to be honest, i have never had a problem with any traffic cops I've ever met (the last one was at the RR meet at awsome, the time before last weekend...., he could have been an @ss, and booked people like Jay for illegal number plates ect, but he was just interested in the cars like the rest of us were), but then I've never been pulled by a traffic cop for anything worse than speeding, so I guess I never will have a problem

Thank you! There are plenty more serious things going on without without hassling decent motorists with a decent attitude who make a minor infringement!

I would like to see a hell of a lot more patrol cars on the road with more time and freedom allocated to pick up suspicious or dangerous driving. When there's a jam sarnie around, everyone else temporarily stops acting like muppets and the drive gets a lot more relaxed

I'm far more worried by the morons out there who've quite clearly never seen a test centre in their lives than I am about getting pulled for an oversight on my part.

Contributors to this thread are getting unduly worried by the sight of a police car in their rear view mirror. Most police forces are so overstretched that the patrol car you see will be going from job to job to job and be too busy concentrating on what the control room is passing to them on the radio than be scrutinising your every traffic violation.

The only time they will get to do a bit of proactive traffic work will be late at night on a weekday, or if they are part of a traffic / firearms department. Or if you blatantly flout the rules of the road.

The vast majority of cops will deal with you in a polite and courteous manner, provided that the tolerance aspect is reciprocated. if you are stopped and start banging on about your human rights and calling them the filth, then don't expect to be treated in the same way as if you act normal and are polite. saying that there are always exceptions to the rule, as there are knobs in every field of work. As the old saying goes, if you have a bad experience, you will tell an average of 10 people about it, whereas if you have a good experience, you will only tell two, if that.

Don't be paranoid about police following you, they are just like you but have a bit of training and a uniform on.

I have only every been pulled over once, in my nova at like 1am lol. But i dont know why, everytime i see a copper, i seem to get a bit "up tight" with my driving, like im expecting them to try and do me for whatever they can, which i know there not. Since im a bus driver, you think i`d be a bit more relaxed by now wouldnt ya.

I must admit I do sometimes take a detour to avoid being followed.

A few years ago I was driving up between Welshpool and Oswestry on the A483. I worked in Wigan at the time and used to drive up late Sunday nights. Limit is 60 and i was doing about 70(ish), long straight road. A car pulled out and kept up with me and I didn't think anything of it. We were the only cars on the road. Came into a 40, slowed down to 45-50ish. Only when I came into a steet lit part I noticed it was a fully blue'd and two'd Volvo traffic car. SH!T was my first reaction but, he pulled off and left me to it.

I know a local copper and asked him why they hadn't pulled me. He said that they were having a a blitz on drink drivers and if I had have been driving stupidly or excessively speeding then they would have stopped me but otherwise would have had no interest.

This is why we need more traffic police and less Scameras. Police can make a judgement and decide to take the reasonable course of action for the particular circumstances.

Police can make a judgement and decide to take the reasonable course of action for the particular circumstances.

Spot on, I couldn't agree more. One of these days I'm going to do the maths over relative running costs, but until then I'll just stand back and applaud loudly

The only time I've been followed and I've taken a detour is when they were driving too close and I was getting annoyed with them

I once followed a patrol car though; I got lost in the outskirts of Nottingham in the small hours of a friday night and I didn't stop following them until I knew where I was!

I once followed a patrol car. I flagged him down as I was totally lost. I though he might be a bit grumpy being asked for directions but he said it was a quiet day and to follow him and he would lead me there. Top bloke.

Slightly o/t but I once confused a copper in Liverpool, by asking him politely for directions, and then saying thank you!

Slightly o/t but I once confused a copper in Liverpool, by asking him politely for directions, and then saying thank you!

Many years ago I convinced a copper he needed a faster Volvo :D

We got deported from iow when we stopped a copper to ask where the nearest petrol station was. He thought me and my mate were dodgy and told us to leave the isle.