logiclee

I'll start by saying I tend to keep to 30mph and 40mph limits but on fast A roads I'll overtake slower vehicles if it's safe.

I pulled onto the A1 behind a Volvo S60, no markings, no lights, no extra aerials etc. I followed it for around 4 miles keeping back at speeds of around 80-90mph.
We both turned onto the A614 which is a wide sweeping A road. I followed the S60 through a couple of overtaking moves at upto 85mphish then settling back to around 70mph. I started to notice the stance of the S60 when overtaking and thought "this is an advanced driver"

I dropped back but at the next junction I pulled up behind the S60 and sure enough it had 3 in the car with white shirts, black jackets and the passenger side had a rear view mirror. It was obvious it was a Police driver training car.

So my questions.
Do they have rear facing camera's or any sort of Vascar sysems etc?

Can I expect any further action?

Would they have power to pull me up if they had wanted to?

Cheers
Lee

kend

1) Vascar only works if you are in front of them
2) Assuming it was a training run, then the driver will have had enough to concentrate on in front of him, he should be aware you are behind him, but mostly worrying about what's in front. Also quite often driver will have to be providing commentary to instructor on what is going on in front of them, again limiting how much attention he can pay to you

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

He will have been giving a commentary explaining his driving, perhaps he might have said

"There is still a Subaru attached to my rear bumper"

at some point.

logiclee

Jacko,

I hope he didn't because I was driving an Alfa 156.

Lee

Supercue

iTrader: (1)

I did this a few years ago, following a white BMW 330 from Stowmarket to Framlingham in Suffolk.

I stayed a sensible distance behind as normal but couldnt understand why in a 30/40mph zones he was bang on the speed limit but when it went up to national speed limit on A+B roads we were doing up to 100 mph. Now I didn't mind as I was bit behind for my next meeting I didnt notice it was Plod as they all just had white shirts on.
We get onto a long straight and again 100mph and the bloke indicates for me to overtake. Now, I know the road realy well and this was not the place to overtake in a Clitoris Escort and declined his invitation. Get to the next T-Jctn and the passenger door opens and out gets one of the tallest coppers I'ver ever seen.
He asked me very politely if I could justify my speed as he could justify his speed and I said no quite happy to follow you as this road is too dangerous to overtake.
He then said no problem just give us a bit more room as I don't want you in my lap if a tractor pulls out!!
Enough said off he goes and I take a slight detour to avoid following any further.
In answer to your question I think if I overtook him I probably would have got a ticket but as I didnt no way of proving otherwise. All I would say is that if the car is kitted out properly they are able to catch you from behind or in front. So I think you were lucky this time

mista weava

think they would be tossers to nick you - the say do as i say not as i do policy creeps in if they do.

Weava

Listy

I flew past a V6 Vectra on the road from Tunbridge Wells to Lewes about 3 years ago. I was in a 1.8T Quattro A4 and was easily topping 90 when I went passed.

I pulled into the Garage in Lewes to fill up none the wiser when the same Vectra pulled in behind me. The guy in the passenger seat and the guy in the rear were Pi$$ing themselves laughing and the driver got out to have a word....

He informed me that if he ever saw me when he was on duty in a "Proper" police car as he called it then I would be well and truelly nicked....

With that he got back in and sodded off.... Scared the Cr@p out of me mind, but it's one of those look back and laugh memories now.

supertouring

Surely VASCAR is just a timing/distance tool, so will work in all directions? Except when they are going the other way?

nevr

<1) Vascar only works if you are in front of them>

VASCAR visual average speed computer and recorder... Operates by time over distance so if the operator is good enough will get you from any direction.

Deako1

Police Driving school cars have NO SPEED CHECKING EQUIPMENT in them.

Advanced driver training is 'kin scary enough without worrying about hassling motorists! Stand to be corrected, but thats the situation with Merseyside.

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Concur

They are not interested in nicking punters whilst on training.

Friend who is a police driving instructor tells some scary/funny stories.

Also worth noting that they often travel out of county to do their training.

The Terminator wrx

I had the same thing the other day
it was a silver mondeo nothing special but for a small sticker on the boot saying
'Police driver training'
i quickly looked at it as i thought it was a taxi
then passing it a 75-80 mph on a 40 road only to notice 3 large gentlemen (plod in white shirts)doh !!!!
i over took them the slowed down a bit but didnt make it obvious
they looked at me but that was it !!!

BuRR

West Yorkshire cars carry a stick-on magnetic blue light - and are allowed to (and do) stop vehicles if required.

In addition, the training vehicles are not subject to the NSL constraints as joe public is.... let's face it, how else are the pursuit drivers to get their training?

j.r-xrs

Are there any driving schools that offer police standard driving courses? Without, of course, the driver being a policeman?

12LEE

Try John Lyon's HPC.

Mice_Elf

PMSL!

kend

http://www.bespokedrivertraining.co.uk/

Based in Birmingham, run by one of West Mercia Police's instructors. I have no link with them, but have been on a couple of courses and thoroughly impressed.

logiclee

Thanks for the replies.

