From: perry@Unify.Com (Perry Clarke)
Subject: Re: Unmarked police cars
Summary: Unmarked police cars in the UK
Keywords: n
Organization: Unify Corporation
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 92 18:49:33 GMT

kdarling@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu (Kevin Darling) wrote:
>little_re@lrc.edu writes:
>>>>How do I know if I should stop if a driver flashes a light (of any color,
>>>>red, blue, white...) at me?  If it is a marked police car, I know I
>>>>should stop.  But what if it is an unmarked car?  
>>>>[...]
>>  In Gastonia, NC, there was (still is) a guy running round with a blue
>>light on his dash.  He'd pull up behind people, flash the light, they 
>>would pull over, and then rob them.  The police gave some suggestions:
>>   1. Only stop if the headlights of the car flashed.  Most police cars
>>	here, marked and unmarked, are set up so the headlights flash 
>>	from left to right.
>>   2. If you doubt it is a cop, drive toa  lighted place (like said above).
>> [... When you are] pulled the cop will hit the siren just after hitting
>> the lights.  He'll give one quick blast then shut them off.
>
>The TV series "Rescue 911" just did a segment last week on a woman in
>Chapel Hill, NC, who didn't like the look of the guy in an unmarked
>Mustang (typical NC HP vehicle) who just waved a badge at her.  So she
>called 911 on her car phone.  The guy was a fake and was captured.
>
>The show gave the same tips others have mentioned (go to a place with
>other people around)... and also mentioned that in NC, cops are supposed
>to always hit their siren at least once along with their blue light.
>Question: don't unmarked patrols also always wear their uniform?
>
>kevin <kdarling@catt.ncsu.edu>

Apologies if this sort of info has appeared recently in this group but I
thought some urban folklore from across the pond would be of interest.  I
lived there up to a couple of weeks ago.

In the UK the unmarked cars have:

   * Alternately flashing headlights

   * Fog lights replaced with flashing blues (often a flashing blue behind
	 the grill also)

   * Two big, very polite blokes in police uniform and day-glo vests (who
     show their id before doing anything else)

   * Some have a panel on the rear of the vehicle that lights up to say:

		 POLICE - STOP

All in all, fairly easy to spot when they are after you but quite difficult
to see when they are just cruising.  It is a source of entertainment on long
trips to try and spot them before you blast past at a licence endangering
delta in velocities.  The checklist I used was:

   * Clean, late model, UK manufactured car

   * No stickers (bumper, country roundel, "Baby On Board", etc)

   * Lowered suspension

   * No model badges

   * More radio aerials that is normal for a family car

   * Two big blokes in police uniform and day-glo vests

Although vague, it seemed to work, in 5 years I got caught once (and that
was plain stupidity on my part).  The UK differs from the US in that many
forces wont stop you doing up to 100 mph unless it is inappropriate for
the traffic conditions or your driving is not considered (for example,
if you blast past an unmarked car, recognise it as such and slow down you
will often not be stopped - you are paying attention).

Marked cars are far easier to spot in the UK than in the US; they are
almost always white with a fluorescent orange stripe around the middle
(hence the nickname "jam sandwich").  Blasting past a marked car is
considered to be "not paying attention" - you should be able to see it half
a mile away!  They never cruise at the speed limit, usually 65 mph or so;
this allows the traffic to get past (everybody doing 69.9 mph of course!).

The UK operates a points system for traffic offences and each speeding
ticket costs you 3 points which last 3 years.  Accumulate 12 points and
you loose your licence for anything from 1 week to several years
(depending on whether you were caught doing 45 in a 40 or drunk doing 165
in a 70).  In theory, doing 30 mph over the limit means an automatic loss
of licence (the motorway limit is 70 mph hence the magic 100 mph which one
does not exceed in "considered" driving).  If the patrol is not too
interested in taking you to court they will book you doing 98 mph and give
you a fixed penalty fine and 3 points (of course, if you already have 6 or
9 points on your licence they probably wont be so kind).  It used to be the
case that once you lost your licence you got it back "clean", i.e. all
points removed; the powers that be have noticed this little loop hole and
points on the licence when it is revoked remain for their full term.

The fastest anyone has been booked at is (as I recall) 165 mph.  The
situation presented some difficulties for the police as their Jaguars could
only do 141 mph!  Radios were used and a road block set up.  The german
national they caught (in a factory spec Porsche 928) claimed that he had
started out at 70 mph but as no one else seemed to be obeying the limit he
saw no reason why he should :-)

--
Perry Clarke                 perry@unify.com             (916) 928 6287
                     Unify Corporation, Sacramento, CA

Newsgroups: rec.autos.driving