Dembo

Applies to the police equally then.

At the end of the day, if you're on the motorway and an oncoming HGV crashes through the central reservation it's going to be pot luck if you survive, whether you're doing 70mph or 100mph. So you may as well do 100mph and get where you're going faster.

You are right, but it's appropriate speed. 100mph on a busy road is different from 100mph on an empty motorway, yet the law says one is just as dangerous as the other. If you've got the motorway to yourself, and your car is capable of it, why can't you cruise at 140mph?

GREGSTERWIZ

Most people think they are good drivers and I think that there are some people out there who are genuinely talented.

However, when it comes to the issue of Driver Training and specifically the level of driver training which the police undergo as opposed to the Institute of Advanced Motorists test, for example, there is little to compare.

Although I have never completed the civilian I.A.M. test I guess (and I am only guessing) that somewhere around the 10 lessons (or 10 hours of tuition) mark is probably the average for someone then being put forward for their test.

Police Driver Training is along the following lines;

Standard Course including Response and Pursuit Training. 3 weeks duration. 120 hours.
Advanced Driving Course. 4 weeks duration. 160 hours.
These courses are intensive and a fair number of candidates fail (especially the advanced course.)
They are also specifically designed to concentrate on high speed road driving.

Add to this further specialists couses, for example

VASCAR course. 1 week duration. 40 hours.
TPAC (Tactical Pursuit and Containment) 2 weeks duration. 80 hours.
Security Escort. 1 weeks. 40 hours.
etc. etc.

Comparing the level and standard of civilian advanced driver training to the above is IMO an unfair comparison.

But hey, you've got the facts now, make your own mind up.

JimUK

The answer is you can... just dont get caught!

Or get off to Germany although i doubt the S would be up to much on the autobahns where all the 4 doors saloons are sat at 150!!

As for traffic officers, i would doubt how many people on here or indeed on the road would be qualified to travel as fast as they do safely. Of course we all think we can cause we've done a few trackdays or whatever but its not just about handling a car its about observing other road users and potential hazards. My mate races cars for a living but that doesnt mean he has the right to drive any faster than me!

gtman

I feel that my own hazard perception is very good where as my car control isn't as good. Although I can apply reactive opposite lock when required I don't have the driving skills to throw the car around corners knowing that if something goes wrong I have the skills to recover from it like a professional rally driver. My normal day to day car control is fine, it's just my ability to act like Colin Mcrae MK II is severely lacking but I do feel that the only reason stopping me from throwing the car around bends just that little bit faster is that I do not know the limits of grip in both dry & wet conditions. Perhaps not knowing how fast I could have taken that corner makes me a safer driver.

On the subject of the more skilled Police drivers I believe that only the motorway & high pursuit drivers earn that label. Your average bobby in their Focus can be just as dangerous as any other road user as has been proven to me on several occasions. A few months ago there was a news story regarding teenagers that stole a Bentley and were then involved in a Police chase. There were three cars in pursuit and when the Bentley eventually crashed, so did the three pursuit cars. The "skilled" Police drivers ending up crashing into each other.

On the subject of people's ability to control a car I remember watching a GT-R test drive on YouTube and the Japenese guy had two "moments" on the public road in the wet and he had the ability to recover whereas most other drivers would have failed. One of the moments included a car coming in the opposite direction. There really is a world of difference between an average driver and a professional driver and by professional I'm not talking about chauffeurs.

trinis2001

I think if they did not harass you guys, you would become like us - totally lawless on the roads. I know UK people who work/live down here on contract, and it is amazing how quickly they adopt our "customs" on the road. Once it is free, you will take it.

A 70mph speed limit sounds like a dream to me. Our official limit is 80km/h highway, 50km/h everywhere else. It is ridiculous -so no one really GAF about it since it is not enforced at all. And getting caught on the rare occasions costs TT$150, like 13 quid, and no points. With all these factors, lawfulness on the road is non-existent.

So it is money yes, but I do think it is needed to keep the roads sane. Thank god you have it really.

JimUK

A speed limit of 70mph is ok, but just imagine whats its like in Germany when you can really go for it!

I took this video of my mate maxing out his Cayman on the autbahn in May this year....

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vzX_97Lp50k

m1bjr

Hi!

I'm not in your office, but nice to meet you, I'm Steve.
I do all of these on my 2k miles a week.
Pleased to meet you.

m1bjr

Having watched hundreds of persuit videos I find one thing odd.
In a chase, althought there are very obvious potential hazards, the coppers plough on regardless.
Just because you are aware of the hazard, does not control it.
They are as lucky as anyone else doing the same, just that perhaps they do it less often.
Nothing stops someone else being a dickhead in front of you, if that old dear is going to pull out, it makes no difference if your in a micra or a Police area car, your both fooked.
I rest my case your honour.

Fatbloke

Small world and all that, the Bentley you mention crashed about 2 miles from my house, so one of those very pursuit drivers could have been the copper that nicked me last week and gave rise to this thread.......

In all fairness, judging by the amount of trees that the Bentley took out, the police cars did well to only hit each other.

John57

The Provida video in the police car doesn't show all the officer can see - video is never as good or as 'wide' as the human eye .....

Yes, there are officers who get red mist - but don't judge a pursuit just from the in car video .... in terms of hazard perception it can often be misleading. It also depends on how much the 'view' is zoomed in .....

I have videos from work on blues and two or in pursuits where I wasn't too impressed with the way it went so pulled the video to view it ... only to find it looked very much OK - and videos where I knew it went well but looked a bit dodgy on the video ! The amount of zoom applied to the camera can make an awful lot f difference in these 'police camera action' videos .....