I watched last nights episode in particular the bit where the lady driver was side swiped by a foreign trucker.
Her car was scraped down one side and she was ok but the officer asked her if the car was ok to drive. I'd bet money she was no mechanic and neither was the copper so who would know if the vehicle was safe to drive straight back onto the busy motorway with two young kids? What if a wheel subsequently fell off causing a major crash or her brakes were fubar'd? Who'd be liable?
There was no sign the copper even attempted to visually check her vehicle before allowing her to proceed although this could have been edited out.
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So after driving vehicle to a service area police allow woman to continue driving a vehicle with superficial panel damage. Truly shocking.
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You appear to misunderstand my point CGN.
In her case the car turned out to be ok to drive but how would the copper or the average driver know for sure? Short of crawling under the car for a visual check or doing some rudimentary braking and steering test at low speed on a hard shoulder I cant see how the police can safely advise.
It could have had serious steering, brake or suspension failure which could cause a subsequent crash resulting in all sorts of carnage.
For most people shaken up after a crash, being told by a uniformed copper that its ok to carry on would probably not merit being questionned but how safe is it?
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"It could have had serious steering, brake or suspension failure."
But it didn't did it? It was scraped down the side and was driven back to the service area with no problem. The driver chose to drive her vehicle from there and the police had no grounds for preventing her. Can't see the problem.
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>> You appear to misunderstand my point CGN.
You will have to re-phrase the question, e.g.:
Is it OK for a policeman to tell a driver to continue to drive after a crash in which their vehicle was damaged, without checking the damaged vehicle or having it checked?
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I agree with "themanwithno name" The tyre had been clearly stuck with a scuff mark on it and there was no telling whether the lower suspension arm could of suffered stress in the accident!
I take my hat off to the women, I think she took it all rather well ! I bet the reality of it all sunk in later though! hopefully she won't get too close to a LHD HGV again,
When ever I travel on a motorway I fail to understand those that just continue to travel along side an HGV unaware of the dangers! if its on foregin plate I give it a spare lane!
I was more appalled at the guy in the Rover 623 who not only endagered his children by accrying too many unbelted and then pulled straight out in front of a lorry!!!!!!!!!!!after being instructed how to re-enter the motorway 3 times
why oh why was he not charged with a more serious motor offence! he was just so ignorant!he was a danger to other road users
We can get 3 point and fine for just a couple of miles an hour over the limit and this guy was just a menace on the road and yet he just gets a £30 fine and 3 points, the mind boggles and i bet he goes straight back out again with all the kids in the car!
As for all these licence offenders driving without licences or disqals surley we need to get a lot tougher????
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In the final crash where the boy was killed and they could find no reason for the lorry to jacknife,where was the lorry driver??
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Why would it be police's liability to ensure the car was safe? She's her own person, capable of making her own decisions. If she felt it wasn't right, call for a tow.
If she moves out onto the motorway and a wheel flies off, it's entirely her resposibility, nothing to do with the policeman.
Why is *everything* someone elses fault :-(
p.s. haven't seen it yet but will watch it when i get home :-)
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>> Why would it be police's liability to ensure the car was safe? She's her own
>> person, capable of making her own decisions. If she felt it wasn't right, call for
>> a tow.
>>
>> If she moves out onto the motorway and a wheel flies off, it's entirely her
>> resposibility, nothing to do with the policeman.
>>
>> Why is *everything* someone elses fault :-(
Skoda, I am not trying to suggest the police have overriding responsibility nor am I trying to suggest anyone is responsible however after a serious crash the driver be it a woman or man, young or old may not be thinking clearly. If a man in uniform acting for one of the main emergency services makes a suggestion for you to leave the motorway and stop at the nearest services are you going to question him?
I speak with some experience after my wife was crashed into and spun into the nearside barrier on a motorway. The policemen who attended seemed more interested in how she was going to turn the car round to face the right way and get home. My wife (luckily) decided to call for a tow truck instead. The car was subsequently written off because it was banana shaped. Hardly what I would call a safe vehicle to have driven to the next service station which could have been tens of miles away.
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Is it OK for a policeman to tell a driver to continue to drive after a crash in which their vehicle was damaged, without checking the damaged vehicle or having it checked?
The policeman did not tell the driver to continue to drive. He allowed her to continue to drive and as far as I could see there was no legal reason to prevent her driving the vehicle.
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The police aksed her to drive it to the motorway services where it was safer to continue the discussion.
It would of been more prudent for her car to of been recovered.
Having spent some years recovering cars its suprising how often they will pop a ball joint after a crash!
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So let's get this clear then.
Had the copper have continued the discussion where they were and an accident had occurred it would have been his fault for not asking her to move.
He asks her if she's happy to move and he's still wrong?
Sometimes, just sometimes, you have to look at things objectively and take a decision on the balance of probabilities.
I make him right.
Pat
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A relation narrowly missed a motorway accident by driving up a grass bank. BIBs wouldn't let him drive it until it had been checked by a recovery crew. It didn't have a mark on it.
Mind you it was the same one who stopped on the hard shoulder and waited for a recovery truck when his new car dumped all its power steering fluid. How much power assistance do you need to drive a couple of miles along a motorway to the next services?
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>> when his new car dumped all its power steering fluid.>>
I thought modern cars had electric power steering.
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>> >> when his new car dumped all its power steering fluid.>>
>>
>> I thought modern cars had electric power steering.
It's still a hydraulic system on most cars. The only electric thing is the pump.
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>> It's still a hydraulic system on most cars. The only electric thing is the pump.
>>
My Focus had that system, My Ceed has a motor on the steering column. The speed sensitive assistance is more noticeable on the Ceed with more assistance at slow speed. One thing that surprised me is that it is an AC motor.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sat 4 Dec 10 at 16:40
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And if she had driven up the road and the lower armed snapped she would of spun out possibly causing a fatal pile up.
Having been asked to drive it by the copper ( some authority ) itas unlikley she will argue.
I agree there is a high risk on the hard shoulder as well, I have been struck twice on motorways! once just a brush whilst recovering an Ambassador on the M25 about 1981 and one very big one 4 years ago so i know the risk but have also seen consequences of cars beiing driven following a kerb strike.
Lorry could of gone to the services, and the police taken the family to the services and left the car for recovery
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Vx - there are now electrically assisted racks, no hydraulics.
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I think the PAS on the CC3 is all-electric - there's no reservoir under the bonnet.
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thats good to know because that means you cant flood the engine
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>> I think the PAS on the CC3 is all-electric - there's no reservoir under the
>> bonnet.
>>
>>
My Mk2 fixed tin roofed Focus had an electric / hydraulic steering system. The reservoir is beneath the off side headlight and is a service check item.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sat 4 Dec 10 at 18:29
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...The reservoir is beneath the off side headlight and is a service check item...
Ah, perhaps mine is part hydraulic then.
Too cold/dark/snowy to check at the moment, but I'll have a little look-see next time I lift the bonnet.
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>> Too cold/dark/snowy to check at the moment, but I'll have a little look-see next time
>> I lift the bonnet.
>>
It is well hidden, I dont think you can see it without removing the headlight. One screw, two clips and it is out, takes seconds.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sat 4 Dec 10 at 18:37
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...It is well hidden, I dont think you can see it without removing the headlight. One screw, two clips and it is out, takes seconds...
Thanks.
Same instructions as for changing a headlight bulb.
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If only the Ceed was so easy. :-(
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Motorway Cops BBC1 - CGNorwich
