Policing speeders: The Pandemic method

tom_e · 5 Jul 2020 at 18:47

NVP said:
Is this true? It's a hard thing to Google apparently.

Haha yeh I'm sure, they'd probably have the majority of the array fitted to the car.

https://www.rac.co.uk/discuss/forum...ring-discussion/1434-police-speeding-evidence

Yep seems like there's case law for it

NVP · 5 Jul 2020 at 19:30

Resident said:
That was my first thought. The only amber/yellow lights police have fitted to vehicles, other than indicators, are the matrix signs in the back window.

Highways Agency & VOSA have amber & red flashers.

This was in the rear window, tinted and nighttime so I've no idea the set-up but they appeared about a hands width down from the top and sides with one on each side about the size and shape of an elongated matchbook. I'm pretty sure they weren't dot matrix signs but fixed, purposeful rectangular yellow lights.

tom_e said:
https://www.rac.co.uk/discuss/forum...ring-discussion/1434-police-speeding-evidence

Yep seems like there's case law for it

Ah sweet, thanks. Good to know.

Resident · 5 Jul 2020 at 20:54

NVP said:
This was in the rear window, tinted and nighttime so I've no idea the set-up but they appeared about a hands width down from the top and sides with one on each side about the size and shape of an elongated matchbook. I'm pretty sure they weren't dot matrix signs but fixed, purposeful rectangular yellow lights.

I'll say not a cop then. They don't use amber/yellow other than in matrix signs.

Rearward, in terms of solid lights, they'd display blue/red. Forward they use white/blue.

I'd say will have been one of those sad wannabe cops, the same morons that try to stop people using merge lanes in the correct manner.

NVP · 5 Jul 2020 at 20:55

Resident said:
I'll say not a cop then. They don't use amber/yellow other than in matrix signs.

Rearward, in terms of solid lights, they'd display blue/red. Forward they use white/blue.

I'd say will have been one of those sad wannabe cops, the same morons that try to stop people using merge lanes in the correct manner.

Erm no, they were police. They were dressed like police, radios on shoulders etc. The same car (I think) also had blue flashers in the front grill.

Burnsy2023 · 7 Jul 2020 at 16:34

NVP said:
Erm no, they were police. They were dressed like police, radios on shoulders etc. The same car (I think) also had blue flashers in the front grill.

What force area? Amber lights are very rare on police vehicles, but there are some exceptions.

NVP · 7 Jul 2020 at 17:29

Burnsy2023 said:
What force area? Amber lights are very rare on police vehicles, but there are some exceptions.

West Midlands. Black Audi Estate.

Edit: well it was the a45 joining coventry and Birmingham so could be Warwickshire instead.

Rroff · 7 Jul 2020 at 17:46

Around here (Dorset police) they've been having a field day - on one stretch of road near me over 25 people pulled in one day alone - though they seem to be working to a minimum of ~22% over the speed limit before they bother which seems fair to me.

EDIT: Actually 34 offences of which 25 involved speeding, the others stuff like untaxed, etc.

Will · 8 Jul 2020 at 10:15

NVP said:
West Midlands. Black Audi Estate.

Edit: well it was the a45 joining coventry and Birmingham so could be Warwickshire instead.

A black Audi estate on the West Mids force area means it will almost certainly be a firearms unit, rather than traffic police. For fairly obvious reasons, there are restrictions around armed officers 'self deploying' which includes restrictions on them conducting regular traffic stops, so the lights flash makes more sense, they wouldn't routinely be pulling cars over for a simple speeding offence when they are armed, for reasons of public perception.

NVP · 8 Jul 2020 at 10:26

Yeh that makes sense of them wearing thick vests whilst driving, too.

lordrobs · 8 Jul 2020 at 11:30

It would work quite well for me because I'd think "Oh, that was decent of them. I'll stop pushing my luck". The fact you've experienced it twice kind of proves the point that it isn't a strong enough deterrent though.

NVP · 8 Jul 2020 at 12:31

I've also been pulled more times than I can count and had multiple tickets and court appearances - so with that knowledge your logic doesn't work I'm afraid as I'm a fringe case. I think it would be a significant enough impact on someone like yourself, as you've also stated.

Armageus · 8 Jul 2020 at 12:41

Diagro said:
I saw two two police men in a 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX sitting in one of the parking bits inside a roundabout.

I floored it from the junction, saw them waving at me to slow down... So I did...

Probably knew their low powered vehicle had no hope. Heh... (jk)

Nice blokes.

Because police forces regularly use 16 year old cars?

peige · 8 Jul 2020 at 12:48

tom_e said:
Or have expert testimony that they believed you were speeding. Two police in the car will give them that.

Yes, this is true. I was caught speeding by a police car that never actually caught me up but radioed ahead on the motorway and had me pulled over. They could only get my speed approximately but it was enough to charge me. Joys of being a young driver thinking because was 2am and the motorway was empty I'd be fine

Burnsy2023 · 8 Jul 2020 at 14:00

Will said:
A black Audi estate on the West Mids force area means it will almost certainly be a firearms unit, rather than traffic police. For fairly obvious reasons, there are restrictions around armed officers 'self deploying' which includes restrictions on them conducting regular traffic stops, so the lights flash makes more sense, they wouldn't routinely be pulling cars over for a simple speeding offence when they are armed, for reasons of public perception.

I imagine this is force dependent, but that's not the case in the southern forces I have experience of. Armed officers where I am can and do self deploy and run traffic checks routinely. This paused due to COVID, but is being relaxed.

Diagro · 8 Jul 2020 at 15:23

Armageus said:
Because police forces regularly use 16 year old cars?

shrug....

Parked in a police bay in the center of a round about, in uniform. dunno m9

Greebo · 8 Jul 2020 at 17:37

lordrobs said:
It would work quite well for me because I'd think "Oh, that was decent of them. I'll stop pushing my luck". The fact you've experienced it twice kind of proves the point that it isn't a strong enough deterrent though.

This. To me this is like old fashioned policing, having a bit of common sense and just giving you a warning rather than straight away a ticket.

I've been stopped a couple of times and been told that have a lead right foot and need to ease off a bit, a bit of spiel about how much a factor speeding is in accidents, asking me what I was doing and where I was going etc and then allowed to go on my way without a ticket.

Rroff · 8 Jul 2020 at 18:30

Armageus said:
Because police forces regularly use 16 year old cars?

I dunno about 16 years old but not that long ago some forces still had some older Imprezas in use.

Django x2 · 8 Jul 2020 at 22:19

Twinkled yellows? I suspect that means nothing.

However, I have had something similar happen to me, twice, pre COVID.

NVP · 25 Sep 2020 at 02:40

They're out in force again, saw between 10-15 police vehicles on an 70+ mile return trip late this evening, A-roads all the way.

Loads out, about 3 different types of vans, and then loads of the standard police cars.

theone8181 · 25 Sep 2020 at 06:16

Rroff said:
I dunno about 16 years old but not that long ago some forces still had some older Imprezas in use.

I thought the force had to use relatively new cars, a 2004 Subaru is going to be slower than warm hatches now surely (p1 excluded).