General Chat

We have a rally here in South Wales with various stages. At the end of a stage the rally drivers take there cars to a designated area where the cars are seviced ready for the next stage..............Two or three years back the police set up mobile speed cameras between the stages and several proffessional rally drivers.. the crem de la creme of drivers ...were booked...

It was said that he was evaluating the car......surely in that case every motorist that buys a performance car, should be trained on it and allowed to 'evaluate' it?........of course that is absurd.....how is Joe public to get training to those high standards. We get a basic driving test....which means that you are reasonably safe to get the vehicle from A to B. Bob

Yes Dave it does stink, I couldn't agree more. It's always been and probably always will be a case of some more equal than others, and there are always those who give the whole lot a bad name whether they be Coppers or out of date Judges. Pat x

Judge said it was safe the PC speeding because he is Creme de la Creme of drivers and perfectly safe, Tell that to Mothers who have lost children after being hit by speeding police vehicles, Jensen Button is creme de la creme of Drivers is it ok for him to touch 160mph on motorway then sorry it stinks! Dave

I have a son who is a police officer. It's true, some of them do get 'away with it' it's a reflexion of all society. I agree that 'those who uphold the law' should 'obey the law'. My son joined 11 years ago at nineteen. He was telling us the other day how, even since he has been in, the discipline has gone downhill dramatically. A probationer was asked the other day to make tea by the sergeant (which every rank does) he replied, I'm here to be a copper not a f***ing tea boy. My son was amazed, as he said, there's no respect there at all. When he joined he said they all quaked in their boots if a senior officer asked them to do something. This is only 11 years ago. Can you imagine this charmer out on the streets???? I think we eventually going to get a very undisiplined 'lot'. And stupid judges who make stupid remarks. Let's get order back amongst the trainees, if they can't respect each how have we got a chance. OH and by the way, when they receive a 999 call regarding a fire for example they quite often know just that, 'a fire', not the severity. Give some nice coppers, like my son, a chance. PLEASE Linda

I was married to a police officer for almost twenty years it is my perception that most police officers believe it is their job to enforce the law not to obey it! My ex husband always kept a Police Federation tie pin in his tax disc holder and why do they need Police Federation stickers in the back of their cars if not to identify themselves to each other. Frances

When my washing machine set fire to my kitchen I dialed 999 and the cops arrived. They weren't a lot of use, frankly. Fortunately the fire brigade arrived shortly afterwards. I'd made it clear in my call that it was a small fire and no lives were in danger yet the cops arrived with sirens wailing. How would I have felt if they'd knocked someone over on the way? What the police need is a sense of proportion. There are times when excessive speed could be thought excusable, and those times are few. I can see no excuse for the behaviour of the PC who was found not guilty. In this country we used to pride ourselves that we were policed 'by consent'. I suspect the majority do not consent to speeding cops risking the lives of innocent pedestrians and motorists. No on should be above the law, least of all those who swear to uphold it. Gwynne

It's amazing what a funny handshake can get you out of.

I cannot see the purpose of having such high speed Police vehicles. Surely the answer is to slow the offender down not chase them away. That would be better achieved by the Police having a better realtionship with HGV Drivers and just ask them to build a rolling road block ahead of the offender. If a fleeing criminal is travelling at speeds in excess of 100mph what are they going to do about it which is not hazardous to the general public?

Yes Sioux 3.0 litre vectra very powerful car thats the one. Im sorry Harry but one child knocked down and killed by a police vehicle driving at very high speed does not justify the means. Dave

Dave, you mentioned a 3.0 lt Vauxhall Vectra. Is that the car that was involved? If so I've seen it pulling people on two occasions on the M54 between Shrewsbury & Wolverhampton. It's a beautiful car and it don't half shift. So be warned if you see a shiny black sporty looking Vectra, don't engage him for a play, he's more likely to flash his hidden blues at you and pull you over! XX Sioux

To all you well meaning folks, I ask you to think the problem through. What if your house is on fire, or other emergency.? From a police point of view I can promise that every joy-rider would be out on the street with carte blanche to do what they like, once the word was out that they wouldn,t be chased. Then see how many people would be killed. It,s a very big problem without an easy answer. Happy days

The end doesn't justify the means. My friends fiancee was killed by a speeding police car 3 yrs ago. Nuff said I think.

Yes that is unacceptable agree with you Bob, often you read about police and public service vehicles being in accidents whilst driving at high speeds.what we must ask ourselves if there is a loss of life does the end justify the means the answer is NO! DaVEX

OK then Dave, sort of ok on the motorway, BUT the insane,( to me bit) is the alleged 84 in a 30 zone and alleged 134.ish on a ordinary A road........Bob Speeding, is speeding, no matter where...whether there are mitigating circumstances against dangerous driving for the hi speed on a motorway.........who knows? Harry, I always thought, that the margin of error for a speedo, was 3mph+10%. but I too have heard of drivers being prosecuted for one or two mph over..... Bob

:( Joy

Two things spring to mind with this fair enough if he was trialling the vehicle the only place to get the high speeds is the motorway, It is supposed to be unmarked vehicle but if being trialled at those speeds surely some plates could have been fitted to say it was being trialled. They could have trialled it on the M6 Toll Road where it is very quiet and more safe. The Police say it was perfectly safe because he was trained driver who is used to driving at high speeds. Yet the driver courier who was rushing vital organ at high speeds was taken to court Ok public opinion got him off.Going back to he is used to driving at high speeds is it OK then for Jensen Button and Micheal Schumacher to drive up our motorways at such speeds in the future because they are more highly trained? Dave

Roxanne, we will have to stop this, you are beginning to agree with me, too often......... Any news on the dog? Max? Bob

If he is a Creme de la Creme Police Driver that is OK. I also am a Creme de la Creme of Civilian Drivers and I am prepared to bet that I have many more years, miles and experience than him.

Apparently he wasnt even caught! thank heaven for small mercies that a REAL copper didnt chase him. 84 Mph in a 30, 134 on a 60 mph road, and 159 on a motorway!!! It appears that the onboard camera/video gave him away. What is this all about then, that SPEED causes Accidents?....................say no more......Bob