Traffic Police: Why do they generally drive over the speed limit with no lights?

[BTB 500]

My experience is that often the police car is traveling at around 65 in the inside lane and therefore caused a bit of a tail back....

It's not the police car that causes the tailback ... it's the morons who won't go past (the same ones who slow down to 30 for all speed cameras, regardless of the limit).

Usually it's a Highways Agency car anyway (which the morons firmly believe is the same as a police car).

 

[andy_k]

Traffic Police: Why do they generally drive over the speed limit with no lights?

Because they can

I recommend that you stop them and ask them "why?"

Follow them for a couple of miles then flash your lights, gesture that they pull over onto the hard shoulder then, once they have stopped, walk up to their car and ask in a patronising manner if they are aware of the speed limit and if they have any idea at what speed they were travelling over the previous 2 miles

Before you do this make sure that

a, your car is 100% legal and has no faults
b, all your driving docs are 100% correct
c, you've got an hour or two to waste whilst they check your car over

 

[renault12ts]

Many people still don't know the speed limits on Dual carriageways. I was travelling on one with a colleague and he wouldn't pass a police car travelling at 60 even though he could have done 70. He thought it was 60, even when I explained that dual carraigeways have the same speed limits for cars as motorways unless a sign says otherwise.

 

[seymansey]

Because they can

And after reading all of this on here, this is essentially the answer Common sense prevails when a traffic car is seen on the motorway. I've had the warning 'slow down' hand gesture off a traffic officer when doing an indicated 85 on my speedo, i'd rather the momentary brown pants moments and acknowledgment to the officer than the points, and who wouldn't.

 

[popuptoaster]

Dont forget most car speedos underead so they'll appear to be going faster than they are, because they're speedos will be accurate, i pretty much always cruise at an indicated 80-90mph conditions allowing and i've never been pulled for speeding in 25 years.

 

[andy_k]

Dont forget most car speedos underead so they'll appear to be going faster than they are, because they're speedos will be accurate, i pretty much always cruise at an indicated 80-90mph conditions allowing and i've never been pulled for speeding in 25 years.[/QUOTdon't rely on that

at 90 on my speedo my gps reads 89/90 mph - enough to get nicked

 

[Dryce]

Dont forget most car speedos underead

You have to be careful of the angle of view as well.

 

[evdok]

And dont forget the cameras as they are not so forgiving on a few MPH over the limit as an officer might be!

 

[CE230]

And dont forget the cameras ...

Especially on the A14 around Cambridge where there are dozens of SPEC cameras for miles as I discovered yesterday.

 

[popuptoaster]

i must have been extremely lucky then, never been hit for speeding by a camera or copper.

 

[st4]

Because they can

I recommend that you stop them and ask them "why?"

Follow them for a couple of miles then flash your lights, gesture that they pull over onto the hard shoulder then, once they have stopped, walk up to their car and ask in a patronising manner if they are aware of the speed limit and if they have any idea at what speed they were travelling over the previous 2 miles

Before you do this make sure that

a, your car is 100% legal and has no faults
b, all your driving docs are 100% correct
c, you've got an hour or two to waste whilst they check your car over

d. as you'd followed them over the limit you'd have a good job talking yourself out of a ticket. After all, if you are keeping up with a speeding policeman, you too must be speeding.

"officer, I followed you for 3 miles and you were doing 85mph+"...."how do you know this sir"...."I was doing the same"...."you've just earned yourself a £60 fine and 3 points sir"....

Don't give them any reason to give you a ticket, because they will.

 

[flango]

We all know speed kills. But how often is it just the speed?

For instance if a speeding drunk driver kills, isn't it fair to assume that the drunken state of the driver was to blame, or a drugged up driver speeding, or a joyrider in a stolen car speeding. In other words what are the statistics for actual speed killing on it's own as opposed to being linked to some other crime?

I'm sure someone will know.

Well heres my take on it as an advanced driver trainer, Speed does NOT kill this is a misconception. The stats for speed killing on it's own are 0.

Speed without ability and speed without control DOES kill, a car in the wrong hands is a lethal weapon but in the right hands you are as safe as in your mothers womb.

Most speed related accidents come back to driver attitude and awareness, and again contrary to popular belief it is not age related either although there is no denying some of the chav mentality contributes. But I regularly get driven by an 18 year old in a 300 bhp Evo his car control and ability and reactions are second to none. Yet I would not even get in the car with one of my 70 year old relations who "thinks" he can drive better than everyone else.

