RobJenks

What are you lot coming to?
Your driving your Scoobies like a bunch of old grannies by the sound of it over there in Pommie Land!
How embarrassing to be in a line behind a cops car and nobody has the ***** to overtake - Hello!
I reckon some of the scoobie chicks have more testosterone.
If you can't drive these machines as they are meant to be driven - then get a moped.
Dont let the cops intimidate you.
Always over take 'em.

Nimbus

I'm sure you have all been in this situation…

I joined the M6 south last night at about 7pm about two cars behind a marked police Volvo V5. He going at about 70-75 and as usual in these cases, no one is overtaking (because that would be speeding and incredibly dangerous!). Anyway, the police is sitting in lane 1 just ahead of me, occasionally going to lane 2 to overtake lorries and everyone else is doing exactly the same speed as the police car, so we have three cars abreast all doing 70-75 mph and no doubt causing a huge tailback behind.. Because of this, everyone's stating to bunch up and getting very close to each other, so I decide that I'd had enough. I make my way into lane 3 when the gaps appear and ease it up to 80mph. The road ahead is empty (because all the traffic is stuck behind the police car), so I slowly pass the police car, now in lane 2, keeping my eyes straight ahead (but risk a quick check as I'm pulling level to see if he's looking at me) and keeping an eye on the speedo so I don’t go too much over 80. A BMW and Alfa behind be also go for the overtake (obviously spurred on by my act of bravery ). Now I'm looking in my mirrors, just waiting for the blues to light up.. nothing… he move back into lane 1, I into lane 2 and continue on at 80. I don't see any others overtaking behind me.

Now, first I'm grateful the traffic police were not the type to nick you for doing 1/2 mph over the limit and were from the "sensible" brigade. Nothing I did was dangerous. In fact I felt a lot safer now I was on a relatively clear bit of road than caught up in the bunched up traffic behind the police car.

What do you do when you come across a police car doing 70mph on the motorway? Every time I come across this the traffic slows and everyone bunches up, crawling past the car.

RichB

Yeah, just sitting at a smidge under 80 has never caused me any problems. They must find it hillarious
I worry more being in a black scoob as the threat of being 'potted' is very high

bigrex

I know what you mean. I normally drive past, at under an indicated 80, and I have never been stopped. YET!!! The bunching up can cause more danger than doing over 70.

The Zohan

Nimbus
I do the same as you - when the opportunity arises.

A also watch with interest as the occaisional car comes flying up the outside lane, spots plod and then brakes hard to slow down, or not as the case may be.

Paul

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

I always thought that police vehicles on the motorway were supposed to travel at 60mph (unless in pursuit, obviously) to stop exactly the situation you described.

I'm most likely wrong

Jza

Good point!

I think the bottom line is - was your manouver at 80mph dangerous - and if not they dont even blink an eye.

Having watched programs about patrol cars and read about what they do, its pretty obvious that unless you taking the **** speeding, speed isnt the main factor in what they are looking for.

To be fair to the coppers, they are looking for idiots who undertake, hog lanes, use mobiles and drive up other peoples *****. Not the odd motorist who does 85mph on a clear motorway causing no danger to anyone.

Climate plays a big part too. Had it have been raining or foggy you would have been given a bollockin.

They will not tolerate anything dangerous.

Nuff respec to them for that IMHO.

Shame we have so many Gatso's etc about that makes us dislike them so much when i think motorway cops do a great job.

Jza

Christmas

I have had this experience quite often on the M56 & 62. You will find that anything up to 85mph is acceptable to the average Traffic Copper, so long as you are not sat on the boot of the car in front, or behaving like a Complete W4nka. They are after all human beings, and fully aware that traffic moves comfortably along at this sort of speed all day, every day.
P.S. they are also the poor buggers who have to wash you off the road when you do have a biggy.


[This message has been edited by Christmas (edited 19 September 2001).]

longun

I did exactly the same thing as you did once. I looked over when going past to see if he was looking at me and he gave me a nod to say well done, shame about the other 200 cars right behind me.

Andy Winskill

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by STi wanna Subaru:
<B>I always thought that police vehicles on the motorway were supposed to travel at 60mph (unless in pursuit, obviously) to stop exactly the situation you described.

