Police Skodas

[WW_VRS]

Call me cynical but it can happen

[sixman9]

I'm from Leicester, I've seen most of the Skoda offerings here (Marked Octy vRS hatches, Silver and Black Unmarked [nice hidden lights in front bumper trim], unmarked low-spec-Fabia in city centre), I also posted some pics a while back.

Just seen some Octy vRS estate jam-sandwiches in Nottingham, very nice they were too . They are 'serious' looking, and appear to have search light on the roof, which must be intimidating when one of these comes up on you :eek: . There was also a Silver unmarked Octy vRS estate parked directly outside of the city centre Police Station, I'm not sure if it was theirs or not (it was parked amonst an assortment of other police vehicles).

Rich

[SUTTS]

I've just bought a vRS and am currently selling an ex-police Volvo T5 which has a full service history and has been serviced every 6k miles despite the manufacturer suggesting that they only need servicing every 10k miles.

I've never heard of police vehicles being left unserviced. Imagine the stink that would get kicked up if the HSE found out that plod was driving round in potentially unsafe vehicles?

Our T5s do 6000 miles roughly every 3 weeks! They all have their own knocks, whines, grinds and clanks but will still indicate 150 mph on the clock (160 on one memorable occasion). Anything that goes wrong is dealt with quickly to keep them on the road, but as for regular servicing.... :( Not unsafe, but I wouldn't treat my own car that way.

[Dr Zoidberg]

I've never heard of police vehicles being left unserviced. Imagine the stink that would get kicked up if the HSE found out that plod was driving round in potentially unsafe vehicles?

I'm aware of one marked 306 that had a faulty odometer that would only clock up about a quarter of the miles it had actually done.

That was serviced according to the display!!!

On one occasion I discovered that brake power was "limited" and refused to drive it. When taken to the garage it turns out that there was no friction material left on the pads.

One of the Mondeos developed an odd clanking noise from the back which was thought to be the kit rattling round in the boot.

Turns out that something in the rear suspension had snapped and the car had been driven (quite rapidly) for three days like that.

There was another unmarked 306 that had been "lost" from the records at the garage , and hadn't been near a spanner for over 2 years.

[lozgti]

With all the bad press about deaths caused by response vehicles and the fact that they are cars very much in the public eye I am surprised by the revelations or 'suggestions'

HGV's I understand are under incredibly strict observations,spot checks and the like.To suggest there are poorly maintained police cars(town cars or high speed response cars) might provoke the sort of response that Ross got from Skoda :cop:

[cra]

To make matters worse they also have 2 unmarked Subaru's on 54 plates and get this, the nobbers are wearing plane clothes!!!!!!!

To be honest, I've never had a problem wikth unmarked cars. In fact, I'd like to see more of them. They deal with people who are driving like a tit. Occasionally, I drive fast but only when I know who is near to me.

[Kitsch]

My brothers Kent police they love the VRS but the sumps very low and they often f**k em up while chasing in areas with speed bumps...

[Kentish]

My brothers Kent police they love the VRS but the sumps very low and they often f**k em up while chasing in areas with speed bumps...

A bit more than often...

The old Peugeots were higher, which they forget.

[el richy]

Avon and Somerset have got atleast 1 octy vrs all marked up etc but tbh they have replaced all their cars with mercs...acording to a copper they said that the main reason why they have they is cus

a.they a cheap as chips for the spec.

b. the breaks!

[Chris4817]

To make matters worse they also have 2 unmarked Subaru's on 54 plates and get this' date=' the nobbers are wearing plane clothes!!!!!!!

Honest truth i've seen one with me own eyes.[/quote']

If they are using unmarked vehicles and wearing plain clothes then they can't stop you anyway. Only a Constable IN UNIFORM can stop a moving vehicle.

[Dr Zoidberg]

No , only a police officer in uniform can require you to take a breath test.

Plain clothes officers in unmarked cars (with hidden blue lights etc) are most definately allowed to stop you.

[WayneH]

Saw an unmarked black Octy vRS hatch on the M3 last weekend. It had pulled in an S-Type Jag

[Chris4817]

No ' date=' only a police officer in uniform can require you to take a breath test.

Plain clothes officers in unmarked cars (with hidden blue lights etc) are most definately allowed to stop you.[/quote']

Sorry, not true. A constable in an unmarked car can stop you but he must be in uniform.

Any other officers here can back me up?

[mercbuggy]

On way back from Lake District saw an unmarked Silver Octy vrs, on M6 Junction 36 last night. Had pulled over a Peugeot.

[Theman7]

No ' date=' only a police officer in uniform can require you to take a breath test.

