Speeding - Fog - Boys in Blue!

[SonyVaio]

I was travelling in to work early this morning as I was travelling on to London today (work purposes). I'm sure everyone all the way from the South West to the South East noticed it was a touch foggy this morning too?

Well, I was on my way to work and often enough I drive spirited at the best of times however the fog this morning was particularly bad so I was taking it relatively easy. As I was near my destination there is a normal A road (single carriageway) that comes to a roundabout then after the roundabout it becomes a dual carriageway.

As I entered onto the roundabout there were a few vehicles leaving the roundabout onto the dual carriage way ahead of me (speed limit 70mph). I come round the roundabout adopt the alternative position on the road (outside lane, headlights and front and rear fogs on too) and promptly accelerate, as I start to pass the vehicles it is then apparent that the lead vehicle is a police car. The cars are travelling quite slow (obviously not wanting to overtake the police car) but as I'm now in 3rd gear accelerating with the speedo fast approaching 60mph (cause I looked when I noticed it was a real police car) I knocked the gear leaver from geartronic back into full auto and cruise past all the vehicles at about 65mph. I maintain the 65mph, signal and move back to the nearside lane when immediately the police car flashes his blues - on then off (approx. 2 seconds).

On seeing the blues I think to myself Yeah Whatever! I continue on at the 65mph (cruise now clicked to maintain). So now the police sitting on my tail (BMW style!). There was a junction/slip road about 1/2 a mile in front which is the junction I take off for work. Just as I get towards the turning count down markers the police throw the blues on again but this time full on (obviously wanting me to take the slip and stop on it).

As stated it was rather foggy this morning but wasn't quite 'white out' at this point. Instead of stopping on the slip as I considered it too dangerous just to park there I continued up to the roundabout at the top of the slip, indicated right (towards work) then on turning right I indicate left to show which road I'm taking off the roundabout then immediately after coming off the roundabout there is a layby (which I knew of and intentionally drove to as we would then not cause any sort of hazard to other road users. All in all about 500m from blues to stop.

The copper obviously wasn't too happy that I didn't instantaneously stop the second he put the blues on although he was nice and polite enough etc.. There was two of them and as soon we had stopped one got out his car quite quick and proceeded in my direction (funny old thing) so I turned my lights and engine off then I got out my car too. The second copper then got out and by this time has completed his PNC Check of both me and my beloved Volvo.

Obviously everything came back good and well from their checks but I was getting the heavy talk down of at 70mph you are travelling at 140ft per second......... (obviously a well-rehearsed speech).

In the end he decided to tell me that he was doing me a huge favour and that even though I wasn't speeding (speed limit 70mph, was only doing 65mph indicated on speedo so probably doing 62/63 true speed if lucky). He wasn't going to convict me but let me off with a caution!!

After all that write up above if your still with me here, could I have been done for speeding even though I wasn't and they agree I wasn't? I know you should drive to the road conditions etc... but as far as I was concerned I was. There may have been some fog but driving to the road conditions is not set in stone and is at the ability of the driver and his experience? I do 25 to 30,000 miles a year, hold an HGV license, used to drive fuel tankers (once upon a time) and have done an advanced driving course. So as far as I was concerned I was driving within my abilities and certainly those of my vehicle and even taking the road conditions and fog into consideration at 05:00 in the morning I didn't think 65mph to be too fast.

Thoughts/knowledge anyone? Any coppers, ex coppers who know?

[andy_d]

so,, your one of those nobbers who put there foot down in dense fog,, driving without due care and attention,,

or your one of those nobbers who put there fogs on ,,and Leave them on,, even tho visabilty is more than 100yards

[Marty Dolomite]

By your own admision by saying you had your fog lights on the visabilty was less than 100mtrs so your speed could have been excesive for the conditions, this is driving with undue care or with disregard for other road users (not sure of the exact term)
If visablity was that bad then you done the right thing by not stopping on a slip road but should have gone left at the next juction and stopped as soon as safe to do so.
Im sure the police haters will be along soon to say that they had nothing better to do, abuse of powers, they claim to be better drivers than us blah blah blah.

[Marty Dolomite]

Originally Posted by andy_d

or your one of those nobbers who put there fogs on ,,and Leave them on,, even tho visabilty is more than 100yards

Its 100 mtrs not yards.

[SonyVaio]

Originally Posted by andy_d

so,, your one of those nobbers who put there foot down in dense fog,, driving without due care and attention,,

or your one of those nobbers who put there fogs on ,,and Leave them on,, even tho visabilty is more than 100yards

Dude! Seriously!!!

If your going to desecrate someone then atleast get your English right.

Cheers for your input though, forgot you are such an Angel OTR.

Love, hugs and kisses xx

[Laney760]

They have to have a reason to stop you and I guess that if that reason is that in their minds you were not driving suitably for the road conditions (their opinion, I said, not that you actually were) then in law that would be one of these offences, I guess careless or inconsiderate driving?

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAn...code/DG_069870

(Don't forget they are mere human beings who may not act professionally and do stop people randomly for nothing if they are bored or in bad moods, they stopped my Dad and gave him hell about his tyres and were kicking them, they were brand new tyres he'd had put on the day before! I didn't know about this until a very long time after, otherwise I'd have put in an official complaint)

Yes, Police hater here, I won't bore you with my dozens of other stories about when I worked for them and all the crimes they committed themselves, including manslaughter, which is when I dobbed them in and left their employment

[Marty Dolomite]

Oh and why do you say 'a funny old thing' when refering to the officer getting out of the car and approching you, thats what they are supposed to do, what were you expecting the offiocer to do?

[zoidberg]

You have done yourself NO favours by your actions !!!
Admiting that it was 'foggy' should have warned you to SLOW DOWN irrespective of speed limit.
Then you TOTALLY IGNORED the flashing 'Blues'. Now that beggars believe as the first flash was to say to you 'hey, THINK about things' . This you ignored and proceeded to ignore the full on 'stop NOW' SIGNAL !!!! Carrying on after that is a FAILURE TO STOP offence. Irrespective of your 'cant stop here' excuse, you failed to stop. How far should they follow you 300 miles or 300 yards ( proper folk use proper Brittanic measures, STILL not legal to use foreign measures ). If I was the one to have stopped you I would have arrested you for failing to stop when requested and taken you to the station in cuffs in the back of my car.
So............................ realise why Police do what they do. It just might be YOUR GRANNY in the car in front driving at 20 mph because they cant see past the bbonnet edge.!!!!

[SonyVaio]

Originally Posted by Marty Dolomite

Oh and why do you say 'a funny old thing' when refering to the officer getting out of the car and approching you, thats what they are supposed to do, what were you expecting the offiocer to do?

You are correct, that is exactly what they should do. This is why i said 'funny old thing' as it was the obvious predicted initial response as the copper gets out his car at the rush.

I do love watching Police Interceptors and the various other similar programmes and of course it just me think at the time of the initial response you would see on the tv. Just glad its not America otherwise I may have got the PIT maneuver or my tyres shot out.

I also just happen to use the saying 'funny old thing' a lot, maybe it is a regional thing where I'm from?

[zoidberg]

Originally Posted by SonyVaio

You are correct, that is exactly what they should do. This is why i said 'funny old thing' as it was the obvious predicted initial response as the copper gets out his car at the rush.

I do love watching Police Interceptors and the various other similar programmes and of course it just me think at the time of the initial response you would see on the tv. Just glad its not America otherwise I may have got the PIT maneuver or my tyres shot out.

I also just happen to use the saying 'funny old thing' a lot, maybe it is a regional thing where I'm from?

I think you might have just thrown the shovel out of the hole with this post.