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[JamesV6CDX]

... no, I was stone cold sober. But I saw something extremely concerning this morning.

I left Cardiff at 3:30am this morning, to get to work for 5am.

I joined the M4 at Junction 29, heading eastbound towards Bristol / Severn Bridge.

I was doing just under 80mph (dead motorway) and was rapidly approaching a 4x4 that was in the centre lane, with NO lights on. We were the only two vehicles anywhere around. It occurs to me that this guy must be crawling along, given the speed I was approaching him.

Thinking it was odd how he wasn't in lane one, I moved into lane 3 to pass him. As I moved into lane three, I was a few car lengths behind the 4x4, when it also moved half way into lane three - causing me to have to pull out of the overtaking manouver and brake firmly to reduce speed.

Remembering a recent experience, I kept cool and followed patiently at a good distance, waiting for him to move out of my way. But he never.

Thinking how dangerous it was to be doing about 40mph in lane 3 (!) I decided to make myself safer and get back to lane 1.

As I moved back to lane 1, (still a good distance behind it), the 4x4 glanced off the central reservation, and then swerved left. It then settled in the centre lane, and kept driving, in a very erratic manor. I thought it was going to roll. I wanted to try and pass it again, but because of the amount it was swaying between the lanes, I considered it too unsafe to try.

Watching the way he was driving, I thought "enough is enough", so I dialled 999 from my in car phone and asked for the police. I explained to their control precisely what the situation was, and gave an exact motorway location and direction, and the car's reg no. Ok sir she said, thank you for your call, we have put observations out for this vehicle.

Now, bearing in mind this lethal thing is swaying into all of the lanes, I had no way of passing it, unless I wanted to attempt a very illegal and dangerous undertaking manouver using the hard shoulder! So I took the sensible option of keeping a very good distance behind it in lane one, and remaining patient.

I must say, I am not impressed with the police on this occasion. This vehicle kept driving in this manner, down the centre of the M4, with NO lights on, right the way up to Bristol, where I turned off. About 40/50 miles, at a guess. In that time and distance, not a whiff of a Police car, despite my call. There were several locations where police could intercept, including the big J24 at Newport, the M50 junction, Caldicot, the Severn Bridge, and of course the big M4/M5 Bristol interchange. There would have been plenty of time to look at CCTV if needsbe and get a unit to one of these locations.

But nothing. This car continued driving like this up the M4 towards London, when I turned off.

I wonder how far he got. Hopefully no innocent people were hurt as a result of the Police's inability to intercept a clearly drunk driver in a large vehicle causing havoc on the M4 for a 50 mile+ stretch - despite being phoned about it  :-/

I normally am the first to defend the Police as we would be lost without them. But on this particular occasion, I feel that they failed miserably.

[Paul]

Between 1 and 2am I was on my way back from Exeter through Bristol ti M25. Have seen several Police cars on hard shoulder making someones day..

[JamesV6CDX]

Between 1 and 2am I was on my way back from Exeter through Bristol ti M25. Have seen several Police cars on hard shoulder making someones day..

Shame they weren't down on the M4 then!

[Danny]

all too familiar situation!!

a few years ago on an xmas night out we were travelling to manchester on the motorway, about 65 mph in a minibus when out of nowhere came a 1987 toyota celica GT, too fast for the curve, bounced off the central reservation and absolutely destroyed his pride and joy, he walked away unscathed lucky for him, no other vehicle involved

and at midnight just last night I was sat in a lay-by (bored after the wifey had gone to her parents for xmas!) and at about 50mph a Vectra came flying past, i then noticed the light at the junction was red, and a car was on its way out if the side road (no buildings to obscure his view, he'd have seen it WELL in time) and he only hit his brake when the car was in his path, he tried to "coolly" drive around it on the wrong side of a set of bollards and wrote his car off on the metal fence, other driver in the other car apparently oblivious, and had carried on, i went over to see if they were ok purely because he had a passenger, they were fine, a bit shaken, I then told him he was lucky I didnt report him!

[miggy]

... no, I was stone cold sober. But I saw something extremely concerning this morning.

I left Cardiff at 3:30am this morning, to get to work for 5am.

I joined the M4 at Junction 29, heading eastbound towards Bristol / Severn Bridge.

