Discussion
So suppose you're in one of those contraflow things where it is one lane each way and to your left there is the crash barrier and to your right is the oncoming traffic seperated by cones. The limit is 50mph. Let's add in a scamera or two aswell. Along comes Plod in his T5 estate giving it rock on tommy right up behind you. What do you do? Sit there at 50mph, or boot it as best you can to allow him to make some progress, potentially tripping the aforementioned scamera? Just curious.. 
Speed up until you reach the scamera, then slam on the brakes to get you below the posted limit ... that's what everyone does normally, anyway!
If you have an apple in the car, pick it up and hold it to your ear. The BiB will then call out a helicopter to video the scene ... and you'd have evidence of the situation. Of course this might later end up on TV with an introduction by Sheriff John Bunnell
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Seriously though, this is a real dilemma. If unable to get out of the way (e.g. by indicating, slowing and diving into the coned-off area - although one might expect a police vehicle to do that, but not necessarily a fire appliance or ambulance), I'd speed up and note down the number of the vehicle and the date/time. Arguing the toss with the SCP might be a hassle, but if you read later that someone had died as a result of the emergency vehicle being delayed ...
Mind you, you might feel differently if you knew they were just trying to get back to the station before their chips/doughnuts went cold, or they forgot which suit was trumps
Streaky
If you have an apple in the car, pick it up and hold it to your ear. The BiB will then call out a helicopter to video the scene ... and you'd have evidence of the situation. Of course this might later end up on TV with an introduction by Sheriff John Bunnell
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Seriously though, this is a real dilemma. If unable to get out of the way (e.g. by indicating, slowing and diving into the coned-off area - although one might expect a police vehicle to do that, but not necessarily a fire appliance or ambulance), I'd speed up and note down the number of the vehicle and the date/time. Arguing the toss with the SCP might be a hassle, but if you read later that someone had died as a result of the emergency vehicle being delayed ...
Mind you, you might feel differently if you knew they were just trying to get back to the station before their chips/doughnuts went cold, or they forgot which suit was trumps
Streaky
Not in a contra-flow but a few weeks ago, a friend of mine was doing about 80 in the outside lane of the A12 (three lane section near Chelmsford) while overtaking some cars. A police car joins from the junction he's just passed and cuts right accross all lanes and sits a few feet away from my mate's bumper. Blue's and two's were on so my friend wants to get out of the way but can't as the police are right up his arse and there's a car next to him. He didn't really want to speed up any more as he already has some points on his license and he had his family in the car with him. Any way, he finishes over-taking the car next to him and immediately pulls in and off the police car races. A few miles further down the road, said police car is waiting in a lay-by. As my mate goes past, they pull out and get him to pull over. They have reported him for obstructing the police (or something similar) and he has to attend court in a couple of weeks.
Knowing Essex police, if he'd sped up they probably would've had him for that too.
So in the case of a contra-flow, I'm really now not sure what I would do.
Knowing Essex police, if he'd sped up they probably would've had him for that too.
So in the case of a contra-flow, I'm really now not sure what I would do.
It is a difficult one, and I'm glad I posted about it. Certainly when the plod went past me he was giving it some serious welly, to the point that he was over the white line on the right next to the barrier to emphasise his point, if he was behind me in the contraflow I would crap it! Also, further along on this stretch of road a workman was killed - can't help but think that if this happened as a result of someone speeding up because a cop was following them... Well let's not go down that route.
Any more BIB's like to advise?
Any more BIB's like to advise?
How would you know the police car isn't trying to pull you over? If it was and you sped up you could end up in serious trouble!
Imadreamer, you mate may have had the option of indicating left and waiting for one of the cars he was overtaking to give him space so that he could let the copper go on his way.
Imadreamer, you mate may have had the option of indicating left and waiting for one of the cars he was overtaking to give him space so that he could let the copper go on his way.
Many years ago in the early 80s a friend of mine had the exact experience as outlined in the initial post except for the Cameras
It wasnt a contraflow, bu the entire 3 lqnes of the M1 were closed during the night hours, leaving only the Hard shoulder. My friend was 50mph which was th posted limit, when a Rover SDI, with the lights and all going, came up behind him.
The car was fitted with a tannoy system and they basically told him to floor it, at 2am there was no other traffic around and so him and the Cop car got upto about 85mph for about 3 miles until the Motorway opened up again.
Must have looked crazy to anyone who saw it.
It wasnt a contraflow, bu the entire 3 lqnes of the M1 were closed during the night hours, leaving only the Hard shoulder. My friend was 50mph which was th posted limit, when a Rover SDI, with the lights and all going, came up behind him.
The car was fitted with a tannoy system and they basically told him to floor it, at 2am there was no other traffic around and so him and the Cop car got upto about 85mph for about 3 miles until the Motorway opened up again.
Must have looked crazy to anyone who saw it.
Imadreamer said:I feel it somewhat unlikely that a police car was tailgating as described at 80mph - they usually hang back the 'regulation' length until they can pass safely. The TrafPol here might like to comment on this specifically, if they're not prepared to comment on other aspects of this thread - Streaky
Not in a contra-flow but a few weeks ago, a friend of mine was doing about 80 in the outside lane of the A12 (three lane section near Chelmsford) while overtaking some cars. A police car joins from the junction he's just passed and cuts right accross all lanes and sits a few feet away from my mate's bumper. Blue's and two's were on so my friend wants to get out of the way but can't as the police are right up his arse ...
streaky said:
I feel it somewhat unlikely that a police car was tailgating as described at 80mph - they usually hang back the 'regulation' length until they can pass safely.
I've been tailgated by the same police vehicle a few times (no blues) in similar traffic situations. On the M60 between the M61 and plod Birch services.
I don't have a tremendous problem with it, so long as they don't get arsey with me for sticking to 70mph...
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