to left was heavy and had already stopped to let you out?
Police car came from right to left and was travelling down the centre of the road (essentially a third lane with turn arrows/the hatched lines)?
FurtiveFreddy said:
You were turning right out of the car park
Correct.
Traffic from left to right was slow and truck had stopped to let you into the line of traffic
Correct.
Traffic from right to left was heavy and had already stopped to let you out?
No, traffic right to left was fairly light.
Police car came from right to left and was travelling down the centre of the road (essentially a third lane with turn arrows/the hatched lines)?
No, the Police car came from left to right (same direction of traffic I was turning into), travelling down the centre of the road.
Correct.
Traffic from left to right was slow and truck had stopped to let you into the line of traffic
Correct.
Traffic from right to left was heavy and had already stopped to let you out?
No, traffic right to left was fairly light.
Police car came from right to left and was travelling down the centre of the road (essentially a third lane with turn arrows/the hatched lines)?
No, the Police car came from left to right (same direction of traffic I was turning into), travelling down the centre of the road.
Zoon said:
R6VED said:
also we don't know what they were going to, every second could be crucial.
Paramedic yes, Police not so much.
ks quite frankly :-) I arrived at a scene where a chap had threatened to blow up his flat, he had filled it with gas and you could smell it.We bashed the door in and I ran in and jumped on him, as I pulled his arms behind him to cuff him, I discovered a blue clipper lighter in his left hand. i remember that like it was yesterday and it was 10 years ago.
(ther is a lot more detail to this story but I shan't bore you with it)
I got a letter form the Chief Inspector for that job and the offender got 7yrs in prison.
Seconds are all important, just look at F1 :-)
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