Traffic cops dont ever make mistakes!

This morning i was on the way back from work (only a 4 hour shift, couple of drops in Surbition), i was in my car coming off the hogs back from Guildford to go down A331 back home. I was eager to get back home but i was not speeding.
So im coming down the slip road off the A31 which is a dual carraige way and there is another slip road that joins onto this main slip road which i was on.

As im making my way down the slip road im doing 70mph, there is a car in lane 1 (unmarked cop) doing approx 55mph, im in lane 2 doing 70mph, and there is a blue nissan micra coming down the secondary slip road to join the main carraige way doing about 35mph. Now as im travelling down im assesing the situation looking at the speed of both vehicles in front of me, The Nissan has got at least another 200 yards left to run on his slip road and doing 35mph, the unmarked copper is about 20 yards behind him on the main carraige way doing 55mph.

I made the judgement there was no need for any vehicle to alter their speed or possitioning, as im about to pass the unmarked copper i was already off the throttle and actually had started braking for the roundabout at the bottom of the slip road, next thing i no indicator comes on and moves into lane 2 right in front of me, as i say im already gently on the brakes anyway but had to nose dive to avoid hitting him.

I didnt get on the horn or flash just put both hands in the air as if to say what the ■■■■ was that (yes i took both hands off the wheel for 2 seconds ) and dropped back to maintain a safe gap.
Now im normally quite good at spotting unmarked cars but i really had no idea about this 1, the back window was blacked out and he had half tints all round, no arials or cameras built into the boot, nothing.

So now we are arriving at the roundabout, 2 lanes, both going the same way. As we are approaching we are both in lane 2 and i notice there is a back log of cars at the roundabout in lane 2 and nothing in lane 1, so i move over to lane 1 only going about 15 mph now coming up to the roundabout. As i pass him i looked over and again put 1 hand up in the air to say what the hell was that, but even still i didnt no it was a copper as the sun was shining right on him i could only make out a silloette of the driver.

Next thing i no blue lights come on straight away and i pulled over,
Put my window down, and he walks up to my door.

cop “whats your problem mate”
me “you pulled out right in front of me mate”
cop raises his voice “i was pulling over to let that car on and if you hadnt been barrelling down there, there wouldnt have been a problem”
me “i was doing the speed limit fella and you was only 20 yards behind that car going faster than him and he still had 200 yards left to run on his slip road plus the fact it was our right of way anyway”
cop “you should be careful what confrontations you get into on the road because 1 day you will come across someone bigger and smarter than you” (meaning himself)

At this point he said some other crap but i wernt interested and just said yeah your right, and that was it the conversation only lasted about 30 seconds.

From what ive said who would you say was in the wrong?? Be good to get all you lot view on it.

Should of just Slotted him

if you were on a dual carriageway as you say then the speed limit is 60 not 70, its only 70 on a motorway so the copper has got a point technically

FarnboroughBoy11:
I made the judgement there was no need for any vehicle to alter their speed or possitioning, as im about to pass the unmarked copper i was already off the throttle and actually had started braking for the roundabout at the bottom of the slip road, next thing i no indicator comes on and moves into lane 2 right in front of me, as i say im already gently on the brakes anyway but had to nose dive to avoid hitting him.

I didnt get on the horn or flash just put both hands in the air as if to say what the [zb] was that (yes i took both hands off the wheel for 2 seconds ) and dropped back to maintain a safe gap.
Now im normally quite good at spotting unmarked cars but i really had no idea about this 1, the back window was blacked out and he had half tints all round, no arials or cameras built into the boot, nothing.

So now we are arriving at the roundabout, 2 lanes, both going the same way. As we are approaching we are both in lane 2 and i notice there is a back log of cars at the roundabout in lane 2 and nothing in lane 1, so i move over to lane 1 only going about 15 mph now coming up to the roundabout. As i pass him i looked over and again put 1 hand up in the air to say what the hell was that, but even still i didnt no it was a copper as the sun was shining right on him i could only make out a silloette of the driver.

From what ive said who would you say was in the wrong?? Be good to get all you lot view on it.

As you asked for a judgement, then I would say you may have created your own problem, you are approaching a roundabout and in your own words, already braking for it. So the car in front has delayed you for a fraction of time, it is a traffic junction, so you would expect traffic. One second less impatience would have spared you 5 minutes humiliation with PC Plod, he may have made a slight mistake, you need to allow for these on modern roads Well you did ask…

welshboyinspain:
if you were on a dual carriageway as you say then the speed limit is 60 not 70, its only 70 on a motorway so the copper has got a point technically

Wrong national speed limit is 70 for a car or car derived vehicle on a marked dual carriageway

cheers
Steve

welshboyinspain:
if you were on a dual carriageway as you say then the speed limit is 60 not 70, its only 70 on a motorway so the copper has got a point technically

He was in his car. If NSL applied, and there were no other speed restrictions, then 70mph was correct for a dual carriageway.

welshboyinspain:
if you were on a dual carriageway as you say then the speed limit is 60 not 70, its only 70 on a motorway so the copper has got a point technically

FAIL.

welshboyinspain:
if you were on a dual carriageway as you say then the speed limit is 60 not 70, its only 70 on a motorway so the copper has got a point technically

Eh!? in a goods vehicle under 7.5t (includes vans, not mini busses or people carriers) yes, in a car not as far as I know.

