Quick Q about the police and speed on the motorway

GreenGrass · 17 Jan 2008 at 16:11

I was driving to work today actually doing 70 when a police car joined the motorway from one of them highways agency slip roads and whizzed past doing 90-100mph+ without his blue lights on.

Probably a silly questiong but I always thought that if they were to break the speed limit they had to have their lights on, i take it im wrong? is there a max speed they can go before doing so? just got me wondering

Tour

Clarkey · 17 Jan 2008 at 16:20

they are the police, can do what they want, above the law they are, didn't you know!

DannyDan · 17 Jan 2008 at 16:33

Dunno but I often see them going at about that speed on the motorway with no blue lights

insane200 · 17 Jan 2008 at 16:35

there always doing 40 in 30's round town :rolleyes:

although i did fly past one doing a little over the limit and he didnt follow :eek:

must have been tea break.

GreenGrass · 17 Jan 2008 at 16:44

so its one rule for one and one rule for another? must get myself on one of those special driving courses and get a piece of paper that says im as good as them...

If a person were to take exactly the same tests and pass, would that make them safe to drive at speed? or do you need flashing blue lights..

Scania · 17 Jan 2008 at 17:37

Tourmai said:
so its one rule for one and one rule for another?

Pretty much yes.

Legal or not, thats the way I see it.

And they wonder why nobody respects them! :rolleyes:

Housey · 17 Jan 2008 at 17:41

Most of us actually do respect them, we just don't feel the need to tell everyone. Funny how that never seems to work the other way around..

Tomsk · 17 Jan 2008 at 18:07

DannyDan said:
Dunno but I often see them going at about that speed on the motorway with no blue lights

They're probably pursuing a motorist who hasn't noticed the police car yet. The police will put their lights on as they get nearer the motorist.

Duke · 17 Jan 2008 at 18:14

Tomsk said:
They're probably pursuing a motorist who hasn't noticed the police car yet. The police will put their lights on as they get nearer the motorist.

What I was thinking

Sarduk · 17 Jan 2008 at 18:18

It is entirely legal, even without blue lights and sirens.

James07 · 17 Jan 2008 at 18:24

Tourmai said:
Snip

As a big fan of traffic cops youll find that they do some huge speeds to catch up with other cars without the other cars noticing them.

They put there blues on when they actuallyw ant you to get out of the way in an emergency. Watch traffic cops, they do it all the time, youll see that they get 1-4 cars at a time around one car and then flash him to pull over.

Werewolf · 17 Jan 2008 at 18:27

yup, as has been said they don't need the lights or siren on, and often don't put it on unless they need to in order to make traffic aware of their presence (to get them to move out of the way/pull over etc).

I think the idea is partly that you should really notice a car with day glow markings without the need for it to be lit up like a particularly gaudy Christmas tree.

BigglesPiP · 17 Jan 2008 at 18:35

They're supposed to do 60mhp on the motorway when not in an emergency.

To avoid that 70mph in lane 1, 71mph in lane 2, and 72mph in lane 3 thing.

Beans on toast Dave · 17 Jan 2008 at 18:51

BigglesPiP said:
They're supposed to do 60mhp on the motorway when not in an emergency.

To avoid that 70mph in lane 1, 71mph in lane 2, and 72mph in lane 3 thing.

i was on the moterway once and a marked astra car was doing about 70, any one that tried to go past him he flashed his blue lights, hence the 20+ cars behind him, i think he was on a power trip :rolleyes:

task · 17 Jan 2008 at 19:07

I followed a marked volvo police car at about 80 mph down the M1 last year, they didn't seem to care.

Minxy · 17 Jan 2008 at 19:32

We got caught up in a T-PAC operation on the M23 a few weeks ago, 4 marked cars chasing an unmarked Volvo estate, they slowed us all down, boxed him in on the hard shoulder and then all bogged off. We got front row tickets....and a picture.

They definitely were not doing 70.

Meridian · 17 Jan 2008 at 19:36

Tourmai said:
so its one rule for one and one rule for another? must get myself on one of those special driving courses and get a piece of paper that says im as good as them...

If a person were to take exactly the same tests and pass, would that make them safe to drive at speed? or do you need flashing blue lights..

Nope, you just need something called the Road Traffic Act, which exempts all police officers from the speed limit as long as they are on any police business.

And as stated, no, they don't need to use the lights in order to break the limit.

M

Hate · 17 Jan 2008 at 20:01

I thought that police also need to explain speeds over 120...

fonzee · 17 Jan 2008 at 20:19

housemaster said:
Most of us actually do respect them, we just don't feel the need to tell everyone. Funny how that never seems to work the other way around..

agreed.

TheVoice · 17 Jan 2008 at 20:45

Of course they don't need their lights. If they're implementing some kind of 'covert' follow or they're waiting for other vehicles, they don't want to make it even more painfully obvious that they're there.

I don't understand why it is that people immediately assume the worst, that they must be breaking rules or doing something dodgy. Not saying that never happens, but most of the time they're probably going to have a legitimate reason to be doing whatever they're doing.