Any police road traffic guys on here?

[mikey68]

Ok, so last night someone was driving home from the gym in a Vectra. Picture a dual carriageway, at night, only 2 other cars in sight, an Audi pulls alongside and messes about a bit. The two cars then accelerate and overtake the only cars they could see.
Both doing a fair old rate of knots and there is one more car to pass in the distance, coming up very quickly. Audi goes past it first. Vectra passes 2nd. On passing the car, the Vectra driver gets an awful feeling its a Volvo estate unmarked police car. Just as that thought passes through the mind, the blue lights come on in the grille of the Volvo. Brakes swiftly applied on both the Audi and Vectra. Volvo doesn't accelerate but maintains his speed. Blue lights go off. Both Audi and Vectra coming off at next exit anyway. So, my question is, do these volvos have any way of recording speed, at night, in a very brief instant of time, decelerating from high numbers to low. And if thepolice don't pursue, are those drivers likely to find themselves in the pooh?
Or is it just possible, but unlikely, that the police gave a warning by turning on the blues, won't pursue the matter, but scared the crap out of the drivers enough so that one of them knows he won't be doing that again?

Cheers.

[Duncan]

MLC is our resident Traffic Police guy on here. There are others, but he's the first that springs to mind.

AFAIK there's no way to get an admissible in court speed under the circumstances you said. Whether "..obviously in excess of the limit" can be used as evidence is one for MLC and colleagues to answer.

Personally, I reckon it was probably the last scenario that you gave - simply put the fear of God into them and make them think twice about doing it again. I take it you won't be doing it again?!

[glenboy]

I would say it was a warning,not that i'm a traffic cop or even know the way they operate,but have seen that in the past,you were very lucky mikey......

[mikey68]

I never said it was me. It was the wifes car, but the speedo did read....Oh never mind, whoever this person is LOL wont be doing that again!

I think that is ****** good of the police if nothing happens because of it. Why can't more police use judgement like that, or do we only hear about the police in a bad light these days? Maybe they do.
It would be an immediate ban and quite possibly a jolly good spanking!. If the Volvo was doing 70??? Gulp!!

[brifen]

Almost defo a warning, if it was an unmarked road car it will have had recording equip but if you were going to be in the Pooh! they would have most definately stopped you. They also have to actually record you over a certain distance to be able to issue a PRIZE!! (What do points make?) Okay Brucey Bonus joke over.

Take it as a warning but good effort on the 6th sense for realising it was Judge Dred in his sooped up panda.

The License lives for another day! Pheew...

Bri.

[mikey68]

I would just like to point out at this point, that I personally have a clean licence and have had such for 20yrs. I always seem to know when there's an unmarked car or cam van around that next bend. Don't know how but 3 times in one day i've been aware of it once and each time, sure enough, staying within the speed limit, i've driven past them, as others go screaming by and get followed, pictured etc.

That feeling happen to anyone else?
Wonder if the Audi driver went home for clean underwear too. Can you imagine having to cycle to work down country roads in the middle winter having been banned? Yuk.

[Ste]

Agreed,

I would say that they knew you were speeding, but had no hard evidence so a conviction was extremely unlikely. I quick blip of the lights had the desired effect on you to slow the hell down.

[mikey68]

Do you think you'd get away with it going past a police car if you were doing say twice the legal speed limit instead f just say near 3 figures??? Doubt they'd be so keen to let you off then tho.

[Duncan]

I doubt it. At that speed the car would probably travel the minimum distance required for a VASCAR reading with no sweat, even under braking - so if the Traffic car started the reading as soon as it passed by,the passing car would have to come to almost a standstill to bring the average speed down enough to not get a reading that would get them pulled. Even if they managed that without wiping out/causing an accident I'm sure they'd get pulled over anyway for a right royal roasting at the least.

Also, don't forget that the VASCAR device, in theory, would still be able to get a reading on an approaching car. The two points can still be marked for the measured distance by the traffic car and then the time taken to travel those points by the approaching car timed. In practice it's more tricky as the distance markers logged by the Traffic car are quickly diminishing behind them so much harder, if not impossible under certain conditions, to be able to do it accurately as they have to press the other button(s) when the approaching car hits both those distance markers. Because of that I'm not sure if that approach is ever used or admissible in court - again one for MLC et al to clarify.

[MLC]

First reading as car comes alongside, second reading a few seconds ahead. very easy to get a reading on VASCAR.

However, if he didn't stop you, then you're ok. It's a thing I do often. A quick flash of the blues (always good for a chuckle if nothing else ) is a quick and easy way to make the point.