Police Checkpoints

You know the ones. Police set up a little checkpoint and pull in cars at a bus stop or layby.

There was one on the main road round the corner from me this morning.

I’ve always wondered how these things stand legally. Do the Police not need a specific reason to pull people over?

Are they using some sort of legal loophole? Or is there some subtle selection process going on that means its not a “random” check?

They set them up at the bottom of the dual carriageway from Man U – and its always very VERY busy.

It might be a trick like the metal detectors they were (are) setting up at stations and the like. The trick was that they were totally voluntary, but refusing was grounds for reasonable suspicion and therefore making a non-voluntary search legal.

It was totally accidental that the majority of people “voluntarily” invited to go through the detectors were guilty of being black in a public place.

I’d rather they did it more often to actually hands on catch people with dodgey tyres etc.

I think there has to be “cause”, which can be “it looked ropey/dirty/on the phone/looked like a wanted crim” etc.

After that “attitude test”.

Third post and accusations of institutional racism. Not a record but quick.

It was totally accidental that the majority of people “voluntarily” invited to go through the detectors were guilty of being black in a public place.

Source for this?

Got breathalised by one a while back.
Apparently you can refuse to answer the questions as there’s no reason for you being stopped.
I didn’t and was honest. Still blew a big old 0 after two glasses of red the night before which was reassuring.

timbur, that’s the attitude test.

I think you can refuse to go in. I certainly did once, just over took a line of trafic waiting to go in once and then lo and behold I got stopped down the road by PlodOnABike.

He asked me why I didn’t follow the queue into the layby and I said I wasn’t instructed to and that I didn’t see the point of being stopped when I’ve done nothing wrong.

We had a little chat, he let me on my way with the caveat “if you are instructed to stop or pull over you should do”

I once again stated I wasn’t and he tutted and I drove off.

That was 3’ish years ago now.

Do you know it was random? might have been enforcing the law from some mobile camera/spotter further down the road ie people on phones, people not wearing seatbelts, people speeding, no tax/ins, all four.
There’s regularly a DVLC mobile camera and a few police cars/bikes on my
local dual carriageway.

How so?
What if I had refused?
Be helpful, give them what they want rather than what?
As soon as I said I’d had a drink the night before they had grounds to breathalize me if I understand correctly??

I know it was random. One in, one out policy and I came to it from a side road after only driving a few hundred yards from my house to the main road.

Or is there some subtle selection process going on that means its not a “random” check?

ANPR just up the road? Sometimes with a couple of unmarked cars spotting people doing random u-turns after seeing people the other way flashing headlights.

I got pulled in at a ‘checkpoint’ by a police officer last year. Busy main road heading into town, 11am. Lane 1 of a busy dual carriageway was coned off for about 100metres to facilitate said checkpoint, causing major holdups…

Approached by a lady, hi-viz jacket on, clipboard in hand. Turns out that a ‘traffic survey’ was being carried out, said lady wasn’t a police officer, the police were only there to pull motorists over.

Very miffed at having my journey delayed, I asked her if I was legally required to answer her questions, ‘No’ was her reply. So I wished her a pleasant day & drove off*

*( Immediately driving off wouldn’t have been possible if there had been another car in front of me )

There are normally 1 or 2 Police on bikes further up.

http://www.drinkdriving.org/police_breath_alcohol_test_preliminary.php

There you go. If you refuse then it’s “atitude” and therefore they can claim that they suspect your over the limit and therefore legally test you.
Tim

The police hve the power to stop any vehicle. No reason required. As per RTA 1988 S163. Once stopped though they need a reason to breath test a driver. The possible reasons include being involved in an accident, suspecting alcohol in blood, or committing a moving traffic offence.

As soon as I said I’d ha d adrink the night before they had grounds to breathalize me if I understand correctly??

Yes.

The police checkpoint at Tarbet really confuses me.

They block off the road every few weeks (we usually pass on a Friday at 6-7pm).

There’s about 4 police cars and a couple of vans, with two coppers stood in the road.

They have never even looked at us as we pass, yet there’s always someone having their car seached at the wee car park on the left.

Are they checking plates further down (there’s normally a traffic cop car approaching the checkpoint) and then stopping targeted vehicles?

Of those Traffic Surveys I’ve stopped at them. I once said I refuse to answer and off I drove, was on my way to an important business meeting, the others (fairly often my way on the coast) if I’m in no hurry then I answer them.
What I think is quite odd are all the folks sitting in cars and chairs in hiviz with clipboards.. don’t know what they are except a guess as to some survey count or something like that, you know counting number of folks in a car or type of vehicle..

The police have the power to stop any vehicle. No reason required.

See there you go, I didn’t know that

Anyway I’m glad they didn’t stop me

Checkpoints eh? Another creeping erosion of your rights that Could Never Happen Here…

Really? I’ve got no issue with it.

My dad got pulled into one of those a few years ago and they asked him if he had an explosives in the car. He said no, which was apparently the correct answer and that was that.

ohnohesback –
Member
Checkpoints eh? Another creeping erosion of your rights that Could Never Happen here…

Lolz! It’s a conspiracy I tell you!!

