159 mph!!!

np · Unread post by np » 20 May 2005, 02:23

What about this copper let off for doing 159 mph,testing his new car???A good publicity for Vauxhall.
On the 1 hand i tend to agree with the defence.Highly trained advanced driver etc,but let off with not even a fine??[:0]He was doing 159 mph.Nearly 90 mph over the speed limit.
I picked my Xantia up tonight after nearly 4 weeks off the road,been driving a 1.1 fiesta.Gave it some welly on the way home on the motorway,then thought about getting stopped.
My defence," well officer,i was doing 105 mph because i was getting used to the car again,i`ve been driving a 1.1 fiesta which will only do 80 mph at a push sir."
I dont think i would be let off.
Rant over with.[:)]

Forth · Unread post by **Forth** » 20 May 2005, 03:15

So..... may we assume that Jeremy Clarkson (or perhaps an F1 driver?) would also be let off?

np · Unread post by np » 20 May 2005, 03:35

That was one of the arguments on the Jeremy Vine program on R2 today.That a few years ago on the RAC/Rally GB in Wales,a load of drivers got caught speeding on the roads between stages.In cars designed to go fast,stop fast etc,with the best drivers in the world.But they all got fines & points for doing 10-20 mph over the limit.
Jenson Button still got fined in France for speeding in his BMW on the motorway,someone who can drive up to 220mph.Didn`t get let off because he is a top racing driver.

howiedean · Unread post by **howiedean** » 20 May 2005, 03:43

Anyone remember the ambulance driver delivering donor organs who got caught on the speed cameras[}:)] They wanted to do him and it went to court. Luckily it got frown out[:D] The mind boggles.

fastandfurryous · Unread post by **fastandfurryous** » 20 May 2005, 04:19

This argument has been done somewhat....
http://www.andyspares.com/discussionfor ... C_ID=13809
The main jist of it being that the local plod have no guidelines for training, and The officer in question took it upon himself to make sure he had the right experience in the car. Personally, I don't think he did anything wrong, and was actually being quite responsible.

adamskibx · Unread post by **adamskibx** » 20 May 2005, 05:56

The thing that annoys me about this sort of incident is that even the best driver in the World cant stop a Vectra from 159 MPH in less than a quarter of a mile ( so they said on the news ) Anything unplanned could happen in that distance and there would be nothing anybody could do. I agree that yes Police do need to practice their driving skills, but is that really why he was doing it? A good excuse maybe, but I suspect he was doing it for personal satisfaction more than anything else. And if there is desperate need for the drivers to train, surely they should have someone who is more qualified than they are in the passenger seat and have it all made more official. Im sure this actually happens as you hear of Police driving instructors doing high speed stuff with students, so if there was a need for this man to be highly trained at high speed, surely the Police would have been giving him this training officially. You cant just let them loose to do what they want, because then, they are quite literally above the law. I think the man should have had massive fines rather than a ban or the sack, but to let him get away with it is madness. It sets a bad example to other officers.
I wonder what the policy is on chasing cars doing that sort of speed-what on earth do you do-just chase until they crash?

TomH · Unread post by **TomH** » 20 May 2005, 14:30

I think it is pretty shocking, when you think if you are going at 70 and someone overtakes at that speed, it is like you are standing still and they are going at 90!! If he hit anything or had a blowout or anything else happened he wouldn't have been let off, and he would probably be dead!
But worse is probably the fact he was doing 84 in a 30 limit... I mean you can hardly argue testing the car for that!

fastandfurryous · Unread post by **fastandfurryous** » 20 May 2005, 15:06

The problem here, again, is that we have nowhere near enough information to make a sensible judgement. a "30 limit" tells us nothing. It could indeed have been a resedential street, with all the hazards and dangers that go with them, but equally, it could have been a suburban bypass, with no pedestrians (and no access for them either), good visibility, clear road and no danger. I can think of a number of sections of "30 limit" road which fall into this category, and I'm sure would be safe for a police driver to do a high speed along.
We also seem to be missing the point that almost any Police officer will tell you that they dislike travelling at high speed. They know the dangers. Traffic Police see the disaster that it causes as part of their work. They know only too well what happens when a car hits a pedestrian at high speed, and a good number of them have had to sort out the aftermath of similar events.
But, when trying to catch the Armed robber / murderer etc.. or trying to get on location to possibly save life, speed is a neccesary evil.
I'm sure it would be great if the police could conduct a far greater proportion of this work using air units, but a helicopter costs about 2 million quid. That will buy an awful lot of Vectras.

VisaGTi16v · Unread post by **VisaGTi16v** » 20 May 2005, 15:14

I do think its disgusting that he was doing 159 outside of offical training and got away with it but at the same time he should be given some type of award for getting a Vectra to 159. I guess the police must still do their cars up as no standard V6 one would get that high

ActivaV6uk · Unread post by **ActivaV6uk** » 20 May 2005, 15:18

Yeah my V6 406 police car went a bit faster than it should.

Kowalski · Unread post by **Kowalski** » 20 May 2005, 16:03

The Vectra GSI is normally electronically limited to 155mph like a lot of other cars. I'd expect the police speed recording equipment was accurate so they've probably had the speed limiter removed.

Sl4yer · Unread post by **Sl4yer** » 20 May 2005, 16:05

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by VisaGTi16v

I guess the police must still do their cars up as no standard V6 one would get that high

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Apparently the 3.2 will do 165 with the limiter disabled. Its probably ready for takeoff by then though [:D]

rbruce1314 · Unread post by **rbruce1314** » 20 May 2005, 16:26

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fastandfurryous

We also seem to be missing the point that almost any Police officer will tell you that they dislike travelling at high speed. They know the dangers. Traffic Police see the disaster that it causes as part of their work. They know only too well what happens when a car hits a pedestrian at high speed, and a good number of them have had to sort out the aftermath of similar events.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
See my post on this topic on the Police in the south-idiots thread.
(PS why HAS this spread to two threads?)

bikeboyz · Unread post by **bikeboyz** » 20 May 2005, 17:23

There is a lot of feelings here, so maybe drop a line to old Tone Blair....???
http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page821.asp

born2die · Unread post by **born2die** » 20 May 2005, 17:42

whilst I am all for police testing there cars on deserted motorways in the middle of the night but according to reports 80+ in a 30 120+ on a roads. The 30 limit is there for a reason and whilst in pursuit that is only just acceptable and down to an officer in the control room to say when it isnt in case an officers judgment is impared in the heat of a pursuit on your own with no supervison and with nothing to tell the officer it is just plain dangerous and wrong and this officer on a joyride deserved the book to be thrown at him.
I admit to a bit of 100+ driving on deserted motorways in my younger (IE I think I am indestructable)driving days but not excessively over and always with the full knowlage that if I get caught I would have had the book thrown at me with a cannon from close range. So if an officer can say he was practising can we also say that my wife is pregnant and I was doing the ton on an a road to test the time it takes to get to the hospital and how my car and skills cope with this recklessness. the same could apply and it could be any emergency. It cant be one rule for one and another for the populus if they want to train with traffic etc then they should make a circuit like they have in the states with fake trees houses and traffic and then if they are incompetant they will only hurt themselves and not some innocent motorist pedestrian etc.
there rant over.