Last night on my way home at after a nice night, driving within the speed limits another driver came up fast and close behind me. I commented to my wife about the idiot behind us. At this point we were doing 40mph, the speed limit, descending a step hill at that is also very potholed. I would normally drop my speed further at this point to ensure I avoided all the potholes but due to the vehicle so close behind me I couldn't without risk of them running into me. At the bottom of the hill it bends around to the right and starts to rise again. I slowed the car to within the 30 limit and the vehicle behind me had backed off. Further up the hill as we approached a t-junction the vehicle was right up my backside again. At this point I could see it was a white van. I moved into the other road which becomes a very steep decent that is extremely pot holed at the bottom where which requires constant braking to avoid them. As I was slowing to a stop for the t-junction the van was again right up my backside. Pulling out I realised it was police van as the marking were lit up by the other traffic. Another 400m along the road I was pulled over. Informed that I was driving aggressively and hard braking. I denied aggressive driving and any hard braking was to avoid the pot holes. I also made it clear that I would have braked going down the hill in the 40 zone had it not been for him being too close me for safety. The police officer then informed he had done this because he couldn't see my number plate clearly. This was rubbish as I pointed out to him as it is clearly visible as you can see looking through his window. He then told me that I was to be reported for doing 45 in a 30 which at no point had I done so. No proof was offered and the road he said it happened on he had closed right up on me which was the up hill when it changes from a 40 to 30 so no matched speed.
I ensured my comments were written down under my caution about him driving aggressively, too close and if he needed to read my number plate it would have been safer to pull me over there and then rather than drive up my backside. The female officer who was with him at this point churped up with couldn't you see it was police van. I said no. She sarcastically said it says police on the front and I replied you can't see anything past your headlights when you are driving right up the arse of my car other than lights. Which shut her up.
After they realised me I pointed to my number plate asking what wasn't clearly visible. I was asked to sit in the drivers seat of the police van and look. Which I did and it was still clear but he reckoned that one letter wasn't clear due to his headlight reflecting.
I'm more than a little wound up. If I had been speeding I would take the punishment as I had many year ago but I'll be damned if I accept something that hasn't happened.
Any links or information on how best to deal with this?
Get in touch with whichever level of superior officer you fancy and give them hell. You should however be aware that the only way to deal with people sitting up your arse is to slow down even more.
You appear to have been pulled by some **** coppers. There are quite a few unfortunately. Hopefully for you nothing will come of it.
You should however be aware that the only way to deal with people sitting up your arse is to slow down even more
yup, only really recently started trying this technique....... it's so much fun!
I reckon I'd be making a (calm) trip down to the station to have a conversation with someone in charge
Let it go to court if the cops are daft enough. Probably checking if you had been drinking.
Part of me says leave it, you'll get no satisfaction and just get more frustrated. There are asshole cops out there, often with asshole superiors. Part of me says you should write to their co. Then the other part of me thinks you should take to the twitter and facebook pages of the respective force and give the officers names.
I think the latter will probably be the only way to get the desired result in this day and age.
I think the slowing down for pot holes was my aggressive braking as he was already travelling too close. Slowing down any further and he would have rear ended me.
Assuming you've got to produce your documents take them in, ask to speak to whoever it is in charge so they can discuss your complaint. Make sure you write it all down before you go and ask how soon you can expect to hear back from them?
Do produce your documents though. Oh, and this is just what I would do and is based on no experience or expertise whatsoever 🙂
... at which point it would have been his fault!
Not been asked to produce my documents just given a ticket and told to wait to hear from central processing.
No such thing as 'can't slow down as he was too close to me', just back of the gas. Simples.
Sounds like maybe he was going to come past and you kept you speed just high enough to stop him, that pished him off and he decide to flex police muscles.
No stupid games. He had plenty of chances to over take me. Taking my foot of the pedal which had brought him way too close and hitting a pothole would have reduced my speed further causing a collision.
You didn't mention the pleb word I hope?
Fair enough, Copper being a bell end then.
I thought unless the were traffic trained they'd struggle to make it stick.
Speak to his gaffer
No plebs. Plenty of biting my tongue though.
Report the dangerous driving to the police?
What evidence do they have?
I reckon Dave nailed it. Checking for drunk drivers to complete Xmas quota and pissed (sorry) that you didn't qualify! (Sorry that's too harsh for the boys in blue who do a great job)
Their word against mine. They couldn't do a speed match to determine my speed as they never kept a constant distance from me. Nothing else offered as evidence.
I'd just leave it - nothing will come of it as they have no evidence against you
if you complain you are likely to be put onto a stop on sight list - look forward to getting pulled over by every police car you ever meet!
Never mentioned alcohol, not that it would have mattered as I had only had soda and lime all night and nothing for the previous week.
Surely a police van isn't "calibrated" correctly speed wise to issue a fine, pus was there any video evidence such as in the traffic cars.
For one Police officer in the a police vehicle without the right equipment they need to prove the accuracy of the vehicles speedo at that time. Least that's how I understood it.
You know what - I'm calling BS/troll.
Sat in the van I couldn't see any recording equipment just a radio, nor was any proof offered.
You know what - I'm calling BS/troll.
I wish I was.
seems from a number of videos from helmet cams and protests etc ive seen this year some police seem to have lost any common sense or humility and wont ever admit they have made a mistake or that you haven't done anything wrong.
Do you have their badge numbers? as others said there's no evidence, if they issue a fine contest it and ask for the evidence.
makes me think of .. [img] 
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So did you actually get a ticket or did he just 'say' he was going to report you?
If the latter then forget about it!
