Thoughts on these "reckless" overtakes?
Discussion
TL/DR: police officer said these overtakes were reckless and could be classed as dangerous driving. Opinions?
Dashcam footage here:
https://youtu.be/z78lgkdHHVU?si=4pO8Ozs9AJHo-nLC
Some more context:
I was on a series of A-roads I know well, in a line of cars travelling at around 40mph behind a lorry. When opportunities arose to overtake some cars I took them; 3 overtakes shown in the video over the course of a couple of miles. Visibility and weather conditions were good and I stayed within the NSL speed limit.
After the final overtake shown in the clip, the Hyundai Kona driver and I were pulled over by an unmarked police car.
I was asked if I was knew the Kona driver and if I was racing him (I truthfully answered no to both questions) and I was then given a very stern telling off about my overtakes. I believe the words used were "crazy" and "reckless", well below the standard of driving expected on the roads, and that it was "dangerous driving" in the officers opinion. I was petrified I was going to lose my license. However after checking my license and insurance he said he wouldn't be taking things any further and would let me off with just a verbal warning.
I would appreciate any feedback as when I reviewed my dash cam footage at home, the overtakes seem reasonably ok to me.
Thoughts?
Jimi
Dashcam footage here:
https://youtu.be/z78lgkdHHVU?si=4pO8Ozs9AJHo-nLC
Some more context:
I was on a series of A-roads I know well, in a line of cars travelling at around 40mph behind a lorry. When opportunities arose to overtake some cars I took them; 3 overtakes shown in the video over the course of a couple of miles. Visibility and weather conditions were good and I stayed within the NSL speed limit.
After the final overtake shown in the clip, the Hyundai Kona driver and I were pulled over by an unmarked police car.
I was asked if I was knew the Kona driver and if I was racing him (I truthfully answered no to both questions) and I was then given a very stern telling off about my overtakes. I believe the words used were "crazy" and "reckless", well below the standard of driving expected on the roads, and that it was "dangerous driving" in the officers opinion. I was petrified I was going to lose my license. However after checking my license and insurance he said he wouldn't be taking things any further and would let me off with just a verbal warning.
I would appreciate any feedback as when I reviewed my dash cam footage at home, the overtakes seem reasonably ok to me.
Thoughts?
Jimi
Jimi.K. said:
TL/DR: police officer said these overtakes were reckless and could be classed as dangerous driving. Opinions?
Dashcam footage here:
https://youtu.be/z78lgkdHHVU?si=4pO8Ozs9AJHo-nLC
Some more context:
I was on a series of A-roads I know well, in a line of cars travelling at around 40mph behind a lorry. When opportunities arose to overtake some cars I took them; 3 overtakes shown in the video over the course of a couple of miles. Visibility and weather conditions were good and I stayed within the NSL speed limit.
After the final overtake shown in the clip, the Hyundai Kona driver and I were pulled over by an unmarked police car.
I was asked if I was knew the Kona driver and if I was racing him (I truthfully answered no to both questions) and I was then given a very stern telling off about my overtakes. I believe the words used were "crazy" and "reckless", well below the standard of driving expected on the roads, and that it was "dangerous driving" in the officers opinion. I was petrified I was going to lose my license. However after checking my license and insurance he said he wouldn't be taking things any further and would let me off with just a verbal warning.
I would appreciate any feedback as when I reviewed my dash cam footage at home, the overtakes seem reasonably ok to me.
Thoughts?
Jimi
Dashcam footage here:
https://youtu.be/z78lgkdHHVU?si=4pO8Ozs9AJHo-nLC
Some more context:
I was on a series of A-roads I know well, in a line of cars travelling at around 40mph behind a lorry. When opportunities arose to overtake some cars I took them; 3 overtakes shown in the video over the course of a couple of miles. Visibility and weather conditions were good and I stayed within the NSL speed limit.
After the final overtake shown in the clip, the Hyundai Kona driver and I were pulled over by an unmarked police car.
I was asked if I was knew the Kona driver and if I was racing him (I truthfully answered no to both questions) and I was then given a very stern telling off about my overtakes. I believe the words used were "crazy" and "reckless", well below the standard of driving expected on the roads, and that it was "dangerous driving" in the officers opinion. I was petrified I was going to lose my license. However after checking my license and insurance he said he wouldn't be taking things any further and would let me off with just a verbal warning.
