RoShamBo

iTrader: (1)

In the good old days unmarked cars used to be Volvo's & Omega's.
Nowdays they have Saabs, Skoda's, Mondeo's & a variety of cars, so are there any things to watch for ?
A friend of mine says that they have to have a roof or rear screen mounted ariel, so thata a giveaway.
Anyone else have any tipe for spotting unmarked police cars? ie no dealer name on the numberplate, no dealer stickers in the rear screen, etc...

Ta

R.

Gutmann pug

Easiest thing to do is not speed Anything else is a lottery me thinks.

Gary

OllyK

The guy in a black uniform with a white shirt behind the wheel is usually a bit of a give a way. Mind you had a nasty moment one day with 2 coppers in a car, coming up behind me - think they must have just been on their way to work.

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

always check the passage side for a second rear view mirror too

GaryCat

Yeah - a large rear view mirror could also have camera equipment mounted by it.

NotoriousREV

Check rear parcel shelf for unusual objects. I was sat behind a Honda Accord the other day about to give it a burst of full on diesel power when I noticed the stealthily mounted LED lights and pop-up LED matrix sign. The car behind didn't spot it and powered past him only to recieve the full "POLICE - STOP" treatment.

Karl 227

Seeing as you never speed, Gary, you won't want to know what the two new cars are that Adenau police have just got,and will be doing speed checks around the Nürburgring area with next year then, will you, matey

davegtt

Is it me or am I the only one who can see the blue lights behind the grill quite easily?

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

When they're on or off?

NS04

davegtt

Both not seen an unmarked car yet that Ive been able to see the lights easily even when off

and as others have said when behind one the LED sign in the back window is a give away too

CooperS

You can usually see the small camera underneath the rear view mirror

mightyyid

I've seen a number of cop cars (including a mate who is a DCI in Surrey) who has an unmarked Volvo and the only thing different is the blue lights mounted behind the grill - otherwise there are no additional mirrors, cameras or anything. He told me there are many other cars like this - it seems to be the most (minimal) you can get away with but still be effective when needing to go past people.

Andy

Dracoro

What, from behind?

As for lack of dealer stickers, numberplates etc. You're not going to notice these until you've long passed the car and it's pulled you over.

They don't have to wear white shirts etc. although they may often do.

Look for anything unusual, double mirrors, black box on windscreen or on rear parcel shelf that's actually a camera etc.

Regardless, if in doubt, don't break the law. Put it this way, ANY car you pass if younger than 5 years old (some older!) is potentially a police car, long gone are the days when it was only one or two types of car. Volvo's are still commonly used anyway.

Moley

iTrader: (9)

Look for two 6 foot ***** sitting in the front seats!!!

davegtt

Well if you cared to read my other post, I did say about the LEDs on the parcel shelf if your behind the car.

OllyK

I think you'll find they removed the minimum height requirement years ago

Isoproturon

Then they shouldn't have been in uniform.

Isoproturon

Not true at all, though they often do.

Tiggs

unless you drive like a tit...who cares?

Ralph Wiggum

OU04 UMB

dark grey ish omega (m40 around j5-6) high wycombe be careful! i know as he pulled me lol

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I had a close one yetsuday with an UNMARKED scamera van

Was doing 38 just as I entered a 30mph zone on a steep hill with SD2 strips right after the 30mph signs

The only thing that clicked was why was a van parked there, and why does it have tinted rear windows. Then brain kicks in when I saw the sd2 stips, on on went the brakes.

Bet it earned a fair bit of cash yesturday, as it is quite esay to coast above 30 down the hill without riding the brakes (which I don't do - PS-Lewis style ).

BTW, white Renault Traffic high top, and rear windows (upper and lower) limo tinted - but look hard enough and you can see the camera lens in the one window.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Had a maroon Omega behind me on country lanes about 6 months ago, near here. Luckily, I was in the wife's Xantia, so no mucking about

Anyway, he had Xenon dips on in the daylight and one of them was very distracting. I tried holding my hand over the rearview mirror, but he took no notice, so I started flashing my rear fogs at him.

He put the blues on, and I pulled over.

There were two coppers in the car, both in short "army" style but dark blue jackets, looked like a SWAT team? They both had long hair too. Anyway, driver asked me if I had a problem with my rear fogs, so I told him he was blinding me. He said that was impossible as the lights are self levelling, to which I countered, "That only works if both are set properly to start with. Yours aren't, and that's an offence isn't it officer?".

He went around the front of his car to look and didn't tell me to stay, so I drove away.

Alcazar

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

I'd suggest that any white van be treated as the enemy until proved otherwise as a matter of course; if it's not a Scamera van, they'll most likely be a twonk behind thw wheel sufering from bacon butty withdrawal!!

NS04

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

And on French motorways, ANY apparently broken down car/van/truck on the hard shoulder should aslo be suspect, especially if the tailgate is up/the rear doors are open.

I once saw one in France where they had coned off the outer lane for no reason at all, put a temporary limit in place because of the cones, then put a scamera van into the coned area, and were making a MINT out of tourists

Alcazar

trackman

I know your whole quote was meant in jest, but I find that most people are very nervous and suspicious of white vans parked up in laybys etc. Even to the point where they jab their brake peddles even when they are not speeding in the first place!

These scameras are creating a fair bit of paranoia on our roads.

OllyK

Indeed, the fixed cameras and vans are actually part of the reason why road deaths are not on the decrease, they are causing accidents. The number of times I see people who:
1) See white van / possible camera
2) Stand on the brakes (while under the limit anyway)
3) Engage Brain
4) Check speedo
5) Come off brakes
6) Check rear view mirror to see various white faced drivers behind scraping their underwear clean.
7) Realise there was nothing there in the first place
8) Accelerate back to normal speed rather red faced.

Hol

iTrader: (1)

I always look at for a passenger rear view mirror too.

But only in saloon/estate cars under 3years old, with two people in them.

matchmaker

Don't rely on age - as in another thread Central Scotland Police have a Saab 93 or 95 which is fairly old - at least five years old, if not more. Apparently very effective as drivers don't expect such on old car to be used.

liedetector

If you drive within the limit then you won't be distracted by looking out for police cars and can focus all your attention on driving. Inattention Kills!

wazza2770

You wont see this one for a while now... it got broke taking out a baddy who failed to stop last week, cops 2 baddies -0. The car got slightly squished at the front a bit more than T cut could remove / fix

Incidently its normally single crewed, you cant see the front blues when they are off, and with light and angle of rear window its not easy to see the 2nd mirror or camera.. we also dont have 300 airiels on the roof now either.