Who cares …you got one over a copper …you should be happy

FarnboroughBoy11:
This morning i was on the way back from work (only a 4 hour shift, couple of drops in Surbition), i was in my car coming off the hogs back from Guildford to go down A331 back home. I was eager to get back home but i was not speeding.
So im coming down the slip road off the A31 which is a dual carraige way and there is another slip road that joins onto this main slip road which i was on.

As im making my way down the slip road im doing 70mph, there is a car in lane 1 (unmarked cop) doing approx 55mph, im in lane 2 doing 70mph, and there is a blue nissan micra coming down the secondary slip road to join the main carraige way doing about 35mph. Now as im travelling down im assesing the situation looking at the speed of both vehicles in front of me, The Nissan has got at least another 200 yards left to run on his slip road and doing 35mph, the unmarked copper is about 20 yards behind him on the main carraige way doing 55mph.

I made the judgement there was no need for any vehicle to alter their speed or possitioning, as im about to pass the unmarked copper i was already off the throttle and actually had started braking for the roundabout at the bottom of the slip road, next thing i no indicator comes on and moves into lane 2 right in front of me, as i say im already gently on the brakes anyway but had to nose dive to avoid hitting him.

I didnt get on the horn or flash just put both hands in the air as if to say what the [zb] was that (yes i took both hands off the wheel for 2 seconds ) and dropped back to maintain a safe gap.
Now im normally quite good at spotting unmarked cars but i really had no idea about this 1, the back window was blacked out and he had half tints all round, no arials or cameras built into the boot, nothing.

So now we are arriving at the roundabout, 2 lanes, both going the same way. As we are approaching we are both in lane 2 and i notice there is a back log of cars at the roundabout in lane 2 and nothing in lane 1, so i move over to lane 1 only going about 15 mph now coming up to the roundabout. As i pass him i looked over and again put 1 hand up in the air to say what the hell was that, but even still i didnt no it was a copper as the sun was shining right on him i could only make out a silloette of the driver.

Next thing i no blue lights come on straight away and i pulled over,
Put my window down, and he walks up to my door.

cop “whats your problem mate”
me “you pulled out right in front of me mate”
cop raises his voice “i was pulling over to let that car on and if you hadnt been barrelling down there, there wouldnt have been a problem”
me “i was doing the speed limit fella and you was only 20 yards behind that car going faster than him and he still had 200 yards left to run on his slip road plus the fact it was our right of way anyway”
cop “you should be careful what confrontations you get into on the road because 1 day you will come across someone bigger and smarter than you” (meaning himself)

At this point he said some other crap but i wernt interested and just said yeah your right, and that was it the conversation only lasted about 30 seconds.

From what ive said who would you say was in the wrong?? Be good to get all you lot view on it.

I think you were right to kick up a fuss and I’d have done the same although it would’ve been with horn and lights as well. The trouble with the pigs is that they think they are ALWAYS right even when they are so obviously in the wrong. That’s one of the many reasons why I hate the [zb]ers. Good on you for standing your ground - not many would.

FarnboroughBoy11:
me “i was doing the speed limit fella and you was only 20 yards behind that car going faster than him and he still had 200 yards left to run on his slip road plus the fact it was our right of way anyway”

From what you’ve described above that seems a perfect summary of the situation so you’re entirely correct IMO.

If only you had run into him, Police car enchroached onto your lane as you were overtaking him, you would have got a new car and a big payout copper maybe would have lost his job.

The NSL for a car on a DC is indeed 70mph. Amazing how many people think its 60.

FarnboroughBoy11:
As im making my way down the slip road im doing 70mph, there is a car in lane 1 (unmarked cop) doing approx 55mph, im in lane 2 doing 70mph, and there is a blue nissan micra coming down the secondary slip road to join the main carraige way doing about 35mph. Now as im travelling down im assesing the situation looking at the speed of both vehicles in front of me, The Nissan has got at least another 200 yards left to run on his slip road and doing 35mph, the unmarked copper is about 20 yards behind him on the main carraige way doing 55mph.

Once i’d read that far, all the clues were there as to what might happen. As has been said, often when driving you have to make allowances for other’s mistakes. You could see what was developing, but continued anyway leaving yourself with no escape route putting yourself in a vulnerable position.

