Marked police cars.?

Question

Do you find that other drivers act/drive differently when you are present in your marked police cars? Some people seem to be over cautious and drive below the speed limit or give way unnecessarily at times Ive noticed. Do you find this too, or is it just my imagination?

Answer 1

It's your imagination.  Here in the D.C. suburbs (Montgomery County), the police do not enforce any traffic laws (and people seem to have figure this out), so you can drive any way you want around the police (they are usually on their cell phones).  The only place you need to drive the speed limit is where there are speed cameras..  It's quite nice (unless you get in an accident or are hit by a car, but that seems to be a price everyone is willing to pay).

Answer 2

Of course

Answer 3

The thing is that the police aren't always that interested in a person a few miles over the speed limit or have a brake light out, we have much more on our minds.

Answer 4

If you want a laugh - if there is a police car at the stop line of a red light, pull up directly alongside it, so you're level with the crew. I guarantee they'll glance across at you because it's so rare. People tend to hang a couple of feet back for some reason.

By the way, if I see a police car, I automatically do a quick scan to make sure I'm complying with the law, I think everybody does it.

Answer 5

It happens all the time.  Quite annoying to be honest.  Like I would ever pull some one over for driving few miles over the speed limit.  I wouldn't have time for anything else!

Answer 6

Generally speaking, the standard of driving I see when I'm in my marked Police car at work is much higher than usual.  There's a lot more indication at corners, slower speeds and general good behaviour.  However, many times I have driven in front or behind people on their phones, with no seat belts and going too fast so its not always the case.

Answer 7

people drive differently when a police vehicle is close i'm only 13 and every day i'm seeing my mother slow down and double check everything before making a turn or even before stopping people are just cautios and sometimes to cautious

Answer 8

Yes they do drive differently.

The one thing that gets my back up is on motorways.

Police patrol speed on motorways is 50-60mph, so why are people so reluctant overtake them?

CMSsgt342,   I was once on a shout in city centre traffic, I took the line of least resistance at a red traffic light up behind one car, I had sirens, blues and headlights flashing. He got out of his car and asked me to switch the headlights off because they were dazzling him (it was daylight).....he a got a very short answer!

Answer 9

Well, I'm not a cop so I can't speak on their behalf. I can tell you that when I'm driving any Fire Apparatus at work and were rolling hot and heavy down the road to a call people seem to see us and they suddenly  loose all common sense! They cut us off, slam on the brakes in front of us, blow through intersections while we are attempting to make it through...

Answer 10

If there's a copper driving next to me, I'm doing all but stopping so that he doesn't end up behind me.

Answer 11

It's not your imagination.  People drive very differently when a marked police car is present.