I would appreciate any feedback as when I reviewed my dash cam footage at home, the overtakes seem reasonably ok to me.
Thoughts?
Jimi
The last one was what did it. Kona went way too far, up the hill and over the solid whites, and you, by extension, are taking some of the blame by being 'grouped' together with them by the Police.
You just received a lesson in being mindful of what other people 'perceive' you to be doing, regardless of whether you beleive it to be right or wrong.
Imagine you had a no fault accident 2 miles down the road, and one of the people in that queue of cars you (safely, on the whole) overtook was next on the scene. What kind of statement are they going to give to the other persons insurers, or the copper that turns up on the scene?
You just received a lesson in being mindful of what other people 'perceive' you to be doing, regardless of whether you beleive it to be right or wrong.
Imagine you had a no fault accident 2 miles down the road, and one of the people in that queue of cars you (safely, on the whole) overtook was next on the scene. What kind of statement are they going to give to the other persons insurers, or the copper that turns up on the scene?
The video quality isn't great, but it looked like you were overtaking on a (partially?) blind crest in the first, and then with limited visibility in the last section. The leading car is over a solid line for quite a while on a blind bend and has to anchor up and impedes the Range Rover. I'd have said he was very very lucky to get off with that, but perhaps the unmarked car didn't have quite enough visibility to prove an offence.
The last one was a bit stupid - by the other overtaking car, he was well beyond the solid white line when he pulled back in. I wonder if, because plod thought you were racing, you were guilty by association but after establishing you were nothing to do with the other car he felt he had to do something after stopping you so took the easy option of giving you a telling off. Were it me (I'm not plod BTW) I'd have sent you on your way then had a bit more to say as well as issuing a ticket to the other guy.
Can't see that anything you did was wrong.
Can't see that anything you did was wrong.
Jimi.K. said:
TL/DR: police officer said these overtakes were reckless and could be classed as dangerous driving. Opinions?
I got just beyond halfway. The man is a t
t. 'Dangerous' is very different to DWDCAA but drama like this is common. If there was anything in the video, then it would only reach the lower standard.Looked fine to me - the Kona went over the solid white line and I presume you managed to get in before it started?
There was no evidence of you having to pull in dangerously for on coming traffic or cutting in front of the cars you had overtaken.
Where was the unmarked police car to evidence this and presumably would have had video evidence.
I would suspect that quite a few of us would have overtaken in similar situations, especially since you say you never went above 60 so I guess the other cars were going at 45/50?
I wonder if the police would have acted differently if you had 6 points on your licence?
There was no evidence of you having to pull in dangerously for on coming traffic or cutting in front of the cars you had overtaken.
Where was the unmarked police car to evidence this and presumably would have had video evidence.
I would suspect that quite a few of us would have overtaken in similar situations, especially since you say you never went above 60 so I guess the other cars were going at 45/50?
I wonder if the police would have acted differently if you had 6 points on your licence?
Downward said:
Yeah fine, Pointless with that much traffic though.
The grey car towards then end maybe was pretty sketchy.
OP said he was overtaking a lorry but it was pretty obviously fairly continuous traffic so pointless and a bit seflish overtaking, the first one you immediately impeded the car you'd just overtaken. The grey car towards then end maybe was pretty sketchy.
And no way the middle of the first video was under 60 (dashcam speedo reading must have been accidentally edited out of the video).
snotrag said:
The last one was what did it. Kona went way too far, up the hill and over the solid whites, and you, by extension, are taking some of the blame by being 'grouped' together with them by the Police.
This. The Kona is an idiot, but had they pulled in when they should you'd have been trying to pull into the same gap. Not great, but more guilt by association than anything else.The first clip looks OK. Hard to tell on the video but were there some blind crests? You didn't have a huge gap between cars to get back into line either.
Nothing wrong at all on the second one. I suspect had the second car not executed such a ridiculous overtake you would not have been pulled over. The assumption was obviously that you were together.
Nothing wrong at all on the second one. I suspect had the second car not executed such a ridiculous overtake you would not have been pulled over. The assumption was obviously that you were together.
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