I have always wondered in this situation how they could suggest you are in the wrong, as the roundabout gets its speed limit from the lowest limit approaching it, would it not be a better idea if it is not safe to go around a roudabout at 30 to lower the limit to one that is safe! so maybe in some ways the speed limit is incorrect for most vehicles!!My last time I was stopped was for overtaking a car down a section of duel carriageway!!! He said I was too agressive when I was driving my girlfriends 1.25 Fiesta

 

I've had the scoob for about a month and in that time I've been pulled 6 times for doing 30 in a 30, I’ve been pulled before but for doing things I shouldn’t but this is getting ridiculous.

Last Friday, It's chucking down with rain I come up to a reasonably large roundabout looking to go straight over, everyone else slows down to something like 2mph but I go round at 30. Next thing I know, this Astra panda car comes flying up the road after me, the cars all out of shape as he tries to get the power (ha ha) down blues and two's blaring, I pull over into a bus stop, open the window, turn the engine off and wait. The female copper comes running up to the car shines a torch in my face and says "Get out of the car and go and stand on the pavement, I've had just about enough of people like you". People like me? She means people like you guys too. Anyway, I stand on the pavement the bloke copper says "Why did you go round that roundabout so fast, I don't want to be the one to come and pick your bit's up off the road when you wrap it round a tree". Firstly because I can (didn’t actually say that but NEARLY) secondly, there are no tree's on the exit of that roundabout and third I'm driving a Scooby RB5 (PPP), do these people have a clue? Do they know what our cars are capable of? If not why not? I stood there and said that I didn't think that I was doing anything wrong and that the car was completely stable at all times. They said that I was being irresponsible and that I should be mature enough not to act like a 17 year old, they would let me off with a caution this time but I better slow down or “We’ll have you next time”.

Is it me? Or is this what I've go to look forward to for the rest of my scooby days.

Mike


[This message has been edited by RB170 (edited 01 November 2000).]

[This message has been edited by RB170 (edited 01 November 2000).]

 

Wotcha Mike

First off, please don't take this post the wrong way: it is trying to be constructive and further the debate. Having put my disclaimer in...

Could it be possible that you were driving a little too fast for the conditions, taking everything into account? If everyone else is slow and you're moving fast relatively for them, if someone decides to pull out in front of you, you're knackered. Particularly with wider tyres, which will cause you to aquaplane sooner?

I'm not wishing to have a dig, or criticise your driving, but I think that I can see where the police were coming from. If everyone is moving slowly and you're driving within the speed limits at a much greater speed, then to me that could be construed as dangerous. Remember that there's muppets on the road (Cem would argue that there's enough on this board ) that do the most stupid things beyond your control.

Speed limits are supposed to be absolute maxima (plural of maximum?) to be used when conditions allow. I guess that the police could prosecute for reckless driving if they *really* wanted to.

I think you did the right thing in biting your tongue: antagonising an officer of the law is never a good idea.

Stuart H would be a good person to tackle this one.

Of course, I sound very holier than thou on this, but there's a superb roundabout in Leeds... (Better stop there before I incriminate myself )

 

Got to go against you here.
30 mph in the coditions you describe and the flow of traffic etc...sounds wrong...no matter how good the car is....no matter how good a driver you are....you drive to the conditions....if everyone else was driving 2mph that shouldv'e been a hint....if the panda car was struggling to get to you and bearing in mind plod drivers are well trained..and I know the astra is front wheel drive...then that should prove you were a tad wrong.
Be prepared to cause a stir with this post and take it like a man

 

Yeah...I can see where they're coming from but did they need to use the gestapo approach? The exit I used is 2 lanes and doesn't narrow and the roundabout is also at least 2 lanes wide. Does this kind of thing happen to everyone else if not then I guess it is me and I need to curb my enthusiasm.

 

Good man.

 

What really pisses me off is the WAY the police talk to people. They're so condescending. :MAD:

 

I think that they try to rely on the 'schoolmaster' approach, and the apprehension of the driver to get their message across.

 

I'm probably being paranoid about the entire thing and I agree that given the conditions they may have been justified in stopping me but if I give you another example of the kind of thing I'm getting you may understand why.

