At a time when the police and road authorities are making so much noise about speed on the roads, two people deserve to share the Idiot Of The Month award ? both are police officers.

On Easter Tuesday, returning from the National Moke Muster in Shepparton ? we deliberately waited till Tuesday to avoid the mad rush of idiots on the Monday ? I was motoring between Pyalong and Lancefield in Victoria in the mid-afternoon (about 3 o?clock). Approaching a sweeping blind curve over a crest, I was passed by a light, metallic, green Ford BA Falcon, which continued on at an estimated speed of 130-140km/h.

A short time later, I was again passed by a vehicle doing a similar speed (although this one at least passed in a safer location). This one was a dark blue Holden VY Commodore. As it swept past, I noticed emergency lights in the rear parcel shelf and realised it was an un-marked police car. I flashed my lights at him/her to register my annoyance, but with no effect.

Entering Lancefield, the dark blue Commodore turned into the petrol station there. I noticed the metallic green Falcon was also in refuelling, and that it too was an unmarked police car ? three uniformed police in and around it.

As we drove through Romsey, the green Falcon approached from the rear. I made a point of sticking exactly to the speed limit (50km /h) through the township, then accelerated up to 100km/h as soon as permitted. In the 100 zone the Falcon again overtook me at an estimated speed of at least 140km/h and disappeared into the distance.

We turned off that road before seeing the blue Commodore again.

But my point is this ? what gives these police officers the right to drive in such an irresponsible and hypocritical manner, when police are on the TV and radio moaning about the public just not getting the message about speed. These Upholders Of The Right are the same people who would probably book members of the general public for doing as little as 5km/h over the speed limit and lecture them about the dangers of speed on the road.

The TAC tells us that 5km/h makes all the difference, and uses instances of idiots doing excessive speed of 130km/h-plus as justification for the zero tolerance to speeding, while members of the police force are out there providing such a hypocritical example.

People who travel at marginally more than the posted speed limit are made to feel like rampaging murderers, while some of the boys and girls in blue seem to think the laws just don't apply to them.

I'm mad as hell about this.


Watto.

Take their license numbers and report them.

Being a widely distributed publication, tell them either take action or you will start a monthly column exposing bad police drivers.


Might I add....I have nothing against police, and its great to see them showing their presnce on the road. But hey...set an example ffs.

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No more Minis!......For now.

Here here!!!

I constantly see marked police cars doing 60 in a 40 'School Zone'

My cousin works for the Ballarat Police (not a copper, secretarial work!) and she says when a new model of pursuit vehicle becomes available, they take them out to the surrounding small towns (and roads) and drive like maniacs.

Just to see how they perform, regardless of who is around at the time.
Put the lights and siren on, no-ones the wiser.

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Santo

"The Lone Ranger"
HI-HO Silver......AWAAAAAY!

If you wanted to you could get behind them travel at their speed. It is illegal for them to travel at that speed ( my mate got done by speed camera in a marked poice car on the way to a domestic knife involved) and the highway guys refused to let him off)

I have travelled similar speed Toowoomba to Brisbane behind a police car ( no lights flashing) If He was to pull me up, I would have had 3 other witnesses to take my case to court , the police man would have been done to. I would have taken him down with me

This is what pi55es me off. Speed DOES NOT Kill, it's people not concentrating, driving beyound their ability, or their cars. ( I never put my old mini over 100km-h). or road conditions.

think about it if you do 110 in a 100km zone are you instantly dead as the Gov ad's make out you will be???
It's time that they concentrate on teaching people to drive with in their and cars means.
oh hang on that won't make them money

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Well I'm going to be the odd one out and say it's time for Watto to back off



What give's them the right? i'll tell you what gives them the right. An act of parliment gives them the right. Don't know what it over there but here it is called section 42 of the road traffic act. It gives them every right to do just that ... be exempt from speed restrictions




And quite rightly, the law simply does not apply to them in the same way as it does to us while in their work cars actively doing their job.



Seriously bloke - get over it - you assume because you did not see a reason for their haste that there was not one. The truth most likely included a perfictly valid operational reason to get from A to B as rapidly as possible, they were working, trying to make it a bit safer world for you, that should be enough.

Did you get the rego details?

Is it illegal to publish such details?

I'm spewing that these cops took the title off willy for the month of April.

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One should never skimp on the zip ties.

Donuts on discount at the petrol station whilst filling up? Come on.

I was under the impression that Cops had to obey the road rules AT ALL TIMES, unless in pursuit of another vehicle or responding to an emergency......I am sure a NSW cop told me this.

WhoDat.....nothing wrong with constructive critisism, but do your facts apply to SA ONLY, and not other states?

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Website: www.justanothermini.com

quibbling over 15c dicount on a donut? Oh please - come on.

They need fuel they fill up. They hungry they fill up.

The issue here is they are legally allowed to go faster than the posted speed restriction and we are not - end of story.

Getting all upset about it is not going to change a thing.

Perhaps they were driving that way to avoid a "black dog".............................the Freedom of Information laws should shed some light on that

I believe yes, that is the case in NSW.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Tassie Reads

305. Exemption for drivers of police vehicles


(1) A provision of the Road Rules does not apply to the driver of a police vehicle if ?

(a) in the circumstances:

(i) the driver is taking reasonable care; and

(ii) it is reasonable that the provision should not apply; and


(b) if the vehicle is a motor vehicle that is moving ? the vehicle is displaying a blue or red flashing light or sounding an alarm.Note: Motor vehicle and police vehicle are defined in the dictionary.



(2) Subrule (1)(b) does not apply to the driver if, in the circumstances, it is reasonable ?

(a) not to display the light or sound the alarm; or

(b) for the vehicle not to be fitted or equipped with a blue or red flashing light or an alarm.

What does that even mean?
That the police can do whatever they want if the judge it safe?

They probably should be able to.

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Sir Namibian CAMEL of MONGOLIA !!!
Vrilen Snyson Racing: Finding us all a Vrilen
Asparagus: Experience the versatility

It is the case - all police vehicles in all states MUST obey the posted speed limit in all circumstances unless enroute to an emergency or crisis. This is the statement published in "The Beat" which is a NSW non-affiliated police circular that is published by the NSW police fraternity.

Whilst not "official", it did state they are accountable for their actions. Imagine if one of these dickheads lost control and crashed their vehicle - would they be able to hide behind the badge - I think not!

Hooroo

Rob Forsyth
Miniot!!

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Rob Forsyth
Miniot!!