I'm most likely wrong[/quote]

And how many times do you see people slowing down to match the 60mph speed as you obviously can't overtake a police car

Nimbus

I sort of took the chance that they would be more interested in dangerous drivers rather than those going slightly above the limit. I just seemed to be safer to get out of the bunched up traffic. I mean, *no one* was willing to overtake! I just thought "sod this" and when for it.

As mentioned above, this is the crucial difference between traffic poilce and Gatos. One is there to ensure that dangerours drivers are stopped, the other is not..

fast bloke

Do everyone else a favour and cane it past as quickly as you can. That way the rozzers will give chase and everyone else can speed up as well...

Seriously though - our traffic branch are generally fairly reasonable. The will give you a bolloking for minor **** taking - I.E. 85 on motorway 80 on a safe main road etc. They do genuinely try to get you to wise up and slow down, rather than going for the easy money

john&nicci

75mph indicated in any of our motors would probably show as 70mph in a calibrated police patrol car.
Sail past at an indicated 80mph! Your really only hitting 75ish. Never heard of anyone being nailed for that!
Flameproofs on!
john.

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

I always drop it into 3rd and give it a bit of Harry Flatters....

Seriously tho' I always feel really emabarressed in these situations (dunno why ) but get fed up waiting for someone else to take the initiative so usually creep past trying to look very innocent and angelic The sigh of relief from the drivers behind as they follow suit is almost palpable One day I'll be brave enough to look at the faces of the coppers in the car - I'm sure they'll be laughing at me

TaviaRS

I agree, on the whole speedos are allowed to be out by up to 10% at 70 mph so an indicated 80 is probably just over the 70. I have yet to be pulled for such a minor indisretion, they are more on the look out for the people who are driving without due care (ie not spotting the queue of traffic and the big white car with the garish colour scheme and the big blue lights) and speeding than someone "just" over the limit. So yes, I do overtake them.
I did see one about a month ago that was "cruising" at 90-100 round the m25, out of his area, with a snake of traffic behind him that followed his every move, but, strangely enough no-one was brave enough to overtake him!

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Andy Winskill:
<B> And how many times do you see people slowing down to match the 60mph speed as you obviously can't overtake a police car

[/quote]

I know. I'm often baffled by the way some people drive on motorways.

Lambo

My mate crawled past a cop car at 75mph on the M5, copper pulled him over and gave him a bollocking saying that he was setting a bad example to the other 300 cars stuck behind and that it would make the cops look bad if they allowed anyone to exceed the speed limit by passing them. The word 'tosser' comes to mind.

I myself pass at about 80 and once I'm a few hundred yards ahead I floor it and watch to see if they are following. Its always worked for me. Good fun as well.

Lambo

SJobson

Same as you Lambo - go past at up to 80 then when I'm past I wait for a bend/hillock and put as much distance between myself and the copper as I can while out of sight. Then back down to, say, 85 until I can't see him at all.

RAver

A few years ago on the motorway in Wales, I was travelling at night somewhat quickly in an unmarked white van -'bout 100mph on the clock -so about 90mph-ish maybe? As I overtook a plain white Range Rover @ about 20 mph difference I noticed it was full of coppers! I swallowed hard, eased off the gas and pulled to the left lane after a safe distance, they just let me go, I continued at about 90 mph on my speedo!!!

PS motorway was empty, 3 a.m. time.

[This message has been edited by RAver (edited 19 September 2001).]

Fosters

I usually stick to 85 and have been fine, then when they're out of sight back up to 95.

Strangely enough I've been passed by a copper when I was doing 98 and passed several coppers whilst doing 90. The nearest I got to being pulled was when me and a ropey tvr (3 or 450) passed a cop car doing 90... and he got pulled!!! (he wasn't too close to m either).

if they can't be ar5ed and you're not being a d!ck (which implies a remotely sensible speed, btw), they don't care.

Guru Fosters

Steve Perriam

had the same thing driving home down the M5 last nite.

slowed up when saw cop car in lane 1 with 2/3 cars behind him.

sat at 70, barely, for a bit and then thought cant sit here all the time so went passed at just under 80.

tosser behind then appeared from no where in SRi Vectra with headlights and fog lights on - 6:00pm - not that dark and certainly not foggy.

he just carried on definitely in excess of 80 and mr policeman then pulled out and was off down the middle / outside lane.

dunno if he pulled him cos i had to turn off

never had a problem going past them at upto 80.

steve

mark.coleman

Nimbus, obviously saw the baby seat and thought, what a gentleman and skoller. Does make a complete mockery of speed camera though, don't it.

