We all know the Police use unmarked cars they are usually BMWs in my area (Silver or Blue) but yesterday saw a '16' plate Volvo Estate with blues and twos going. What have you seen in your area?
The motorcycle cops I rode with last week told me all the new po-po cars will be Volvos. So another reason to watch out for them
I’ve seen loads of different models of unmarked cop cars, oddest being a black Evoque on the M6 around Cheshire area and a current model A class Mercedes hatchback in metallic grey near Blackpool. Any car less than 5 years old could be a cop car unless it’s got a vanity plate, tow bar, roof rack or a Zimmer frame in the back!
I got pulled over a few weeks ago by an unmarked 3 series saloon between Cockerham Village and Glasson Dock. I can't remember what reg it was now. I'd actually overtaken him not long after I'd come out of Cockerham. Once I stopped he suggested when I'd overtaken him we were still in a 40, which we clearly were not. Got into a fairly lively debate and I offered to go back with him to the point at the end of the village where the National Speed Limit signs are in place, (about 4 bends prior to where I went past him when he was still doing about 35 mph). He declined my invite and just told me to keep it down and be on my way.
Round here (SE Londinium) anything and everything is used as unmarked, not necessarily by traffic cops though. I've seen a crappy old SEAT people carrier thing with blues and twos "tearing" past
Bear in mind that some senior Police, Fire and Ambulance officers have their own private cars kitted out for immediate response as they do not always have access to a suitable service vehicle, especially if being called out from home. Most Police forces will use plain cars from the same stable as their uniform fleet, so for example Hants & Thames Valley (my old force) use Volvo and BMW's. But other departments also use kitted out but unmarked cars such as Diplomatic Protection (often black X5's) Firearms who will use a combination of plain and marked, RCS who will use a variety of makes, you get my drift. Also bear in mind that Traffic divisions have been reduced by about 60% over the past few years, so chances are the plain cars you might see might be anything but Traffic....
Makes sense; most of what I see is police officers all kitted up (stab vest, batman utility belt) but in plain clothing, driving anything, however, these cars (all ages, makes and models) have the subtly hidden lights secreted about them. I see all of this because my local BP garage has a larger than normal parking area AND a coffee bit inside it (Costa or something) where they all congregate since all the police stations were sold off (fekkin tories )
Same here sort of. In a 60 zone where I overtook a lorry and the car in front of it at about 70ish Of course it HAD to be an unmarked plod. Didn't notice but it stayed behind me and kept up until we were nearly into the next village where I got stuck behind a learner going about 4mph. Soon as we hit the 30 on went the lights and sirens - which brought the curtains flapping - but because I was "careful" in that bit he let me off with an earful. He must have been at least 14. (Not as bad as once being pulled by a police bike at 97mph who turned out to have once been one of the kids I used to teach. Got £400 lighter for that.) Little bugger!!
Hi Mark - going well thanks, hope you're all good. Still out and about on the RR6, swapped to a Repsol fairing kit over the winter. Was one of the Chinese made kits and fitted it myself, which led to a lot of swearing but got there in the end and I'm pleased with the finished look. The ride where I got pulled was actually one of the first I was on since I put it all back together, (also had new front brake discs, pads and tyre), so was taking it nice and steady. There was two of them in the car, both in uniform. I didn't spend any time behind it though to clock them, bimbling through the village at 40mph they were a good few hundred yards ahead of me. I came out of that left about 4 corners after the village, where there's an uphill straight (ish) bit of road and he was just there, like a barely moving chicane. I'd gone out and round him before I knew it. He only came steaming back up to me after I'd caught 4 other bikers and decided to stick behind them, they then turned off to go to Glasson Dock and that's when he lit me up.
It's a good part of the road to get passed cars and deffo national speed limit. I think I'd seen you last month in the repsol set going past Caton , recognized the helmet, bike look good