This time it's dry about 8pm I'm driving through Epping going towards Waltham Abbey, It's well lit and the roads are empty, there are 2 mini roundabouts as I go round the second a copper runs out into the road infront of me and pulls me over for doing 30 in a 30 and suggests that I slow down. I know there seems to be a recurring theme (roundabouts) but in no way was I being irresponsible, there were no other vehicles around and as I said it was completely DRY.

If I'm wrong on this one then why did I buy the scooby?? Maybe I'll get an Astra or something that will not get me into trouble.

Help me out here guys.....how do you deal with not being able to use the performance of your scooby on public roads. I'm used to performance, I ride a CBR600 but have never had this kind of problem......

 

If you ask me, and this may not be popular, it is called stereotyping.. If you drive a fast car or one that stands out you have to drive better and more inside the law than an old dear in a knackered old mk1 Fiesta... you get picked on.

I'm sorry but from my experience, I drive a Golf GTI at the moment and had a Cav SRI before that, this is the way I see it.

And there is nothihng worse than a wanna be traffic cop in a Panda car!

I found the real traffic cop on the M40 far nicer, factual, didn't talk in a condiscending manner ( I was speeding ) just said, speed limit is 70, you were doing 94.07, here's the FPT. All it needed...

Oh and a "Keep your speed down a bit" as I got out of the traffic car...


BTW my missus got stopped for going round a roundabout too fast - in a 1.0 litre Metro

Scott!

 

That's the big problem - we drive cars that can do 0-60 in 4.whatever (STi's) and go on to 140mph+ but you can only scratch the surface of that performance on UK roads.

I don't see any easy answer to it. If you want to explore the car's performance then you should be prepared to listen to whatever lecture a policeman gives you. If you want a quiet life however, then drive more slowly or sell it and buy a Micra!

I got pulled over doing 39 in a 30. Safe conditions for it I thought (not going to explain why here as I suspect people will just read the figures anyway, then make their own judgements), but the copper was ok really and let me go with a big lecture about what a nice car it is, I'd hate to have to nick you in it but I will etc. I just stood there looking scared and left.

That's one of the main reasons why I'm looking to sell my car. I'm just fed up with it's unbelievable ability. It can travel WAY too fast WAY too easily. I always said a 1.3 Escort was the fastest car in the world - looks like I'll get my chance to find out...

 

Panda drivers are the worst drivers I have ever seen.

Don't know what kind of training they been getting, but it certainly dont show.

Cem

 

Hi Mike - angry smiley not directed at you, byt the topic.

AFAIK you need to pass specific training to be a traffic policeman only, and NOT to drive a panda.

No doubt Stuart will elaborate.

Agree with Cem, some of the WORST driving I have ever seen has been from non traffic police drivers.

You may have been pushing it a bit, but I've done similar on big roundabouts like you describe (we have a lot on 50 and 60 mph limits near me)and don't belive it to be irresponsible. Just 'cos others are doing 2mph (no doubt a bit faster in reality) doesn't mean thats the safe speed.

Chances are the policewoman had NO idea of what your car was safely capable of. Alternatively, you may just be a nutter

You will find that the scoob is a moving target though. You're not the first and you won't be the last. The only way around it (no pun intended) is to be wary of your surroundings when there's other traffic about.

As for getting stopped for doing 30 in a 30, that is a JOKE and clearly a case of envy if ever I saw one.

Oh, and guys, lets see a little less self righteousness here, eh?

[This message has been edited by Diablo (edited 01 November 2000).]

 

Well said Diablo.

If it is unsafe for an RB5 to be travelling in this manner, how unsafe is it for an untrained, envious and wired cop to catch you up in order to point out your reckless and dangerous driving ? </img>

 

I've been driving my bright red Impreza Turbo (big alloys, loud exhaust, etc.) for 18 months over 25,000 miles all over the UK and haven't been stopped once! What am I doing wrong?

Only time have been stopped (at the age of 21 in my Golf GTI) was entirely justified, and the Police Officer was polite, courteous, and managed to scare the hell out of me!

Sounds like you were just unlucky in this situation RB170 and got caught by a couple of Panda drivers out to prove something.

Andrew.

 

I'm with RB170. He may have been going a bit fast for the conditions on paper, but if he deemed it safe, and he was in control, below the speed limit, well good luck to him. There are far more dangerous things going on that should be stopped.