I was doing just under 80mph (dead motorway) and was rapidly approaching a 4x4 that was in the centre lane, with NO lights on. We were the only two vehicles anywhere around. It occurs to me that this guy must be crawling along, given the speed I was approaching him.

Thinking it was odd how he wasn't in lane one, I moved into lane 3 to pass him. As I moved into lane three, I was a few car lengths behind the 4x4, when it also moved half way into lane three - causing me to have to pull out of the overtaking manouver and brake firmly to reduce speed.

Remembering a recent experience, I kept cool and followed patiently at a good distance, waiting for him to move out of my way. But he never.

Thinking how dangerous it was to be doing about 40mph in lane 3 (!) I decided to make myself safer and get back to lane 1.

As I moved back to lane 1, (still a good distance behind it), the 4x4 glanced off the central reservation, and then swerved left. It then settled in the centre lane, and kept driving, in a very erratic manor. I thought it was going to roll. I wanted to try and pass it again, but because of the amount it was swaying between the lanes, I considered it too unsafe to try.

Watching the way he was driving, I thought "enough is enough", so I dialled 999 from my in car phone and asked for the police. I explained to their control precisely what the situation was, and gave an exact motorway location and direction, and the car's reg no. Ok sir she said, thank you for your call, we have put observations out for this vehicle.

Now, bearing in mind this lethal thing is swaying into all of the lanes, I had no way of passing it, unless I wanted to attempt a very illegal and dangerous undertaking manouver using the hard shoulder! So I took the sensible option of keeping a very good distance behind it in lane one, and remaining patient.

I must say, I am not impressed with the police on this occasion. This vehicle kept driving in this manner, down the centre of the M4, with NO lights on, right the way up to Bristol, where I turned off. About 40/50 miles, at a guess. In that time and distance, not a whiff of a Police car, despite my call. There were several locations where police could intercept, including the big J24 at Newport, the M50 junction, Caldicot, the Severn Bridge, and of course the big M4/M5 Bristol interchange. There would have been plenty of time to look at CCTV if needsbe and get a unit to one of these locations.

But nothing. This car continued driving like this up the M4 towards London, when I turned off.

I wonder how far he got. Hopefully no innocent people were hurt as a result of the Police's inability to intercept a clearly drunk driver in a large vehicle causing havoc on the M4 for a 50 mile+ stretch - despite being phoned about it  :-/

I normally am the first to defend the Police as we would be lost without them. But on this particular occasion, I feel that they failed miserably.

You should have tooted as you went past the coldra, you coulda popped in for a cuppa, i was still up.

Your gonna have to pop in mate sometime.

Pete

[phil her up]

James , you seem to always find yourself at the wrong place at the wrong time

[Martin_1962]

You have a facelift Omega.

You should have stayed back about 100m and flashed - that would have caused him to complete panic, most probably stop.

And report the incident to Police complaints authority

[theolodian]

It's obvious that you are wrong and this was a completely safe driver James!  They weren't speeding so wouldn't set off any speed cameras, which is the only safety enforcement in the UK so obviously the only truly unsafe behaviour, besides not paying taxes of course.  

[JamesV6CDX]

James , you seem to always find yourself at the wrong place at the wrong time

I think it's just a case of I do about 650+ miles a week, so statistically I will witness more idiots than most

[markrl]

Because Police Officers are paid double time on bank holidays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Years Day etc minimal numbers are on duty and there aint no one about. As pointed out above speed Camera's not alot of use in this senario.

Happy Omega Christmas drink driving to you all  

[Andy B]

I would normally say you should be carefull talking about our boys in blue like that, or you'll be 'moderated' but ----- as I've had a drink or 3 --- I won't .................    

[JamesV6CDX]

you should be carefull talking about our boys in blue like that

I'm allowed to express my opinions and I'll continue to do so. If I'm "moderated" or banned as a result, it's not my loss

As for the "minimal police" on holdays because of double time - I saw enough of them on the M4 this morning.

Including the one that had nothing better to do than go steaming past me at 5am when I was doing 75mph in lane one. He pulled in front of me, and slowed down to about 65mph - so I maintained my speed, went into lane 2 and passed him!

Some (not all) but some police officers I'm sure are power hungry, enjoy trying to antagonise people, and shouldn't be in the job.

I know several really decent level headed officers, but I've also come across some really irrational and pedantic ones.

