Is It Really Worth The Risk.

[nicebloke1]

Just seen a police program on tv, in short a police officer was traveling at 150mp on the M6 to catch up with a reported stolen Range Rover.The RR was not speeding it was just picked up on camara a good way ahead. The RR proved not to be stolen when they caught up with it stuck at road works.One false move by another driver and that police car could have caused carnage at that speed. Your thoughts?

[vulcan42]

The police often go at unnecessary speeds. There was a documentary recently where a policeman, although he was told other police, ambulance and fire service were already in attendance, drove at over 100 mph to do nothing when he arrived.

[dave50]

Yes it is or do we let all criminals get away if it becomes a bit hairy?

[1ozzy]

When does a high speed pursuit become dangerous to innocent motorists Dave?

[1ozzy]

Or don't they matter?

[johnny.5]

I thought they were not supposed to break one law to enforce another?

[1ozzy]

With the technology on offer these days, why endanger innocent people?

[Old_Geezer]

One would have thought they could contact the force stationed where they were heading to intercept them instead.

[bhg481]

I don't think the baddies actually announce where they are going, in fact they often divert down side-roads, so it makes it difficult to work out exactly where they are going.

[davebro]

A local copper got off on a 100 mph + speeding charge cos he said he was "practising" his high speed pursuit skills.

In the news a police driver in a high speed fatal pursuit has been charged with drug driving! Seems like they need a drugs wipe before being allowed out on patrol.

[ToraToraTora]

Yes nb I think you have a point, they should assess better whether they need to speed like that to catch up. Though the problem is that in these cases some jobsworth gets hold of it and pretty soon all pursuits get ruled out. Though the case you described turns out to be unnecessary.

[Khandro]

That's 241 kph which is pretty brisk, though not unknown on the German autobahns, 200 kph is quite common.

Did you see what make the cop car was?

[THECORBYLOON]

JOHNNY, "I thought they were not supposed to break one law to enforce another?"

It is not necessarily an offence for emergency services to exceed the speed limit.

Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984
Section 87(1)

"No statutory provision imposing a speed limit on motor vehicles shall apply to any vehicle on an occasion when it is being used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes or for or in connection with the exercise of any function of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, if the observance of that provision would be likely to hinder the use of the vehicle for the purpose for which it is being used on that occasion."

[THECORBYLOON]

"One false move by another driver and that police car could have caused carnage at that speed."

Is that not why police have to undergo training to drive high speed and be aware of the specific road conditions and risks at the time?

[davebro]

On one of the cop shows a lady driver was panicked by the cops on blues & twos behind her (not chasing her) and she crashed her car.

[nicebloke1]

11.39.All the training in the world don't stop you having a blow out.All the training a traffic cop has don't stop someone up ahead pulling into their path because at 150 mph its a split second before they know that the police car is on top of them.If they had been hunting down a real nasty then fair enough. 11.05 I think it was a BMW, there was already 2 cop cars behind the Range Rover by the time he had finished his 150mph dash. Madness in my view.