POLICE TRAINING METHODS

POLICE TRAINING METHODS

Sir,

I thought that the following anecdote would provide interest in connection with your current cause celehre.

I.ast Monday (11th September) at approximately 7.30 p.m., I was proceeding about my lawful occasions driving in a westerly direction on M4. I was in the outer lane of the two, in the vicinity of the Slough East exit, having just passed some slower vehicles. My speed was almost exactly 70 m.p.h. according to the speedometer.

A blaze of headlights in my mirror indicated some potent machinery coming up behind and I pulled into the nearside lane.

I was then passed by an Austin Westminster (or large Wolseley) and a Mk. 11 Jaguar in close company bearing plates on their rears with the legend: ” Kent Police Advanced Driver Instruction.”

My interest in this phenomenon overcame my natural preparedness, If not my willingness, to be a law abiding citizen and, feeling that I was in good company, I accelerated in hot pursuit.

On reaching an indicated 85 m.p.h. in my comparatively humble and almost new (2,500 mls) vehicle I decided that discretion was the better part of valour, particularly as the Kent Police were disappearing into the distance at at least 90 and probably 95-i-mph. Three points arise from this incident:—

(,) What is sauce for the goose is obviously not sauce for the gander. (2) lithe Kent Police need to give their drivers instruction in highspeed conducting, which is not unreasonable. what is wrong with Brands !latch e

(3) One of the rules of driving ordinarily, let alone ” advanced driving,” is that there should be one car’s length between vehicle:: per to m.p.h. of speed. The interval in this case was no more than tour cars’ length and I think this isa geneMus estimate. [Name and address supplied, Ed.]