By the way, the other day a Traffic cop was trying to tell me that as all cars stopped at the same rate, standard stopping distances should always be maintained ! What an idiot, and he would not be convinced that a car like Stef's with big AP's couldnt stop quicker than a standard Ford Escort !

 

Not getting all pompous and stuff but the speed limit is exactly that, not a target to aim at. Just cos you can't take a corner at 30 doesn't mean the limit should be lower. Just look at the number of country lanes with 60 limits. You wouldn't necessarily want to do 60 down them...

 

I've not had any real hassle apart from on 2 or 3 occasion the police sitting 6 inches from my rear bumper like a Max Power Nova and goading me to floor it, which I didn't. If they want me to do 31 in a 30 zone I'm not stupid enough to do it under thier noses.


AllanB

 

Owned my Scoob since Sept 97, never had any problem with the Police to date in the Scoob despite a loud exhaust, dump valve and stupid Coil over jiggly suspension.

Was once stopped in my old Audi Quattro Turbo (wide bodied thing) on the M60. Followed me for miles and miles mimicing my every moment. I knew they were going to stop me but they followed for about 20 mins.

Eventually stopped me for not wearing a seat belt. (I was wearing a harness) The police chap apologised for following me for so long but they could make their minds up whether I wearing a belt or not

Saw the harness and laughed **PHEW**

Then quoted the following line after asking about the car "Right sir, I'd like you to accelerate swiftly on the hard shoulder before rejoining at Motorway speeds"

Needless to say I didn't disappoint

They rocketed past and grinned !!

Mark.

 

Fast cars are safer than slow cars - its a simple fact that a car designed to do 140mph is also designed to stop from that speed.

A car capable of taking high speeds round bends without flinching is designed to do that job safely.

A car capable of doing 0-60 in 5 seconds is also capable of keeping everything safe under those extreme conditions.

The nut that holds the steering wheel is always the deciding factor in safety.

pete

 

My local plod is just the same. I normally go out LATE at night if I want to have some fun!

A Scottish officer pulled me in his little astra. Blues and Twos were going, at 2 in the morning the local residents loved him…. I was told that I shouldn’t have been driving so fast, (here comes the best bits!) as the car cannot handle such speed and that I could never out run him.

When I stopped smiling I explained that I had lived in the area all my life and had been driving these roads for some 10 years. So I know the roads very well, and after 1 and a half years of owning the scoob, I have a good idea of how it handles. I then explained that the only part of his car that I couldn’t out run was his radio. This upset him.

Now I was in the wrong for speeding, but the above comments confuse me. They think that just because they have to do a couple of weeks of advanced driving lessons, that they are GODS!!!!

Dan

 

RB170

What you are dealing with here is perception.

From the drivers seat, I'm sure what you did was in a controlled manner and was safe.

What the police saw however was a car going thru the roundabout at twice the speed of all the other cars and it caught their eye.

My advice to you, If you are pee'd off with getting stopped is "blend in". If the other cars do 2mph, then do so as well. I know it's hard to do when you've got such a capable car, but it's a "must do".

I always recall when doing my advanced driving test that 30mph is "a limit - not a target".

Regards
Kurt

 

I think the police were too harsh on RB170, 30 MPH on a two lane roundabout would be no problem for an Impreza if it were snowing. I thought it was a bit much for them to tear you out of the car in all fairness.Once again I think as often happens in these situations you get treated like you are a hardened criminal or something.Maybe Blowdog could shed some light on the subject of how to take a roundabout at speed.

 

Rb170, don't worry about it, and don't get in a humph about people going on about your driving. Alot if not most have done the Advanced or have had a few lessons and the safety factor gets drilled into you, goes abit OTT sometimes though.
About your situation, i find this alot and have often wondered what the polices reaction would be. You don't tend to see many people going around a circle at 30mph , not simply on the emphasis of safe driving but because there cars can simply not keep in the correct at this speed.
I personally don't think there is anything wrong with the situation you had... aslong as you are aware of the cars around you at all times , and conditions- don't want to go OTT on safety factor because sensible people will already know so it doesn't have to be said. If your car can go around the circle at 30 and stay in the correct lane then nice one! there would be a speed limit on the circle if it wasn't allowed.
I always have my sidelights on, to try and catch peoples eyes so they know i'm there, but don't do it at 30.. the acceleration into a roundabout from standstill is even more fun .
Ian


[This message has been edited by Hos (edited 02 November 2000).]