It is just too easy to blame speed and minor infringements over the posted limit are great revenue earners for the government but pose little or no threat to public safety. Is 46 mph in a 40 mph limit such a crime? Is 85 mph acceptable on a motorway? You could argue it either way.

I have a problem with the fact that a 17 year old can pass their test, be on mummy and daddy's insurance take out their high powered sports car straight onto a motorway with no training or motorway driving experience and potentially kill innocent motorists who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think it's time we woke up to this problem and toughened up the test or had a system where the higher the power of the car you have to prove your ability to be able to drive it.

 

[renault12ts]

i must have been extremely lucky then, never been hit for speeding by a camera or copper.

Quick, go touch a genuine wooden dash board somewhere

 

[GSMGuy]

Have to agree, that doing an indicated 85mph on the motorway won't get you nicked or pulled - My speedo is pretty accurate and indicates 86mph at a GPS speed of 85mph. I thought the ACPO giuidelines were "Limit plus 10% plus 3.5mph" the 3.5mph to allow for speedo error at low speeds... So therefore 70mph limit means, according to those guidelines, you can do 80.5mph and be "safe" so an indicated 85mph isn't a million miles over....

Mike

 

[st4]

I always thought it was 10% +2mph as a guideline. Remember, its a guidline so if you're doing 73mph your still speeding and can be pulled over.

Try not to focus on the minutia of such things and assess how you are actually driving, are your signals (if needed) well timed, are your driving at a speed thats safe for the conditions (weather, visibility, volume of traffic), and looking at keeping a good gap between the your car and the car in front and looking far ahead to get ready for hazards etc.

 

[flango]

Have to agree, that doing an indicated 85mph on the motorway won't get you nicked or pulled - My speedo is pretty accurate and indicates 86mph at a GPS speed of 85mph. I thought the ACPO giuidelines were "Limit plus 10% plus 3.5mph" the 3.5mph to allow for speedo error at low speeds... So therefore 70mph limit means, according to those guidelines, you can do 80.5mph and be "safe" so an indicated 85mph isn't a million miles over....

Mike

Well I don't know about other forces but I can comment on the ones near me as I have worked with them and 2 of my neighbours who I drink with are both on road traffic (and TV stars of the Traffic Cops series )

Their general rule on the motorway is that as long as the standard of driving and lane discipline is good they will not look at anybody up to 85 mph if the conditions allow. Over 85 mph depends on conditions and other factors.

Around here they apply the 10% + 3mph rule so the first speed you will get nicked on a motorway is 81 mph.

Suprisingly in Urban areas they apply the 10% + 4 mph, so in a 40 the first speed you will get nicked is 49 mph. This applies to cameras and cops.

Specs are different and I'm not sure what the rule is as the offences are processed centrally with no traffic involvement, however I know of one road that is covered by specs and 2 of my pals were both ticketed and got 3 points and £60 fine for doing 63mph and 64 mph in a 60 mph posted limit. Very harsh I thought

 

[BTB 500]

ACPO Guidelines

Scroll down to last page for the table of speeds & penalties.

 

[st13phil]

Well I don't know about other forces but I can comment on the ones near me as I have worked with them and 2 of my neighbours who I drink with are both on road traffic (and TV stars of the Traffic Cops series )

Their general rule on the motorway is that as long as the standard of driving and lane discipline is good they will not look at anybody up to 85 mph if the conditions allow. Over 85 mph depends on conditions and other factors.

Around here they apply the 10% + 3mph rule so the first speed you will get nicked on a motorway is 81 mph.

Health warning highlighted just in case anyone thinks the rest of the post applies in their area. For example, in the Thames Valley area people can and do get pinged by Talivans for 79mph on the M40...

 

[Smiley]

Many people still don't know the speed limits on Dual carriageways. I was travelling on one with a colleague and he wouldn't pass a police car travelling at 60 even though he could have done 70. He thought it was 60, even when I explained that dual carraigeways have the same speed limits for cars as motorways unless a sign says otherwise.

it is 60mph on a dual carriageway where there is no central divider (IIRC). 70mph on a dual carriageway with the divider.

 

[renault12ts]

it is 60mph on a dual carriageway where there is no central divider (IIRC). 70mph on a dual carriageway with the divider.

A dual carriageway, as far as I know, always has a divider, otherwise it's just a four lane road.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_carriageway