Got stopped one Boxing Day. Obviously they were out to find drivers still reeking of drink. Fine by me, a half minute delay for me and the roads will be a little safer without some drunk-drivers.

Having lived in a country where random checks are the norm, I can safely say that I don’t think they have any positive purpose except generating a ngeative view of plod.
Bad driving, accidents and I assume car crime was still a problem, but the revenue generated by plod was healthy even though much time was wasted in pointless checks.
I don’t think you really want random checks for the police. Batter intelligence and more targetted police work, while meaning working up a sweat, would probably be more productive.

Everyone complains about coppers not doing their job,
And when they do their job, people complain. 😀

davidjones15 –
Member
Having lived in a country where random checks are the norm, I can safely say that I don’t think they have any positive purpose except generating a ngeative view of plod.

Bad driving, accidents and I assume car crime was still a problem, but the revenue generated by plod was healthy even though much time was wasted in pointless checks.

I don’t think you really want random checks for the police. Batter intelligence and more targetted police work, while meaning working up a sweat, would probably be more productive.

Balls. Even if they just find a hand full of people with dodgy cars or 1 drunk/uninsured/disqualified driver then it’s fine by me!

But we expect the police to do there job without it impacting on Middle England. We can’t be put out you know :O)

timbur, that’s the attitude test.

I’m in two minds about this, I know innocent man has nothing to fear from the law if he answers questions truthfully and isn’t obstructive but it kind of suggests that if you bow and scrape to the police you’ll be fine which is alsorts of wrong. Also suggests that criminals could get away with stuff by being polite and not raising suspicions.

Say someone raises suspicions, not by doing anything actually illegal but a bit dodgy or a police man just has a gut feeling:
Innocent man is in a rush is a bit huffy ends up with full check and going through details/documents with a fine tooth comb.
Crim on his way back from a “job” keeps his cool is nice and polite with coppers, cursory glance, “on your way sir”

Bet the attitude test does “catch” a lot of hothead scrotes but not so many clever criminals.

Just my cynical side at work again, pick my example apart with knowledge and actual experience if you want.

Balls. Even if they just find a hand full of people with dodgy cars or 1 drunk/uninsured/disqualified driver then it’s fine by me!

Thanks for your considered reply, now back to the Daily Mail with you.
How many interruptions would you need in your day before you start thinking that perhaps it’s not the correct strategy.
To you sir, I say balls too!!! 🙄

@ Gary_C. Just don’t complain if they decide against putting an extra lane in or a bypass 😉

Just an observation but… We get these spot checks all the time in London. The funny thing is they are always in the same places! Surely if they are trying to catch out the crims, they would want the element of surprise. You always see people doing the rat run down the back roads trying to get away from them. Another thing I notice is that of the people that get pulled, the great majority are non white. Racial profiling?

^^^^ probably gonna regret typing this but hey ho…

Whereabouts in London are these checks taking place where it is mainly non whites getting stopped? If it’s somewhere like Brent or Southall, then it’s not really surprising given the ethnic makeup of the local population.

Thanks for your considered reply, now back to the Daily Mail with you.

How many interruptions would you need in your day before you start thinking that perhaps it’s not the correct strategy.

Sorry I shall raise my paper standard to the telegraph if that’s ok?

1 checkpoint stop in 10years of driving, sometimes i wonder how i coped with the trauma of not moving for 2 minutes. So i would be happy for the ratio to increase from it’s current 1 in 36,500

1 checkpoint stop in 10years of driving, sometimes i wonder how i coped with the trauma of not moving for 2 minutes. So i would be happy for the ratio to increase from it’s current 1 in 36,500

MATHS ERROR ALERT!!!!!

🙂

The police should be able to stop you whenever they want.

The reality is there are only so many police, and it’s a shrinking number, so its highly unlikely to be a regular inconvenience for people.

I think the booze-bus style check points around Christmas time are a good idea and should extended. They have proven very effective in Australia.

1 checkpoint stop in 10years of driving, sometimes i wonder how i coped with the trauma of not moving for 2 minutes. So i would be happy for the ratio to increase from it’s current 1 in 36,500

My experience disagrees. How many 15 minute delays will it take before you wake up to reality? 😀

I don’t understand why people get so het up at being asked to stop once in a while, in the interests of trying to catch people driving illegally etc.

I got stopped by Police at Gatwick who wanted to know what I was doing there with no bag, luggage, jacket etc. I was picking my brother up from holiday. I showed them the flight details I had written down, the asked for a few details like name & address, ran a few checks & let me on my way. What’s the bother?

I don’t understand why people get so het up at being asked to stop once in a while, in the interests of trying to catch people driving illegally etc.

the problem is when you are stopped multiple times in the same day/week. Once in a blue moon for two minutes isn’t a problem. A 15-20 minute delay each time becomes somewhat more problematic and expensive (lost work not fines).
Be very careful what you wish for.