Plain clothes officers in unmarked cars (with hidden blue lights etc) are most definately allowed to stop you.[/quote']

Wrong. A Police officer not in uniform can require you to take a breath test, at certain times. One being at the scene of an RTA.

Officers in plain clothes can not require a vehicle to stop. This was originally writen for officers on foot duty, but has become a little clouded over time. What this means is in reality you dont know if they are in uniform or not, until you stop.

They can do it, they just can not 'require' you to stop. In fact all this means it that if you failed to stop they would not be able to charge you with that offence. (but they would be able to charge you with all the rest I.e. Dangerous driving etc)

Chris4817 yep- you're right

[Dr Zoidberg]

Chris said that plain clothes police ***can't stop you*** , i.e. it's illegal or in some other way forbidden for them to do so which is not true.

If a plain clothes officer in an unmarked car wants you to pull over all they have to do is turn on the blue lights and the car will (should) stop.

[Chris4817]

Chris said that plain clothes police ***can't stop you*** ' date=' i.e. it's illegal or in some other way forbidden for them to do so which is not true.

If a plain clothes officer in an unmarked car wants you to pull over all they have to do is turn on the blue lights and the car will (should) stop.[/quote']

Sorry this is still incorrect. I wish people who aren't Police Officers/legally qualified wouldn't post incorrect information.

The power to stop a vehicle under the Road Traffic Act is given to the Constable in uniform and not the vehicle, hence an unmarked car can stop a vehicle but the officer MUST be in uniform. Just think, you would be getting all sorts of people stopping vehicles if that was the case.

I will have to advise my traffic Sergeant that the next time he does plain clothes/unmarked obs he won't need the extra car with officers in UNIFORM standing by to stop vehicles as Dr Zoidberg said so!!

[Dr Zoidberg]

Uniform is required to *compel* people to stop under the relevant legislation , but if a plain clothes officer was in an unmarked car with blue lights it would not be illegal or in anyway impossible for them to turn them on to get a car in front to stop.

[Theman7]

Whoa.....! You're both arguing about the same thing. The wording of the act is 'require'

Chris- you're right obviously- they shouldn't be doing it according to the act, and you do need the marked vehicle if you're doing it properly.

Zoidberg-illegal or impossible- well it depends-and gets very complicated.

[robmawer]

I will have to advise my traffic Sergeant that the next time he does plain clothes/unmarked obs he won't need the extra car with officers in UNIFORM standing by to stop vehicles as Dr Zoidberg said so!!

But at the same time, it wouldn't be illegal for him in plain clothes to stop people...and that, I believe, is Dr Z's point.

Whether people would actually stop or not, I don't know, but it's a different matter.

Rob.

[lozgti]

Far too many rules.

Bring back the sweeny type attitude.Screech in front of them,roll over the bonnet with your gun out and hide behind the door.

Sod this uniform no uniform crap

[tavia4x4]

Birmingham, followed a white 4x4 estate along hagley road the other day, fully marked up...

J10 M6 southbound, silver RS, unmarked, but when flashing saw lights on the edge of the front bumper rubbing strip as well as the usual places... looked very smart "strobing"..

[Chris4817]

But at the same time' date=' it wouldn't be illegal for him in plain clothes to stop people...and that, I believe, is Dr Z's point.

Whether people would actually stop or not, I don't know, but it's a different matter.

Rob.[/quote']

I think people in this thread should know though that a vehicle in these circumstances could not prosecute you for speeding even if they were able to stop you as it wouldn't get past a court. It is differnt of course for safety camera which are used by civillians for later notices of intended prosectution.

[stan_deezy]

Does anyone remember the incident in Northern Ireland when two squaddies were dragged from their car and killed by a mob?

Anyway, the following week I was driving to a live weapons exercise with three of us in a MOD unmarked Mini 1000.

We were late for the exercise and had "cammed up" in the car.

We were breaking the law by having weapons/ammo/firing pins in the boot.

Then we hit a 30 MPH zone

The Fiat Strada (YUK!) in front slowed to 25 mph so I shot past him.

In front of him was an Opel Senator 3.0 l

I was doing 56 mph when he pulled along side

So I accelerated (as much as you can do in a Mini 1000)

Then the siren came on and although in Civvies he waved a traffic cops hat at me :confused:

I stopped.

It was an undercover vehicle and they asked to inspect the car: when the boot was opened they **** themselves

I was charged with dangerous driving.

It went to court and the Sherrif (Scotland) threw the case out due to the fact that we were "pursued in danger of our lives" and she was thankful that we did not open fire upon our pursurers!"

I did get a

[TaviaRS]

Especially useful if you have Major or Captain as your title on your driving licence