159mph copper 'not dangerous' BBC report

[tim.100]

159mph speeding charge Pc cleared

A police constable who reached 159mph on a motorway has been cleared of speeding and dangerous driving.
Pc Mark Milton, 38, from Telford, Shropshire, was recorded by the patrol car's video camera on the M54 in 2003, Ludlow Magistrates' Court heard.

District Judge Bruce Morgan acquitted him after calling the constable the "creme de la creme" of police drivers.

Pc Milton is trained in advanced driving and was "familiarising himself" with a new car, the court was told.

Society 'shocked'

The court heard the officer, who is trained in the use of firearms, was recorded travelling at 159mph on the motorway near Telford in the early hours of 5 December 2003.

Giving his verdicts, Mr Morgan said: "I can't help but see the irony that those that brought this prosecution are those very people who have purchased cars that go at this speed and paid for him (the defendant) to go to learn to drive at these speeds."

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), based in Birmingham, said it was shocked that such a speed was not regarded as dangerous by the court.

Kevin Clinton, head of road safety, said: "Police are governed by health and safety laws just the same as any other employer.

"We are pleased to learn that the judge made it clear that police forces must implement proper management procedures for their high-speed driving activities.

"We think this should include an upper limit and we don't believe 159mph can ever be justified on public roads.

"Even in emergencies we consider that driving at 100mph or more is too dangerous."

 

[JohnC]

Does this mean that if I went for a test drive of an SLK inTelford - that in order to familiarise myself with the car - I too could drive at 158mph?

 

[tim.100]

Does this mean that if I went for a test drive of an SLK inTelford - that in order to familiarise myself with the car - I too could drive at 158mph?

You would be "a danger to society, a reckless hoodlum etc...' which is partly true since no motorway is suited to that speed - BUT you would possibly go to jail. Not so for the man in question.

 

[PJH]

Why couldn't the driver familiarise himself at 85 or 90mph like the rest of us?

 

[glojo]

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), based in Birmingham, said it was shocked that such a speed was not regarded as dangerous by the court.

"Even in emergencies we consider that driving at 100mph or more is too dangerous."

So they are saying to everyone being pursued by the Police, "Go faster than 100mph and the Police will not pursue you??? That truly beggars belief??

John

 

[PJH]

159mph speeding charge Pc cleared

A police constable who reached 159mph on a motorway has been cleared of speeding and dangerous driving.
Pc Mark Milton, 38, from Telford, Shropshire, was recorded by the patrol car's video camera on the M54 in 2003, Ludlow Magistrates' Court heard.

District Judge Bruce Morgan acquitted him after calling the constable the "creme de la creme" of police drivers.

Pc Milton is trained in advanced driving and was "familiarising himself" with a new car, the court was told.

Society 'shocked'

The court heard the officer, who is trained in the use of firearms, was recorded travelling at 159mph on the motorway near Telford in the early hours of 5 December 2003.

Nigel Mansell was banned in 1998 for doing 92mph. Compared to the said police officer Nigel is a far superior driver.

Why can't coppers go on track days ?

 

[nickg]

absolutely f***ing outrageous. That magistrate should be slung out of office.

 

[nickg]

and he was driving..................a Vauxhall Vectra GSi !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
159mph on the motorway, 100mph in a 60 zone...........and 60 mph in a 30 zone - which I consider far more dangerous than the motorway speed.

Any of us mere mortals would have been banned for months/years for these offences.

 

[Flash]

Double standards - lock the a$$hole up and sack him - anyone of us caught doing that and they would not only ban us, but make us retake our driving tests again and we would be behind bars no doubt as well. So called legal system here is bent.

 

[tim.100]

and he was driving..................a Vauxhall Vectra GSi !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
159mph on the motorway, 100mph in a 60 zone...........and 60 mph in a 30 zone - which I consider far more dangerous than the motorway speed.

Any of us mere mortals would have been banned for months/years for these offences.

Maybe even jail?

The magistrate's decision, as stated above, beggars belief. Surely the speeding charge is not a discretionary matter where the evidence is irrefutable. It would be interesting to learn more about this magistrate.

 

[Mike ML]

I'm with the judge on this one - I'm sure the said copper would not have done this if anyone one was at risk.

Plodd - what ya recon??

 

[pammy]

I'm with the judge on this one - I'm sure the said copper would not have done this if anyone one was at risk.

Plodd - what ya recon??

I disagree - the public highway is not a place to familiarize yourself with a car with such power - they should use tracks.

He was not in pursuit of any criminal therefore the road laws as they apply to all of us apply to him.

A disgrace.

 

[Alfie]

and he was driving..................a Vauxhall Vectra GSi !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
159mph on the motorway, 100mph in a 60 zone...........and 60 mph in a 30 zone - which I consider far more dangerous than the motorway speed.

Any of us mere mortals would have been banned for months/years for these offences.

Surely thats no standard Vectra!

 

[Flash]

Most pursuit cars i.e. traffic cops and fire arms unit are chipped up/modified to make them go faster than standard spec cars.

 

[Howard]

Most pursuit cars i.e. traffic cops and fire arms unit are chipped up/modified to make them go faster than standard spec cars.

Urban myth or true ?

not sure about that - i know its true in the states but here ?

 

[Mr E]

I was told last time I was pulled (a few years back, early hours of the morning, deserted road.....sound familiar) that speeding is an absolute offence. In other words any excess speed is illegal regardless of road conditions, etc.

We all understand that we expect the emergency services to "rush" in exercising their duties - who wouldn't want a speeding ambulance rushing to their aid for example.

But - and a big but - this guy was not pursuing anyone or rushing to attend an incident. Surely honing your skills in a new vehicle is a dangerous task (if you don't know your limits in the new car then who knows what would happen) and should be limited to off-road facilities.

Interesting that it was his own force that bought the prosecution........

Does this give licence to officers "honing their skills" with truncheons, night stick, CS gas, firearms, etc, on our roads? We all know that a car at 159 mph is just as, if not more, dangerous than any of these.........

 

[glojo]

Most pursuit cars i.e. traffic cops and fire arms unit are chipped up/modified to make them go faster than standard spec cars.

Now that is really news to me. Hi Flash, where did you find that information?

The Forces that use E320CDI's will definitely NOT be tampered with as they are maintained by the local Mercedes-Benz dealer and this would be a flaggrant breach of the warranty conditions which apply.

Devon and Cornwall Police never used to tamper, meddle, or chip any of their vehicles. Firearms teams in our constabulary will travel usually in traffic vehicles. We do have 24hr cover with Armed Response Units, but they are simply traffic vehicles with the slightly added weight of the secure cabinets.

Strange how no one has commented on ROSPA's 'expert' opinion on the maximum emergency speed a response unit can travel at?

Police Forces will be invited by manufacturers to test development vehicles which can be marked up and used in whatever role they are best suited.

Regards,
John

 

[nickg]

the prosecuting counsel must have been a total idiot.

 

[fwb44]

Definitely true here. I lived next door to a traffic cop for about 3 (increasingly unfriendly!) years (well - we bought an ex-police house and next door sort of came with the territory, I wouldn't want you to think I deliberately haunt cop-infested neighbourhoods) and he told me how they did it, and then unchipped/demodified them again before disposing of them. Only hope they mod the brakes/suspension as well if they're messing with Vectras and the like or else we really are in danger

 

[Howard]

When i worked for Volvo Twickenham, we used to service the T5's that they used to patrol the M3 with ....

These were bog standard ..... not even the R version.......