Flashing blue lights: should I stop?

Lum

Thing I don't get is, undertaking is not actually illegal, they have to prosecute for dangerous driving which would be difficult to prove when the OPs car is completely stopped.

The way I see it, based on the OP's description, this situation could have been avoided if both parties had used their indicators well in advance.

How I would have handled it, if the officer was signalling right then I would have kept left and if they were not signalling I would have assumed they were going straight ahead, put my right signal on and gone to the right turn lane.

Bearing in mind that once the officer is past, if the OP had pulled up on the left, they would have then had to cross 3 lanes of traffic to get to where they needed to be. This itself is a dangerous situation and one that should be avoided if possible.

It's possible the OP didn't see the signal from the police, it's also possible they didn't bother to signal or had a bulb out. Without the video and black box recordings we'll never really know.

pitkin2020

6am wrote: »

OK. This information is helpful. It is not that I did not see them. I saw them and made a decision to stay in the right lane and allow them to undertake. The Highway Code says "let them pass". This is what I thought I was doing. I see them braking rules (speeding in 30 mph). How would I know that there are rules which they are not supposed to break (undertaking)? This information is not readily available I believe. Had I known about special status of undertaking I would have definitely changed to the left lane.

Its perfectly exceptable to allow them to undertake you, if the right hand lane was for right turn only and the left lane is for straight on the cars on your left are going to undertake you. As long as your intentions were clear the police car will make their decision to undertake you.

Saying they are not allowed to undertake you is utter rubbish, next you'll say they aren't allowed to cross over to the other side of the road to get past............

gingerdad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btRHvQEIkcU - this is a really good video on youtube - basiclly an idiots guide to bluelight rules

pitkin2020

Lum wrote: »

Thing I don't get is, undertaking is not actually illegal, they have to prosecute for dangerous driving which would be difficult to prove when the OPs car is completely stopped.

The way I see it, based on the OP's description, this situation could have been avoided if both parties had used their indicators well in advance.

How I would have handled it, if the officer was signalling right then I would have kept left and if they were not signalling I would have assumed they were going straight ahead, put my right signal on and gone to the right turn lane.

Bearing in mind that once the officer is past, if the OP had pulled up on the left, they would have then had to cross 3 lanes of traffic to get to where they needed to be. This itself is a dangerous situation and one that should be avoided if possible.

It's possible the OP didn't see the signal from the police, it's also possible they didn't bother to signal or had a bulb out. Without the video and black box recordings we'll never really know.

Totally agree.

pitkin2020

gingerdad wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btRHvQEIkcU - this is a really good video on youtube - basiclly an idiots guide to bluelight rules

Perfect video, at 1.17 the emergency vehicles under take a van who pulls to the right on to the hatched markings..............

garethgas

anotherbaldrick wrote: »

NO WRONG ; The police drivers are trained to a very high standard . Rather than maneuver in their path keep steady and the police driver will make his decision. He had the inside lane empty and so long as you were indicating right turn he would not have expected you to swap back into inside lane. It's daft doings like that that cause them problems.

I agree 100%
The police car will have a better view of the situation and decide what route to take to get past.
Its up to the police car to avoid you. To pull over to the left when your in the right hand lane is asking for it.
What OP did may/may not have been ideal but at least he/she tried to help him pass which is all thats needed.

JimmyTheWig

6am wrote: »

I am wondering if I had shown right turn indicator (it was slightly early to do) would they undertake me? They would clearly see my intentions then.

Absolutely.

Think of it from their point of view...

I am speeding towards a junction in a police car with my lights on. A car in front in the right hand lane makes no indication that they have seen me. There is a possibility that the car in front has seen me and is deliberately staying right. I could overtake on the left. But that's not looking particularly likely as they haven't indicated. There's also the possibility that they haven't seen me and, given they are not currently overtaking anyone, may well move left. If I overtake on the left they might hit me and it would be my fault for undertaking.
Therefore I need to make certain that they've seen me. I'll put my sirens on.

If you'd had indicated then given that you're indicating early it is clear that you are doing so because you have seen me. Given that you are indicating right it is clear that you are not going to move left. I can safely overtake on the left.


That's how I see it, anyway.

jase1

It was probably not "slightly early" to indicate.

It becomes appropriate to indicate immediately after the last possible right turn-off.

If that means indicating for 10-15 seconds, so be it. Nothing at all wrong with that. Far better than stopping-then-indicating as a depressingly large number of people do these days (this annoys me far more than those who don't bother -- stop, notice me behind them with a puzzled look on my face wondering why they've stopped, oh let's put the flashers on).

Dave101t

if im on a 2-lane road, i dont stop if the 2nd lane is clear for them.
if not, i stop if safe to do so.
other times, i put my foot down to find a place to pull over quickly.

never had a problem with either.

jase1

I think the point is, think about what you are doing. "Stop" is not the right mental attitude. "What can I do to let this guy through with as little thought by him as possible" is the right approach.

If that means "boot it, because it's a tight road and there's a layby 200 yards away", then that may well be the right thing to do under some circumstances.