[Sparky68]

Interesting drive home on Friday. Cruising along [quite quickly] and come across a 530i doing about 100 i guess. anyway, he is caught up behind a Audi A4 and is right up his backside. I mean so close i even commented to my mate that if the audi sticks the brakes on the BM will not be able to react quick enough. So, the Audi pulls over and the 5 series accelerated to about 110 i guess. I follow through just keeping up with the traffic and the 530i pulls in. Rather stupidly i take the bait as he pulls in and accelerates.

Trying as hard as i can to resist [which was pointless] i slip it into sport and plant it. Pull past the 530i, look in the mirror and he lights the front end up! Didnt pull me though, almost like a warning shot. Got to the roundabout at the end of the dual carriageway and he pulls along side and gives me a thumbs up.

Strange thing is he was on his own, i thought unmarked cars were always 2up? No multi aerials or anything to give away that it was a unmarked car. I thought they were always 2 up so that they can get around the "your word against there's" argument?


All speeds in KPH

[parapaul]

Uniformed driver?

More than likely someone like the member 'Business Edition' on here who fitted blue strobes to their own car for fun.

Unless he was going somewhere official, police drivers do NOT drive at 110, and absolutely do not tailgate other cars.

If he had been a plod, I seriously doubt you'd have had a trhumbs up either. More likely to have been a wagging finger or a shake of the head. They don't generally encourage idiotic driving like that.

[Sparky68]

I always leave a big gap no matter what speed i am going, this car was within 10 feet of the Audi, i didnt even know the audi was there at 1st. thats how close he was.

[Sparky68]

No wasnt in uniform.

[IanS100]

I was pulled for speeding almost four years ago by a solo traffic policeman. I asked to see the evidence & he said "there is no evidence, I have a calibrated speedo". I don't think the "your word against mine" problem applies to the police as the courts will always assume their evidence is correct unless you can prove otherwise

[Subzero2003]

What parapaul said.

[TripleD]

I live a bit further down the A14 from you, and the coppers like to use different unmarked cars. I noticed the 55 plate Mondeo ST that pulled me over in 2005 and gave me 3 points is back on the prowl now, and also had a vauxhall omega estate, ford c max, seat Leon, Audi a6 saloon, and a white van like a small escort transit thing come passed me about 3 weeks ago with the blue lights all flashing, although the van was struggling to keep up.

Just shows you can never tell or second guess that they'll be in.

As for your experience could be someone messing about with lights, or could be one of the copper mechanics on a test drive! I know my brother had some fun back in the day when he serviced the old ford police cars (marked ones though).

[G82Dude]

Originally Posted by IanS100

I don't think the "your word against mine" problem applies to the police as the courts will always assume their evidence is correct unless you can prove otherwise

Not so. There is no more weight given to an officer's evidence than a member of the public. It's about who is more "believable" at the hearing; an officer can be challenged equally as much.

[EXSKIN]

Had something like this a few years ago, doing silly speed in my seat FR
Passed a ford focus.
After a while looks in mirror thinking he's put his foot down just then caught to blue flashes from the front of the car, pulls into layby thinking oh shite
he drives straight past.
Warning I suppose.

[AlwynMike]

I was pulled last year in my 530. PC was in - a 530, unmarked and not in uniform. Was a good boy through the 40 limit (as always!), but planted it coming out into derestricted. He clocked me at an average of 106 before I slowed down for traffic. Said he didn't like criminals, but was OK with me as I'd kept to the 40 limit (which was a new one and the sort of road with the occasional house, and it used to be taken quite quickly). Gave me the speil about anything over 84mph was a hanging offence, but agreed to recording 80mph for £60 and 3 points - my first points since 1974 can you believe (Honda 50. Flat out 42mph). I did ask him if he'd let me off, but he declined for some reason.

