If your driving a truck (over 7.5t) on a motorway. Can an unmarked police vehicle stop you?
My understanding is only marked vehicles can stop trucks on motorways due to securirity/safety of driver or load whatever the siz\e of vehicle your driving.
I know you have to stop for police but its specifically unmarked cars on motorways. as you cannot always be sure its a real police whatever the time of day. Its so easy to kit a fake car out with a stop matrix on rear
If you don’t stop you’ll probably get done for it, either way you’re zb’ed…
from my own personal experience the answer is yes. I have been stopped on the A38 and the M5 by unmarked police vehicles. My company have issued us with a card that we should hold up to the window which states that we have rung in to say that he have been stopped and that we will not open the door until we have been shown a valid ID card. With mobile phones it is easy to check.
If in doubt drive to the nearest old bill station or services and park under CCTV you won’t be prosecuted for failure to stop if you explain the reasons for your actions.
As an aside beware in Somerset and Wiltshire of an unmarked blue BMW 5 Series with blues and matrix signs as it’s not an old bill car and has been stopping motorists and demanding fines. Old bill are looking for the driver/s and are making enquiries at local garages as to who sold the vehicle and modified it
As an aside-
My mate had a Scooby with tiny Blue lights on the bonnet (on the screen washers I think)
He got lifted & spent a couple of hours in the Cop Shop explaining why he’d put Blue Lights on his car because an off duty Rozzer saw him coming up behind him & thought it was a Plain Police Car !
So why is it you see trucks/vans with blue lights all over the cab? I thought it was illegal as above?
I think they’re illegal if they can flash as normal emergency lights can do, static blue lights are ok.
Tarrman:
So why is it you see trucks/vans with blue lights all over the cab? I thought it was illegal as above?
I could be wrong but I believe it’s illegal if the blue lights are positioned in such a way that they are likely be mistaken for a police vehicle.
stevenwignet:
If your driving a truck (over 7.5t) on a motorway. Can an unmarked police vehicle stop you?My understanding is only marked vehicles can stop trucks on motorways due to securirity/safety of driver or load whatever the siz\e of vehicle your driving.
I know you have to stop for police but its specifically unmarked cars on motorways. as you cannot always be sure its a real police whatever the time of day. Its so easy to kit a fake car out with a stop matrix on rear
Yes, an unmarked vehicle can stop you. Just be sensible and cautious if an unmarked car does stop you. Check their id and ensure you are in a safe place to stop. Don’t take the ■■■■ though!
tachograph:
Tarrman:
So why is it you see trucks/vans with blue lights all over the cab? I thought it was illegal as above?I could be wrong but I believe it’s illegal if the blue lights are positioned in such a way that they are likely be mistaken for a police vehicle.
Yes it is illegal to impersonate a police officer, so any blue lights made to look like a cop car would be illegal, static blue lights are fine provided they are not in place of side or marker lights, and key word is static.
Now that i see a lot of trucks about with blue lights on front, very sad, wanna be firemen maybe.
When i worked for firm that did high value we were told to call in reg and badge number anr location before unlocking doors, never put it to the test though.
Like the maxi driver with a T decker on that refused to stop for an unmarked & proceeded to have all his tyres stingered.
You can display a flashing blue light if you are driving a vehicle liveried as an anbulance. There is no law stopping you, however if you drive in a manner which can be deemed careless or dangerous then expect a court date.
This came from an old bill who was at my garage the other week discussing our collection if emergency vehicles and the aforementioned unmarked “police” car
Once got pulled in for a vehicle check by a motorcycle copper. There was no sign of his bike and he was dressed head to toe in black leather, as far as I could see unmarked. 'Course I knew what the score was…VOSA were crawling all over the layby…but later I wondered what if I had sailed on by? “Sorry, officer, thought it was just some biker, waving!”
I passed this ‘stop’ heading back one night, was a ‘local’ bloke…ya know, white sheets made into long jacket/trousers, riding around in a Lexus…
jkl508:
stevenwignet:
If your driving a truck (over 7.5t) on a motorway. Can an unmarked police vehicle stop you?My understanding is only marked vehicles can stop trucks on motorways due to securirity/safety of driver or load whatever the siz\e of vehicle your driving.
I know you have to stop for police but its specifically unmarked cars on motorways. as you cannot always be sure its a real police whatever the time of day. Its so easy to kit a fake car out with a stop matrix on rearYes, an unmarked vehicle can stop you. Just be sensible and cautious if an unmarked car does stop you. Check their id and ensure you are in a safe place to stop. Don’t take the ■■■■ though!
tachograph:
Tarrman:
So why is it you see trucks/vans with blue lights all over the cab? I thought it was illegal as above?I could be wrong but I believe it’s illegal if the blue lights are positioned in such a way that they are likely be mistaken for a police vehicle.
Yes it is illegal to impersonate a police officer, so any blue lights made to look like a cop car would be illegal, static blue lights are fine provided they are not in place of side or marker lights, and key word is static.
it is white lights to the front and red to the rear apart from indicators. Any other colour is illegal as far as i am aware. Even a blue flashing lighting inside the car is illegal as i found out when a copper pulled me for having one. I didn’t so i guess his 50/50 choice was the wrong car.
Those cool, blue LEDs that the youth seem to like underneath, in the grill or sidelights of their cars might make some people do a double take as to what they actually are, I’m sure. After all, the intention must be attention, and they will get it, eventually!
30/40 mph on a1,weaving from lane 1 to 2, followed by panda car,radios to patrol car to stop and question why driving like this,can’t make sense of answer ,charged by coppers,think only certain cops can charge u,panda rang for patrol car to stop and charge
If you’re not happy that they’re legit, don’t stop, call 999 and get them to confirm. Better a bollocking than a kicking and being bundled into a boot.
jkl508:
static blue lights are fine provided they are not in place of side or marker lights, and key word is static.
Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 disagrees with you.
legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989 … rt/II/made
Restrictions on fitting blue warning beacons, special warning lamps and similar devices
(a)a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or
(b)a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.
Have they changed the law/regulation/highway code in regards to police stopping you?
When I passed my test, the Highway code stated that blue lights were an indication of the urgency of the emergency vehicles journey.
It also stated that you must stop for an officer when clearly indicated to do so.
This is why police cars of yesteryear had a reversed stop sign on the bonnet.
In theory, especially at night, you are quite within your rights to refuse to stop unless you see a clear indication to do so.