[Martin_1962]

Same in every job, I was once pulled for a little over the limit and the Police man took time to explain why the trap was there and why I should have been travelling slower at that location (less than  10mph over 60mph limit), very decent Policeman who felt that education was more important. I always thought a lot more about visibilty from then.

A few years later on a bike a Policeman nearly caused a pileup to pull me for a similar - but visibility was better - because I was on a bike and met a not as nice Policeman. I could easily have lost him but at the time I respected the Police and I thought after his dangerous driving it would be nothing. My boss at the time was a knob* too and would not let me complain about his driving (oh for the artic to have had brake failure) or try to get off as he would use it as grounds for dismissal.

Which taught me more?

Being told why not. I have also learnt stopping is expensive, Forest of Dean is a dump and that I was best out of that job.

I have learnt a lot off the Police over the years (schemes and they are involved with road training) did the RAC ACU scheme before going on the road.

They are people - they will pull to chat, to check over, to be pedantic - I have had all of these. Some are great people and some are knobheads.

I was pulled once at a silly hour but he didn't pull me for speeding - he pulled me to chat about the social club where I did it (I overtook a puller outer and booted to 40 to pass them before slowing back down, rather than emergency braked) and to be careful, some drunk drivers (why he was there) - then chatted to me about my Sunbeam and was a little put out it was a 1600 and not a Lotus.

As above Police come in all shapes and sizes, some are brilliant some are knobs.

* This is why I have been at the same company for years non-knobby boss.

[Tafty]

Giving the driver the benefit of the doubt - he may have been diabetic......  though the percentage for that being the case is probably less than 50/50.  :-/

[paul.c]

... no, I was stone cold sober. But I saw something extremely concerning this morning.

I left Cardiff at 3:30am this morning, to get to work for 5am.

I joined the M4 at Junction 29, heading eastbound towards Bristol / Severn Bridge.

I was doing just under 80mph (dead motorway) and was rapidly approaching a 4x4 that was in the centre lane, with NO lights on. We were the only two vehicles anywhere around. It occurs to me that this guy must be crawling along, given the speed I was approaching him.

Thinking it was odd how he wasn't in lane one, I moved into lane 3 to pass him. As I moved into lane three, I was a few car lengths behind the 4x4, when it also moved half way into lane three - causing me to have to pull out of the overtaking manouver and brake firmly to reduce speed.

Remembering a recent experience, I kept cool and followed patiently at a good distance, waiting for him to move out of my way. But he never.

Thinking how dangerous it was to be doing about 40mph in lane 3 (!) I decided to make myself safer and get back to lane 1.

As I moved back to lane 1, (still a good distance behind it), the 4x4 glanced off the central reservation, and then swerved left. It then settled in the centre lane, and kept driving, in a very erratic manor. I thought it was going to roll. I wanted to try and pass it again, but because of the amount it was swaying between the lanes, I considered it too unsafe to try.

Watching the way he was driving, I thought "enough is enough", so I dialled 999 from my in car phone and asked for the police. I explained to their control precisely what the situation was, and gave an exact motorway location and direction, and the car's reg no. Ok sir she said, thank you for your call, we have put observations out for this vehicle.

Now, bearing in mind this lethal thing is swaying into all of the lanes, I had no way of passing it, unless I wanted to attempt a very illegal and dangerous undertaking manouver using the hard shoulder! So I took the sensible option of keeping a very good distance behind it in lane one, and remaining patient.

I must say, I am not impressed with the police on this occasion. This vehicle kept driving in this manner, down the centre of the M4, with NO lights on, right the way up to Bristol, where I turned off. About 40/50 miles, at a guess. In that time and distance, not a whiff of a Police car, despite my call. There were several locations where police could intercept, including the big J24 at Newport, the M50 junction, Caldicot, the Severn Bridge, and of course the big M4/M5 Bristol interchange. There would have been plenty of time to look at CCTV if needsbe and get a unit to one of these locations.

But nothing. This car continued driving like this up the M4 towards London, when I turned off.

I wonder how far he got. Hopefully no innocent people were hurt as a result of the Police's inability to intercept a clearly drunk driver in a large vehicle causing havoc on the M4 for a 50 mile+ stretch - despite being phoned about it  :-/

I normally am the first to defend the Police as we would be lost without them. But on this particular occasion, I feel that they failed miserably.



im surprised they didnt try to charge you instead