I would have given a horn warning to the plain car (you never said what it was) just before passing it, IF i’d passed it all at that point. Little to gain on short approach to a possible halt.

However, what he did was clearly wrong. Could you have been in his blind spot at the time he mirrored?
He should ofcourse have shoulder checked it before changing lanes.
Maybe you were leaving your braking for the RAB very late & he didn’t think or expect you were travelling as fast as you were until he was infront of you when without doubt he would see your nose dive. (His comment re “barelling down” would indicate so).

You don’t say if he was just an average cop driving a plain car, or if he was aTraffic officer & therefor Police class 1 trained. (In which case i’d have been very tempted to take his badge no. and report it to his superior).

It was a bit of 6 of one and half a dozen of the other really & that’s why he didn’t have too much to say to you because he realised he was in the wrong. Had you not gesticulated at him, he wouldn’t have stopped you. As he quite correctly pointed out, next time it might be a big bully boy with a knife or gun.

Also, always remember that Micra drivers are the worst drivers around. If you see a Micra, expect when not if they are going to do something silly/dangerous.

Think of your driving this way. (You probably do it in the truck already, but possibly not in the car).
If you saw some guys fighting would you go & stand very close right next to them or keep well back out of the way?
Same applies when driving when you can see a situation of which you are not sure what the outcome might be.

No such thing as “right of way” just one party is supposed to give way to the other. They don’t always!

Anyway, it reminds me of when i was on the M621 Leeds in the artic fully freighted following a lass in a new style Mini. (car, not skirt!) I was a tad closer than maybe i should have been but the traffic was moving fairly slowly. When we got to an on ramp with a few cars coming up it, she decided to STOP to let them come on. That was somewhat of a suprise, but ofcourse it shouldn’t have been.

Driveroneuk. DSA ADI. RoSPA Gold

Driveroneuk:

Driveroneuk. DSA ADI. RoSPA Gold

Been some years now since you stopped listing your 13 pages of credentials Jon.

Been some years now since you’ve calmed down a bit on here Rob

As those who know me here will know, i rarely sign a post, just thought it was appropriate in this instance so the OP would know it wasn’t just the opinion of someone who passed their test just last week. (although ofcourse their views are always welcome too).

Also, i had to type it all out twice as someone, no names mentioned (RC!) PM’d me just as i was about to hit “post” & I lost the lot.

edit: typos

FarnboroughBoy11:
Now im normally quite good at spotting unmarked cars but i really had no idea about this 1, the back window was blacked out and he had half tints all round, no arials or cameras built into the boot, nothing.

Sounds like an armed response unit, extremly discreet, cars are usually slightly dirty and scruffy rather than the usual pristine traffic cars. They have to spend their idle time on road traffic dutys, unfortunately these wooden tops don’t know half the regulations they’re supposed to be enforcing, I know one booked me for an offence and I took it to court and they lost

The police driver was at fault, shouldve taken his number and reported him, these days you have to second guess most road users and assume theyre all idiots, had a traffic car do a last minute right turn on a roundabout without indicating, luckily i managed to pull up, if it had been any other car I wouldve carried on but knowing the copper would probrably do me for pulling out on him I didn’t, even though it wouldve been his mistake that caused it.

Big Joe:

FarnboroughBoy11:
Now im normally quite good at spotting unmarked cars but i really had no idea about this 1, the back window was blacked out and he had half tints all round, no arials or cameras built into the boot, nothing.

Sounds like an armed response unit, extremly discreet, cars are usually slightly dirty and scruffy rather than the usual pristine traffic cars. They have to spend their idle time on road traffic dutys, unfortunately these wooden tops don’t know half the regulations they’re supposed to be enforcing, I know one booked me for an offence and I took it to court and they lost

They’ve got some like that up here in Yorks. There’s a dark blue Honda Accord with hoop boot spoiler that has blacked out rear side windows, but has full array of blue strobes in front grille and same style red ones at the back. There’s also a black Impreza similarly adorned. And then there’s all the unmarked Vectra’s, Volvo’s and Omega’s as well.

grumpybum:

welshboyinspain:
if you were on a dual carriageway as you say then the speed limit is 60 not 70, its only 70 on a motorway so the copper has got a point technically

He was in his car. If NSL applied, and there were no other speed restrictions, then 70mph was correct for a dual carriageway.

he does say he’s on the slip road though doing 70 not actually on the dual carriageway

Rob K:

welshboyinspain:
if you were on a dual carriageway as you say then the speed limit is 60 not 70, its only 70 on a motorway so the copper has got a point technically

FAIL.

ok i fail but i read it as on a slip road, sorry, i’ll go back to reading up on my highway code now

“the back window was blacked out and he had half tints all round, no arials or cameras built into the boot”

Frankly; if I saw that. I would have given him a wide berth on the assumption that he was a villain of some kind.