Police killing us again!

[Deano]

The whole subject of U-turns needs to be addressed and highlighted as they pose a great risk to us as bike riders. I have had quite a few close calls due to sudden and not indicated U-turns over the years as i'm sure you have too.

Definitely a pattern - I've had threee similar experiences, one of which I was in the cop car. A boy racer came the other way speeding and the cop just swung on the wheel to do a u turn, right on a blind corner. Then she stalled it, mid three point turn. If she has just gone another 20m there was a nice driveway on a straight piece of road to turn in.

I think it is simply a matter of adrenalin and over zealous reaction - a perfectly human response in such situations. But it needs to be trained out of them. When they get a call to a job or see a speeder they need to take a deep breath and think about their next move a bit more carefully.

[riffer]

I think talk of when pursuit actually commences is a red herring.

Once the police officer decides to pursue, and commences to turn and follow a car, the pursuit is on from that moment, as the intention to pursue is there.

Splitting hairs about when the pursuit has commenced isn't going to help here.

The problem is the decision to pursue, and in a number of occasions it would appear that the police officers aren't being properly advised on how best to handle this situation.

Deano - its not that they are stalling the car. Anyone who's driven a Holden Commodore can talk about the traction control systems and what they do when you try and U-turn quickly.

The only way to properly do a wheel spinning u-turn in a Holden Commodore is to turn off the traction control. Otherwise it will KILL your drive and look like the car is stalled.

And herein lies a major rub. I'm not sure on Police procedure and I can't comment on whether the Police are allowed to disengage traction control systems. Or it could be that in the heat of the moment (red mist?) the officer simply forgot to disengage the system.

Either way, the heart of the problem here is the decision to pursue. And this is primarily due to the lack of other options Police have at their disposal, forcing the officers to believe that the only thing they can do is chase down the speeder.

Sooner or later a Police car traveling in excess of 200km/h to chase a motorist doing in excess of 150km/hr is going to collide with a family in another car.

[rastuscat]

At what point does a pursuit commence?

A pursuit commences when a normal stop morphs into a pursuit. Otherwise, by some posters definitions, every mobile normal traffic stop would be a pursuit.

[Scuba_Steve]

A pursuit commences when a normal stop morphs into a pursuit. Otherwise, by some posters definitions, every mobile normal traffic stop would be a pursuit.

and it always ends 30 seconds before the offender crashes

[terbang]

Stupid myopic woman who did a Uey in front of me (and nearly killed me) on the brow of a hill just lost her licence for six months and picked up a $2500 fine for her efforts.

Stupid adrenalin filled rozzer who did a Uey in front of motorcyclist (and KILLED him) on the brow of a hill keeps his licence and picks up a $250 for his efforts.

Equal justice for all, yeah right.

[Dodgy_Matt]

Stupid myopic woman who did a Uey in front of me (and nearly killed me) on the brow of a hill just lost her licence for six months and picked up a $2500 fine for her efforts.

Stupid adrenalin filled rozzer who did a Uey in front of motorcyclist (and KILLED him) on the brow of a hill keeps his licence and picks up a $250 for his efforts.

Equal justice for all, yeah right.

You have gotta be shitting me?

[PrincessBandit]

Stupid adrenalin filled rozzer who did a Uey in front of motorcyclist (and KILLED him) on the brow of a hill keeps his licence and picks up a $250 for his efforts.

How many metres from the brow was the car when it turned? Or was it right on the brow?

[riffer]

How many metres from the brow was the car when it turned? Or was it right on the brow?

Read the IPCA report. It's posted about a dozen or so posts back.

[Jack Miller]

Why does the press report it as a U turn in their headlines? To save space probably but it was a 3-point-turn, which takes longer and highlights what an appallingly bad decision Lenihan made. Either he thought he could make it in one go and was wrong or he didn't care that he was going to block a road over a blind crest for more than 7 seconds. Either way it is an appallingly bad call for a "long standing highway patrol officer."

[Jack Miller]

The charge was reduced to a triviality and the fine was a pittance. Even so, this HP Officer now has a "Careless Driving" conviction. Can a convicted careless driver keep his job as a Highway Patrol officer? How many careless drivers have we got in the HP?

[Biggles08]

Stupid myopic woman who did a Uey in front of me (and nearly killed me) on the brow of a hill just lost her licence for six months and picked up a $2500 fine for her efforts.

Stupid adrenalin filled rozzer who did a Uey in front of motorcyclist (and KILLED him) on the brow of a hill keeps his licence and picks up a $250 for his efforts.

Equal justice for all, yeah right.

This does not surprise me and in essence is the issue. "Justice seen to be done."

Paul made a mistake by making bad choices = his penalty was his life. RIP mate.
Cop made a mistake by making bad choices = (he defended these choices to start with?!?!) and his penalty was $250?!

Not right and no one can convince me it is.

[Deano]

I Deano - its not that they are stalling the car. Anyone who's driven a Holden Commodore can talk about the traction control systems and what they do when you try and U-turn quickly.

No I'm not really familiar with the vehicle and its traction control foibles.

But it was an unmarked commodore and at the point where she tried to select reverse (it was an auto) it definitely stalled. The driver had to restart the engine.

[blueblade]

How many motorcyclists have been killed or injured over recent years because of something stupid that a cop did??

How many motorcyclists have been killed or injured over recent years because they ride like idiots and treat the roads as race tracks??

Which is the bigger problem and therefore deserves more time and energy being expended on it ??

[Katman]

How many motorcyclists have been killed or injured over recent years because of something stupid that a cop did??

How many motorcyclists have been killed or injured over recent years because they ride like idiots and treat the roads as race tracks??

Which is the bigger problem and therefore deserves more time and energy being expended on it ??

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Jack Miller]

How many motorcyclists have been killed or injured over recent years because of something stupid that a cop did??

How many motorcyclists have been killed or injured over recent years because they ride like idiots and treat the roads as race tracks??

Which is the bigger problem and therefore deserves more time and energy being expended on it ??

The medical profession has a different attitude that I think the Police could learn from. They admit that many medical interventions would be assaults in any other setting so their first principal is "above all do no harm." They have to be more cautious than normal and the Police should be the same.