Dad pulled out on traffic cop on M6

mattyg

mattyg

mattyg

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Just looking at thoughts on this.

last week my old man was in lane 2 on the M6 conditions were clear but dark.
Car if front starts to slow so he checks mirror indicates and pulls out. A few seconds later Blue flashing lights behind him pulling him over.

Turns out My dad pulled out on a traffic cop in a hurry to catch up another car whilst doing between 100-120mph.(thats the speed the copper told my dad he was doing) Without his blues on in the dark

My dad pointed out that he checked his mirror and didn't see the blues.. Turns out the traffic car didn't have his blues on as he didn't want to spook the car they were trying to catch up with. Then a 2nd traffic car goes screaming past, With his blues on. The copper then tells my dad that, that was his colleague going to the same job.


The copper said he would expect my dad to be told to go on a course. But this morning a FPN came through for 3 points and £100 fine..


So thoughts on contesting it.
 
Classic shocking level of policing in this country. No point contesting, what the police say goes. No wonder people have lost their support for them.

Don’t the police have dash cams recording the whole thing?
 
I would assume the police car had its normal headlights on and your father pulled out in a way that meant that the police were forced to slow down and therefore the maneuver shouldn't have taken place.

It's unfortunate but the fact that he didn't see the blue lights doesn't mean that he was clear to pull out.
 
Sorry but thats ********, if the car was doing 120mph the distance could have been significant and its impossible to judge speed looking at lights in your mirror.
The cop should not of been doing that speed without his blues on.
 
gailjon said:
I would assume the police car had its normal headlights on and your father pulled out in a way that meant that the police were forced to slow down and therefore the maneuver shouldn't have taken place.

It's unfortunate but the fact that he didn't see the blue lights doesn't mean that he was clear to pull out.
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Travelling at that speed they were at night they’d be on you in seconds.
 
sounds like your dad checked mirrors to make sure nobody was there, but didn't watch the next car in the lane to gauge their speed. Happens all the time, even when you're doing 70-ish you get people pulling infront of you doing about 65, forcing you brake noticeable. The highway code even says "take extra care at night and in poor visibility when it is harder to judge speed and distance" - so I don't think being dark is a defence.

but... I thought police needed to have lights on when going over the speed limit (especially 50mph over the limit)?
 
For the officer to go through the effort of stopping and issuing the ticket I suspect it would have been a pretty dangerous manoeuvre by the OP's Dad.

They'll almost certainly have footage of the incident.
 
Being honest, did he check his mirror and see nothing anywhere near or check his mirror, see rapidly approaching lights and think "sod him, he's speeding, I'm pulling out anyway"?

I can't imagine they'd have taken issue unless he pulled out right in front of them.
 
Minstadave said:
For the officer to go through the effort of stopping and issuing the ticket I suspect it would have been a pretty dangerous manoeuvre by the OP's Dad.

They'll almost certainly have footage of the incident.
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This was my thought exactly. Getting old duffers/crap drivers pull out on you is part and parcel with fast driving on blues - normally you pass a "comment" and give them a stare as you go passed. I have the feeling this was a situation in which the officer had to probably emergency stop to avoid him.

Unfortunately everyone that pulls out on you claims they checked their mirrors but the single fact is if they had done so, they would have seen you. There's a big difference between checking your mirror and blind spot prior to changing lane, versus glancing in your mirror at the same time as you flick on your indicator and start manoeuvring like most poor drivers do.

I'd tell your dad to contest it if he wants, but to prepare for the possibility of the camera footage not being flattering of his driving. I'm not sure how old your dad is, but I've noticed my own parents level of driving diminish in th last 5years and they're in their late 60s/early 70s. They can "see" fine, they just don't "see" things. They get flustered more easily. They drive slower than they ever did. And the biggest one - they are more oblivious as to what is going on around them, or what is about to happen in front of them.

These are characteristics I notice in a *lot* of old drivers
 
For all your dad knew it was just another car doing 120 mph
Gaygle said:
This was my thought exactly. Getting old duffers/crap drivers pull out on you is part and parcel with fast driving on blues - normally you pass a "comment" and give them a stare as you go passed. I have the feeling this was a situation in which the officer had to probably emergency stop to avoid him.

Unfortunately everyone that pulls out on you claims they checked their mirrors but the single fact is if they had done so, they would have seen you. There's a big difference between checking your mirror and blind spot prior to changing lane, versus glancing in your mirror at the same time as you flick on your indicator and start manoeuvring like most poor drivers do.

I'd tell your dad to contest it if he wants, but to prepare for the possibility of the camera footage not being flattering of his driving. I'm not sure how old your dad is, but I've noticed my own parents level of driving diminish in th last 5years and they're in their late 60s/early 70s. They can "see" fine, they just don't "see" things. They get flustered more easily. They drive slower than they ever did. And the biggest one - they are more oblivious as to what is going on around them, or what is about to happen in front of them.

These are characteristics I notice in a *lot* of old drivers
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Except he didnt have his blues on.
 
I agree with Minstadave and Gaygle, the officer gave up the chase to pull your Dad - must have been quite serious. Normally they will give you the stare, point the finger etc.
 
120mph with no blue lights and expects people to just move out of the way. Err no.

Sounds like BS. Why would they give up a high speed "chase" to pull a random over. Definitely fight it.
 
I think he should pay it and accept the points unless he enjoys a long drawn out conflict.

As regards the situation, the policeman was guilty of reckless driving and should go for retraining. I'm sure he's allowed to go that fast without his lights on, but only when safe.

In fact as he said he didn't want the perp to clock him so it's highly unlikely anyone else would isn't it.

But just because you're in the right doesn't mean it will help you, sometimes it's just life.
 
Gaygle said:
This was my thought exactly. Getting old duffers/crap drivers pull out on you is part and parcel with fast driving on blues - normally you pass a "comment" and give them a stare as you go passed. I have the feeling this was a situation in which the officer had to probably emergency stop to avoid him.

Unfortunately everyone that pulls out on you claims they checked their mirrors but the single fact is if they had done so, they would have seen you. There's a big difference between checking your mirror and blind spot prior to changing lane, versus glancing in your mirror at the same time as you flick on your indicator and start manoeuvring like most poor drivers do.

I'd tell your dad to contest it if he wants, but to prepare for the possibility of the camera footage not being flattering of his driving. I'm not sure how old your dad is, but I've noticed my own parents level of driving diminish in th last 5years and they're in their late 60s/early 70s. They can "see" fine, they just don't "see" things. They get flustered more easily. They drive slower than they ever did. And the biggest one - they are more oblivious as to what is going on around them, or what is about to happen in front of them.

These are characteristics I notice in a *lot* of old drivers
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He's in his 70's but is a professional driver and was a driving instructor for many years too. I'd argue his driving standards are well above avg for his age.

I've told him to contest if he wants. I certainly would.

Shame the old man only has a front dashcam.

But he was sat in the back of the traffic car so it should all be recorded
 
Nasher said:
120mph with no blue lights and expects people to just move out of the way. Err no.

Sounds like BS. Why would they give up a high speed "chase" to pull a random over. Definitely fight it.
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It wasn't that he was expecting the OP's Dad to move out of his way, it sounds like his Dad moved into the lane in front of the police car unsafely.
 
CaptainRAVE said:
Travelling at that speed they were at night they’d be on you in seconds.
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Exactly, hard to judge someone coming at that speed. If anything reckless driving from police

only thing we don’t know is how fast OP dad was going, which may give us a better perspective
 
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