Nimbus

Hi Mark,

Didn't have the baby seat in that day . actually, the wife has it her car most of the time now. She needs it since she seems to spend most days going out for lunch or shopping at Baby Gap with the little'un .

Aren't you getting close to the day now? Hope it goes well.

Josh L

Joined the M40 behind an unmarked Omega this morning. He was doing the 65-75 routine, and I decided to play safe, as he seemed to be looking for an excuse. Having said that I normally pass them, as long as I'm close enough to the limit.

The problems start when they start playing games. A friend used to be a Bobby in Southampton, and she used to play a game with other 'Officers' to see how slow they could go on Dual carriageways/Motorways before they were overtaken. Her record was around 30mph.

Barstewards!

Robertio

iTrader: (1)

The same as the rest of you it appears, between 80 and 85 on the clock, speed up slightly once a few hundred yards up the road, and if they don't follow gradually make my way to normal velocity.

I find more ackward is police cars doing 50-55 on an A or B road, very difficult to overtake without exceeding 65 or so, so I normally end up sitting behind them until a very, very long straight allows me to creep past.

Fast_Blue_Scooby

I always drive around 80mph on the speedo, weather and road conditions permitting. If I come across a policeman, I treat them the same as any other road user and overtake as if they were any other car.

If they were to stop me, I would just say that I have been driving the road to work for the past 3 years like that, never been stopped and if they can point out anything that I have done wrong, then I must have been doing something wrong for the last 3 years.

Once when I was going into work real early, 5:30am, I came across a Ford Fiesta patrol car doing 70mph on the inside lane. I came right up alongside him at 80mph and was just about to overtake when he put his blue flashing lights on for about 5 or 6 seconds, then he slowed right down to around 50mph and I just went past him. Don't know what he was playing at but he let me drive off into the distance!!

As for police cars, I was in one last night for around an hour, long story, and you can tell that their speed cameras are calibrated alright. The speed on their tv screens that monitor the cars ahead match perfectly to their speedos which get calibrated every single day. When the officer put his foot down and got to 110, you could feel the difference between a Subaru indicating 110 and the real 110. Even when I think I am cruising at 80mph, the proper 80mph in the police car felt much faster. So that probably explains that when you go past at 80mph, you are probably within the 10% tolerance level over the legal 70mph.

Amazing watching on the tv screen all the cars in front slowing down to their 70mph and it showing around 64 to 66 on the screen.

So as long as you overtake a police car at your indicated 80mph on the speedo and the weather conditions permit, I think you will be okay....

Fast_Blue_Scooby

Continuing on from my time in the police car, it was amazing seeing that when he approached the cars ahead on the motorway, they all slowed down to what they thought was 70mph. The speed indicated in the cop car was that the cars were between 63mph and 66mph.

So in response to the claim above about using that as an excuse, if you are travelling at around 80mph as indicated on your speedo, then the police will see you doing around the 75mph on their screen and hence you won't get pulled over as you are withing the tolerance. This obviously only applies at higher speeds and not at 30 or 40 where the difference in real speed will be marginal.

So when I drive home at 80mph, I am in fact driving at around 75ish or less.

Does anyone know where you could get your speedo calibrated so that is more accurate? I know this may have to be done every day but to get it done once just to see an accurate figure. When I was in the police car, everything felt different, when you looked at the speedo and saw 70, then 80 and then 90, it was a lot faster than when in the Subaru at these speeds as indicated on our speedos.

DingDong

i donno what u guys think of me but last X'mas when i was going down to London on the M6 from Leeds i was following this other car in front and my speed shows 110
maybe it was bout 100 i say but after a while i wanna overtake him and i did a undertake

after that i gave it a big wolly and was upto 135 then my mate said 'F**K MAN!! WE BLAST PAST A UN-MARK COP CAR!! '....then all in my mind was 'S**T...what do i do now?'

but thing is i was so scared i juz didnt know what to do and i wanna lose this cop car as fast as i could which i think it was wrong but i didnt wanna get pulled...

but man..that copper must be a nice guy and think it's Xmas juz might aswell let him go....

but do any of u guys do that?
see a cop and run for it?
coz i do all the time.....think thats why my car has all this probs now.....

also anyone knows where can i fix my speedo? i wanna see what a real 100 feels like

laters