“Britain’s slowest motorcyclist” leads police on low-speed chase

[Bob]

Sheila Robertson, dubbed ‘Britain's slowest motorcyclist’, was so tired after a 12-hour trip she drove the wrong way down a major (A) road.

“On the stage of physical and mental exhaustion” according to her lawyer, Robertson led police (who only noticed her as she was 'riding so carefully') on the low-speed chase, finally turning the wrong way onto the central reservation of the A9 and then north on the southbound carriageway. She was finally stopped moments after she narrowly missed an oncoming car and burst into tears.

She took more than 12 hours to drive 260 miles between Liverpool and Perth at an average speed of just over 20 miles per hour. Motoring organisations say the journey can be safely made in just over five hours.

Robertson was banned from driving for six months and fined £250.

[bluninja]

Motoring organisations think you can average over 50mph over a 260 mile stretch? Where is this stretch of road?

I only averaged 20 mph on the M27 this morning. Guess I was lucky I didn't get chased by the police :rofl:

Is this some new revenue collection thing? Start chasing the slow (and so safe...surely?:crazy: ) drivers and banning them. then everyone speeds up to avoid being banned, and voila more speed tax. Coming soon to NZ after a successful trial in England and Scotland.:no:

[Brian d marge]

took me 9 hours to get bak from Motegi this year , Its about 70km from my house ..I think we nearly made it to 20km/h most of the time it was about 6 to 10 km/hr

Stephen

I took us 3 hours to do 7km on sunday ( we went to the computer shop to look at new proccesors )


:thud:

[Bob]

Motoring organisations think you can average over 50mph over a 260 mile stretch? Where is this stretch of road?

Liverpool to Perth? Should be possible. Especially once north of the border and into Scotland. Much quieter roads should let you get on with the job nicely.

What fascinates me about this is that they spotted her toodling along at 20mph (well probably more like 30, given the average speed) and just followed her. Depending on the roads she was travelling, if she was going slow enough to make them notice her, then they would have been perfectly within their rights to pull her over to make sure she was OK.

Hope the poor bloke she almost hit on the wrong side of the A9 got over the shock...

[bluninja]

I took us 3 hours to do 7km on sunday ( we went to the computer shop to look at new proccesors )


:thud:

Going to a shop to look at new processors!!! Now that's sad:eek5:

[bluninja]

Bob, I agree...you have to wonder what the police where doing? So back to my paranoid theory that they want us to drive faster to generate more rvenue (and convictions):crybaby:

[MisterD]

Motoring organisations think you can average over 50mph over a 260 mile stretch? Where is this stretch of road?


Liverpool to Perth should be mostly motorways, or praps the A66 across to Scotch corner from Penrith...got followed by a BMW 3-series at 110mph (max) across there one time and it was only when I turned onto the A1 at t'other end and it overtook me that I saw the "Northumbria Police High Speed Training Vehicle" sign nailed to the back ...:Oops:

[Lou Girardin]

What fascinates me about this is that they spotted her toodling along at 20mph (well probably more like 30, given the average speed) and just followed her.

There was a report recently of a drunk driver managing to get from Waihi to Napier (350 km's) before a cop finally stopped him. This was despite several calls on *555 from near the start and someone actually following the cretin for quite some time. Apparently he was overtaking on blind corners and weaving into the right lane regularly.
Must have had a charmed life and nearly got away with it to boot.

[Grahameeboy]

Sure it wasn't Indoo doing 30mph......he he

[James Deuce]

Is this some new revenue collection thing? Start chasing the slow (and so safe...surely?:crazy: ) drivers and banning them. then everyone speeds up to avoid being banned, and voila more speed tax. Coming soon to NZ after a successful trial in England and Scotland.:no:

Surely driving up an A road THE WRONG WAY isn't safe?

Personally I think people who are unable to achieve say within 10% of a posted speed limit, should be fined in the same way that people who exceed the limit are, i.e. fines and demerit points. It is just as dangerous to drive slowly and create a distraction and a queue as it is to "speed".

[Grahameeboy]

Surely driving up an A road THE WRONG WAY isn't safe?

Dunno haven't tried it yet!!!
Personally I think people who are unable to achieve say within 10% of a posted speed limit, should be fined in the same way that people who exceed the limit are, i.e. fines and demerit points. It is just as dangerous to drive slowly and create a distraction and a queue as it is to "speed".

Bit difficult in Auckland Jimbo........my Mazda MPV has this little computer which says 'Average Speed' 32kph.......and don't forget that the posted speed is a max. so you should go slower accordingh to conditions, like SWAT. :motu:

[James Deuce]

Let's clarify that then: in uncongested conditions where the speed limit can be easily maintained.

[Grahameeboy]

Let's clarify that then: in uncongested conditions where the speed limit can be easily maintained.

Still in Auckland.............he he.......::sunny:

[*sic]

awesome.

i like her.

[Sniper]

Hells bells....

[Grahameeboy]

Hells bells....

SpankMe...I think Sniper should be docked points for this post..

[bluninja]

Surely driving up an A road THE WRONG WAY isn't safe?


Yup, I agree with that point; but it seems they had ample opportunity to stop her before the 'chase'. And if at 20 mph she was causing a hazard to other motorists an early pull would have resulted in a clearing of the 'hazard' and the opportunity to get the bottom of the behaviour with the least danger to all concerned.

[James Deuce]

Fair point. I misunderstood the tenor of your reply :)