For one Police officer in the a police vehicle without the right equipment they need to prove the accuracy of the vehicles speedo at that time. Least that's how I understood it.
One officer in a vehicle cannot offer an opinion of speed unless they are in a vehicle with a speed varification system. Two officers can put in a statement offering their expert opinion on the speed of a vehicle without said equipment.
Craig, I am in emergency services,
If you got the officers' details pop down to your local police station. Ask to speak to a supervisor (sgt or above) and explain what happened. Any good supervisor would speak to the cops involved, you may get it resolved or not.
I am sorry you were treated in this way, hope it gets resolved.
Those two officers were pissed off with your speed rather than your driving but using your driving as an excuse to stop you.
They also prefer you to damage your car by driving into pot holes then having to avoid them or slowdown. For them they are driving "company" car which they drive into pot holes as much as they like at tax payers expense.
Those two officers are job worth zombies that should not work as police for being anal and abusing their power.
😡
only been pulled over a few times in my life, but every time it's been this kind of thing, usually late at night, Each case had almost identical features foremost of which is a rude surly police officer blatantly lying.
I guess being human they just get tired/fed up/bored, and given the line of work I should imagine general respect for random strangers evaporates to almost nothing.
Nothing came of any of my cases, I just shrugged and got on with my life and try to stay out of their way.
I mean your law abiding speed ... they officers for some reasons did not like being slowed down.
barkm - Memberonly been pulled over a few times in my life, but every time it's been this kind of thing, usually late at night, Each case had almost identical features foremost of which is a rude surly police officer blatantly lying.
I think they are checking for intoxication but could not admit they were wrong about when they stopped so came up with silly reasons.
Sometimes zombie bureaucrats need to be seen to do something in order to justify their position. I have no doubt that some want to be seen as doing something so that they can either be seen as promotional materials or be seen as "pro-active".
Just back from a run and had time to think and reflect on the comments on here.
I think my best action is document the details of last night included the freezing temperature which should have been a factor taken in by the police officer and his safe distance. Take pictures of my car number plate showing how clear it is to read. The road from the point the van came right up behind me to when I was actually pulled over making sure I capture the poor road surface and gradient. Then pay a visit to the police officers station to speak with his superior.
I've not had the chance to read all the posts so apologies if already said. If you are going to complain, then absolutely make the complaint online. Reason for this (and told by a friend that is a plod) is that the complaint starts centrally, is logged and cannot be swept under the rug. I had a similar situation a few years ago - pulled over for using my phone when I wasn't. Complaint against the officer online, ending up dealing with someone with many more stripes. Good luck.
You know what - I'm calling BS/troll.
No children were pushed over in this story.
Is this a road you are not familiar with, if not and you know this road I don't understand why you would brake aggressively for the potholes if you know they are there.
Just saying like.
He did not brake aggressively he says the copper said he braked aggressively
Typical coppers, why are you surprised?
Never met a copper I could trust, they love to push people around, why else would they join the 'force?'
To protect and serve the community by putting bad people in prison or for the unending gratitude of the population, I forget which.
Every organisation has nobheads even STW
Chip, I know the road very well. The potholes are at the bottom of a very steep hill. You need to control your speed coming down the hill then slow even more for the last 150 metres which is riddled with potholes that can't be avoided. By heavy braking we are talking about dropping from 30mph to less than 10 with 150 metres to go to the t-junction which is a stop not a give way. Regular users of this road all do the same to avoid damaging their cars.
I didn't say I was braking aggressively, the police officer did.
If what the OP is saying is true then yeah, put a complaint in, but more often that not, the full truth doesnt always come out on internet forums. There is always 2 sides to a story!
Unfortunately for you the opinion of two officers is enough to convict with regards to speeding. No calibrated devices needed. If you end up in court by and large the mags side with the police. The expectation is that there is no need for the police to lie about speeding motorists.
Did he say something like I'm reporting you for the offence of.....
Or have you got paperwork?
if it's the former I think they have 6 months to get it to court
If it's the latter you've got 14 days to pay the fine or possibly take s speed awareness course
If you got none of the above it was proberbly just a power trip. I wouldn't bother complaining to a senior officer. That could cause more trouble than it sorts.
euans2 - MemberIf what the OP is saying is true then yeah, put a complaint in, but more often that not, the full truth doesnt always come out on internet forums. There is always 2 sides to a story!
That's one reason you need dash cam nowadays (front, rear, both sides) in order to prove that you are innocence.
When officers stop you, I bet you, you are [b]guilty first until proven innocence[/b] or at least they consider you as guilty otherwise they would not stop you, not the other way round. Try it and see what's the probability like. 🙄
I was stopped by officers because I was driving on the same road many times (4-5) in one night (I was driving around in order to charge my car battery and checked out my new TomTom coz I did not drive it for a while) and they stopped me to say I was driving funnily and brake aggressively (yes, I did brake at a roundabout aggressively because of a taxi turning in at the last minute cutting across me but no cars was behind me so how did they know). I bet central CCTV monitoring the roads must have alerted them of a strange bloke driving around ... 🙄
MartynS - MemberIf you got none of the above it was proberbly just a power trip. I wouldn't bother complaining to a senior officer. That could cause more trouble than it sorts.
^^^ this. There are simply too many zombie maggots around nowadays so get at least one dash cam ...
The paperwork and the procedures to complaint will destroy you instantly. i.e. read the procedures to complaint, the procedures for the procedures to complaint and read the small print in all then take up courses to understand the procedures to complaint, that's before you are even consider arguing with the zombies.
Martyn, I was given a ticket and told me it was being sent to central processing who will contact me
