I agree, where is the best place, like you, I'm not sure where I'd stop. When I've been stopped in the past, it's always been by a car coming from behind and I pull over to give them chance to pass if they're on route to something else. If they don't, I'll acknowledge them and pull over where safe. If plod in a hi-viz stepped out, I'd probably assume it's because of some sort of hazard ahead and stop. I'll put my neck out here and say that I think the Copper is possibly one of those anti-biking types and on hearing the bikes coming did what he did. It's been a looong time since I wore a uniform (I work for a living! :lol: ) but even so I doubt I'd have done what this Copper did. Pursuing is completely different to stopping someone. You attempt to stop them and if they fail to stop, then it becomes a pursuit. Pursuits are cancelled due to other factors, (time of day, seriousness of offence, danger to other members of the public etc) there's no blanket 'No pursuit because of no helmet' as far as I know (and I do know of pursuits that have taken place after helmet-less riders!) Camera vans don't chase because they take pictures and send it through the post. They're often not staffed by coppers and a lot are actually local government. ANPR is something completely different. It's a camera system that reads the plate and compares it to various databases, eg insurance, tax, whether a vehicle's on a SORN etc. (ANPR is often used by non-government users such as Parking enforcement and Petrol Stations, all it does is read a number and compare it to the data). My opinion is that Plod shouldn't have necessarily stopped the VFR rider in the manner he did, but had the SV rider been riding within his abilities, he would have avoided the crash. What would have happened if the VFR rider had stopped because of something else? (Think of the classic SMIDSY. Car pulls put and the first rider stops because he's paying attention and knows how to use the controls, he then gets taken out by some halfwit who isn't concentrating and then can't stop because he's riding to quickly for his abilities.)
copper by us tried to stop a bike in the same way as the copper in the video, bike didn't stop, one copper minus a leg!!
Don't get me wrong, I am not defending the SV rider in anyway. He has had a luck escape as it was a low speed impact. My point is that stopping vehicles in a limited controlled distance is not great. I too have been stopped by a pursuing vehicle. As you say, much safer as the public whilst having to demonstrate an intention to stop quite promptly, can also choose where and when within reason. I have also been stopped where the police have used the installed road side furniture (traffic lights) where a motorist would expect the potential need to stop. All much safe. Seriously that officer should consider wearing blue lycra with a red cape if he is gonna do that trick regular.
He'd probably get noticed more if he dressed like that! :lol: As you say, stopping someone in a limited distance isn't the best idea, I wouldn't step out in front of a moving vehicle armed only with a hi-viz, white cap and speed gun! (But then again, a lot of Traffic Plod do seem to think they've got some sort of super powers! :lol: )
To be fair from the 2nd bikes speedo they were doing 100+ in the fog. The first bike had a copper in the middle of his lane and a car in the opposite. I think the first bike was doing an emergency stop and was glad not to hit the copper. As others have said the 2nd bike didn't have the skills. The 3rd bike stopped with space, but the forks were probably very compressed. Be interesting to know the legal outcome of it all.
I wouldn't stop for coppers on my bike certainly not in that situation, I refuse to stop for police on any motorway/duel carriageway or main road, I will continue to drive/ride until I can stop safely at a proper rest stop or parking place, I never stop for unmarked police cars anywhere for any reason.
spotted a comment on the full video by the guys who crashed.said the cop was helping out for a safety awareness video they were filming on the tt circuit. also it mentions he'd had 30years or so off the bike, borrowed this one and then forgot an emergency stop on the bike uses the front brake too. thats a great demonstration why a refresher course is a good idea for those who have had a big break.
The video was meant to be about safety, but in this case one of the "actors" made a mistake during the filming... The message was supposed to be around born again bikers jumping on new machinery.. The guy who you see crash knew he was going to have to stop but got it wrong.
They're both idiots! Rider 2 especially for not leaving a gap, there is a time and place for speed, and on the road in them conditions was not the place, nor the time.
Daft film but the crash scene was well done, looked almost real. I wondered why there were so many cameras about.