One thing I did notice was the Volvo had the headlights turned off. Very non-Volvo like.

Do the police rewire Volvo's so the headlights work normally and do away with the Volvo's driving lights?

This might be a good clue to identify unmarked cars.

Lee

mista weava

i expect so - the old man always did this on his volvos of old.

Weava

Mantamac

I once had a Merseyside Police Driver Training car nearly knock me off my GSX/R 600 while he was performing a stupid overtake on double white line's on the brow of hill( A5117 past shell for anyone local). I stopped at the next set of light's alongside him , got off the bike walked to the driver's side and tore a strip off him and the instuctor for letting him carry out the overtake. I got an apology and went on my way.
One day the same officer will pull me over in the Evo and I'll be only too pleased to remind him of his error.
I belive they have cameras fitted to the car's in case they are involved in an accident and the instructor is a serving Police officer! So depending on how bad your driving was they may still be able to use the recording to prosecute.

Mac.

Fox

So what is the situation regarding the law in such situations. I always thought that Police drivers (and any other emergency vehicle drivers) were subject to the same rules as you and me - in other words they have to abide by speed limits unless they are answering an emergency - in which case they should be using blue lights, flashing lights, sirens etc - if only to warn other road users.

So, why is it I regularly see Police vehicles cruising at 80 - 90 plus on motorways and A roads, M4/M3/A34/M40, without lights, sirens etc ?

As a classic case of 'do what I say, not what I do' - I, and one other car, were following a police car along one the roads mentioned above the other day - he was doing a steady 85. After about a three miles of us following him, he turned on his blue lights - slowed down - as did we - he then turned them off again and disappeared off down the road at about 95. A further two miles, at a roundabout, he does a 180 and heads back up the same road - still no blue lights - still cruising faster than anyone else, but not 'chasing' !

Mind you, I wouldn't have their job - hated by everyone (including their own) - accidents to clear up etc etc

logiclee

Fox,

BuRR has aleady said that advanced driver training cars are not subject to national speed limits. It makes sense really, how can you train someone to drive safely at 120mph on the road when you can only do 60mph. It would also cause havoc if these cars were driving round all day with blue lights and sirens.

Lee

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I'd very much doubt that a training car would pull you. Unless your driving in such a way that it would endanger others or seriously speeding (20+ over the limit).

It does'nt really matter if they have speed measuring devices, as evidence from 3 police officers is more than enough to screw you. Don't forget they can easily pin you down with without due care etc.

mikeDaBike

>One thing I did notice was the Volvo had the headlights turned >off. Very non-Volvo like.
>Do the police rewire Volvo's so the headlights work normally and >do away with the Volvo's driving lights?
>This might be a good clue to identify unmarked cars.

All the unmarked Volvos I've seen have had the "daylights" turned off.

Gordo

Cr4p programme - a very poor example of invetigative journalism. The guy was interpreting things and pushing to present it in the way he wanted rather than to be truly open minded going in.

Verging on entrapment IMO - you can find anything you want in any walk of life if you ask the right questions and heavily edit what you film - I don't condone some of what was said in the programme but thought the conclusions were inaccurate and biased.

I hope the journo gets time......

Fatman

Gordo - I don't think this was the thread you meant to reply to!

Dapster

[anorak]
I think you can turn off the daylight mode on Volvoids these days and revert to the normal side/head setting on the switch.
[/anorak]

There are some sneaky cars being used as unmarked vehicles. Someone told me that somewhere there is a silver Merc CLK Cabrio on private plates that is an unmarked vehicle. Something about it being used in an undercover drugs bust.

A friend of mine got done a few years ago on the M40 by a Pug 405 Mi16 complete with bike rack and bikes!

Sbradley

Try http://www.rapidtraining.co.uk

They mainly do bikes but will do car training as well. They are all traffic coppers but don't let that worry you - they train riders/drivers for the real world. The guys that started it are accident investigators and decided that training people to handle the performance available to them might make their jobs easier...

SB

Fox

Hi Lee

BuRR has aleady said that advanced driver training cars are not subject to national speed limits. It makes sense really, how can you train someone to drive safely at 120mph on the road when you can only do 60mph. It would also cause havoc if these cars were driving round all day with blue lights and sirens.

Yes I saw that, and I am not aware that that statement is correct - particularly in regard to the unaware pedestrian/driver etc. I doubt that potential complaints about noise or disturbance could be thought more problematic than an accident caused by a car without markings or warning lights etc., travelling at considerably more than the speed limit.

There is also the issue of 'encouragement' of other drivers, who when seeing a vehicle travelling at speed with no obvious purpose, will be tempted to do the same. Nothing to do with entrapment, more a recognition of human behaviour.

However, regardless of that specific issue, my question was aimed at those who are not under training, but are clearly in excess of the speed limit without being in pursuit.

I see it more frequently than I used to - or maybe it's just a case of being more aware (hopefully) when in a Scooby than in other cars !

Regards

Fox

medders

Fox, Burrs statement is quite correct.

Paul