Am I the only one who feels uneasy if there’s a police car on my tail? I can be below the speed limit, driving in a faultless line down the centre of the road, knowing my car is in perfect condition – and still be convinced that I’m about to get pulled. Actually, I know I’m not alone because I was with a friend recently, who was driving along a main road when a police car pulled out behind us and followed for a couple of miles. My friend was convinced that she was going to get pulled over, despite doing nothing wrong. In fact she was so nervous that she turned off, just to lose the jam sandwich, before getting back onto the A-road that she’d just left. I was intrigued, and asked her why she’d made such a manouevre. Her answer was simple; she no longer trusts the police, feeling that the odds are now so heavily stacked against drivers that in the event of a tug she’d have to prove her innocence, rather than the feds having to prove her guilt. I was rather alarmed that such a young person (she’s in her mid-twenties) should hold such cynical views, but perhaps I shouldn’t be so surprised. After all, on a daily basis we hear such worrying tales of how drivers get stitched up by courts that appear to know the verdict before the case has even been heard. Have you been caught out?
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Richard - Instead of driving down the centre of the road why not try driving to one side, like everybody else? That way, the Old Bill will lose interest.
Graham Whyte | 21 Mar 07 - 11:28Have you ever thought that bored police drivers on a quiet shift take the piss? If you had the power to wind up other drivers just by being there, wouldn’t you have the odd laugh? I always try to overtake police cars, and frequently do, especially when I sense that they are deliberately driving off the pace. That way, I’m in control and my driving actions are not dictated by a wish to please a third party. People who are reduced to a nervous wreck whenever Trafpol appear on the horizon should perhaps question their own ability and confidence.
Graham Whyte | 21 Mar 07 - 11:36Well spotted Graham; glad to see you spotted my deliberate error. You’re obviously pretty dismissive of what I’m saying about not trusting the police, but since posting my blog I’ve now found the quote I was looking for when I originally wrote it.
According to Motorcycle News, Staffordshire camera partnership spokesperson Jeannie Hoddinott is on record as saying: “The onus is on the driver of the vehicle to prove their innocence, not on the Partnership to prove guilt.”
Do you still feel dismissive?
Richard Dredge | 21 Mar 07 - 15:24