Mike

[SteveC]

That's an interesting message your local law enforcement is giving;

Marked cars would say, "we don't want you to speed and we're watching"

Unmarked cars say, "we want you to speed, so we can catch you"

Message 1 says, "we want to keep your roads safer"

Message 2 says, "we want to keep your money"

Message 1 says, "we enforce the law with integrity and deserve your respect"

Message 2 to says, " Respect? Give us yer money"

Message 1 says, "Our obvious presence reduces speeding"

Message 2 says, "Our obvious presence reduces our cash intake"

Message 1 says, "Prevention is better than cure"

Message 2 says, "Punishment is more rewarding than prevention or cure"

[AlanQS]

The concept that the word of an official of the state has no more weight than Joe Citizen is a fact of Scots law but I think I've read (I've forgotten the official expression) that in England, a policeman's "word" with regard to road traffic offences is deemed to be gospel and therefore that's why it takes the word of two officers in Scotland and just one in England.

Another example/question for some of you. If you said something rude to one police officer in Scotland it would be a case of your word, his word. Is that true in England?

[IanS100]

I find it bizarre that being rude to a policeman could get me arrested, yet reporting my neighbour for being rude to me would doubtless get me laughed at

[savgeax]

Every county is different with how they deploy their officers. It will depend on time of day, staffing shortage etc

As for what you experienced, a police car will activate lights when it wishes to exceed speed limits. For the vehicle to be doing 110 without lights then its breaking the law.

Types of unmarked vehicles again vary from force to force. Mainly they are diesel now for budget reasons. Down south we use 535d, 335d. Then a host of other vehicles.

How do I know? It's my job

[RichardM]

Originally Posted by IanS100

I was pulled for speeding almost four years ago by a solo traffic policeman. I asked to see the evidence & he said "there is no evidence, I have a calibrated speedo". I don't think the "your word against mine" problem applies to the police as the courts will always assume their evidence is correct unless you can prove otherwise

All traffic cars have video recording on board so they don't need a second officer. That's how I was 'done' by a solo plod.

[IanS100]

Originally Posted by RichardM

All traffic cars have video recording on board so they don't need a second officer. That's how I was 'done' by a solo plod.

I asked to see the evidence because I didn't believe I was doing the speed he claimed, although I do admit that I was exceeding the speed limit, he said there wasn't any evidence, just a calibrated speedo & him

[G82Dude]

Originally Posted by AlanQS

The concept that the word of an official of the state has no more weight than Joe Citizen is a fact of Scots law but I think I've read (I've forgotten the official expression) that in England, a policeman's "word" with regard to road traffic offences is deemed to be gospel and therefore that's why it takes the word of two officers in Scotland and just one in England.

Nope, an officer's statement must still be beliveable and would no doubt be challenged by the defending advocate; their evidence is not taken as read or "gospel".

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by IanS100

I asked to see the evidence because I didn't believe I was doing the speed he claimed, although I do admit that I was exceeding the speed limit, he said there wasn't any evidence, just a calibrated speedo & him

It wasn't a traffic car then. Just a cop car.

[Mart1000]

Originally Posted by savgeax

Every county is different with how they deploy their officers. It will depend on time of day, staffing shortage etc

As for what you experienced, a police car will activate lights when it wishes to exceed speed limits. For the vehicle to be doing 110 without lights then its breaking the law.

Types of unmarked vehicles again vary from force to force. Mainly they are diesel now for budget reasons. Down south we use 535d, 335d. Then a host of other vehicles.

How do I know? It's my job

Right so what your saying, is if a police vehicle is doing 110mph without blue lights, it's breaking the law?

And are you also saying your a police officer?

[savgeax]

No vehicle should be travelling at 110. Police vehicles are exempt from this providing they are responding to a job. If they are responding then they should be lit up to show they are.

If they are trying to get thru traffic then tailgating without blue lights is a no no.

Yes I am an officer.

[jayakrishnanv]

The OP has posted all the speedo readings were in KMPH by which he was still under legal at 70-75mph in the speedo?

[Hotcoupe]

Originally Posted by jayakrishnanv

The OP has posted all the speedo readings were in KMPH by which he was still under legal at 70-75mph in the speedo?

I'm tempted to post the 'whoosh' parrot,but I'll desist.

It's was a white lie,for obvious reasons