104mph cop keeps job -- The Simple Truth about Speeding from the Horse'sMouth

104mph cop keeps job

By PHILIP CARDY
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004200305,00.html
Friday 30th April 2004

THE head of a police force's traffic unit has kept his job and escaped a
ban - despite being caught doing 104mph on a motorway.

Steve Thomas - Assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester - was
fined £450 and given six penalty points after being clocked on the M6
toll road.

The top cop, who pleaded guilty, told North Staffordshire JPs at Stoke:
"Road conditions were good and I was part of a group of around 15 cars
all doing around the same speed. I considered my manner of driving was
safe.
However, exceeding the speed limit by this amount is unacceptable and I
sincerely regret my error of judgment."

A Force spokeswoman said: "Mr Thomas is responsible for traffic duties
at Greater Manchester Police and that responsibility remains."

But a spokesman for anti-speeding campaigners Brake said: "Someone in Mr
Thomas's position, who has seen at first hand the consequences of
speeding, should know better."
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Well, there you have it. From "The Horse's Mouth", the real truth about
speeding. This expert senior police officer's only regret is that he has
been caught and revealed to be an arrogant hyprocite -- like many senior
police officers are.

"Road conditions were good and I was part of a group of around 15 cars
all doing around the same speed. I considered my manner of driving was
safe."

And of course the truth is he was driving safely at 104 mph just like
the other 15 drivers were. Speed doesn't kill.

The hypocrasy (sp?) and bullshit surrounding speeding under safe
circumstances is truely mindboggling.

Archie

 

He's so quick he got here yesterday.

 

A Danger to themselves and other road users said:

Well given the choice between believing your half-baked theories and
those of Isaac Newton, I'll choose Newton's. Accidents are going to
happen and what happens after that depends upon the force of impact.
Have a crash at 30 mph and you stand a good chance getting out of your
car alive, have one at 104 mph and the fire brigade will be cutting
your corpse out of it. Drivers that purposely speed are no better than
drink drivers as both selfishly endanger the lives of others.

 

Mindcrime -uk- says...

Can you explain to me exactly what is the definition of an accident.
The type of definition that they expect you to learn in the emergency
services.

If you can do so, I might take an interest in the rubbish you have just
spouted. If you can't..

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Better stop all those trains doing 104 mph, then. Speed kills, you know.

 

Mindcrime -uk- secured a place in history by writing:

In case you hadn't noticed, this is an argument for not moving.

Or, perhaps more to the point: "Guess what? It's more complicated than
that"

 

Yes, but by completing your journey in one-third of the time you are
greatly reducing your exposure to the supposedly dangerous motorway
environment.

 

I bet the OP can't tell you but I would be interested in how the
emergency services define 'accident'. I'm assuming this is an accident
versus negligence type thing?

 

rb says...

No no no no no, what definition do they use for an accident?

I'll give you a clue, it involves something unforseen.

Because if it wasn't unforseen it wouldn't be an accident, see.

And it has nowt all do do with accident versus negligence stuff.

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PeterE says...

They go *that* fast?

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Steve Walker says...

Plus, you are reducing the congestion on the roads because you got home
quicker, ergo your vehicle is no longer on the road taking up valuable
space.

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Well given the choice between believing your half-baked theories and

Well Newton's 3 famous laws are (not the exact wording, but close enough)

I. Objects will continue in a straight line at steady speed unless acted on
by an external force
II. Force applied is proportional to the rate of change of momentum
III For any force applied to an object - the object applies a force back of
equal magnitude and opposite direction.

Nowhere does he mention that the probability of an accident increases with
speed - only that force is proportional to the rate of change of momentum -
so it actually depends largely on how you slow down in an accident - as
opposed to the speed of the accident per se.

 

Not since nationalisation.

 

Barry says...

I don't know what speed I travel at on motorways. I'm always too busy
concentrating on where/what I'm going/doing and avoiding all the
clueless ****-heads out there who have no lane discipline.

 

Lozzo says...

That'll be 60.9 in the overtaking lane then.

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: PeterE says...
: > >
: > > Well given the choice between believing your half-baked theories and
: > > those of Isaac Newton, I'll choose Newton's. Accidents are going to
: > > happen and what happens after that depends upon the force of impact.
: > > Have a crash at 30 mph and you stand a good chance getting out of your
: > > car alive, have one at 104 mph and the fire brigade will be cutting
: > > your corpse out of it. Drivers that purposely speed are no better than
: > > drink drivers as both selfishly endanger the lives of others.
: >
: > Better stop all those trains doing 104 mph, then. Speed kills, you know.
: >
: They go *that* fast?
:
GNER goes 125mph iirc. They could go faster if they would upgrade the
tracks. The new Eurostar trains go well over 180/90 mph.

 

:
: : > A Danger to themselves and other road users said:
: > : >
: > > And of course the truth is he was driving safely at 104 mph just like
: > > the other 15 drivers were. Speed doesn't kill.
: >
: > Well given the choice between believing your half-baked theories and
: > those of Isaac Newton, I'll choose Newton's. Accidents are going to
: > happen and what happens after that depends upon the force of impact.
: > Have a crash at 30 mph and you stand a good chance getting out of your
: > car alive, have one at 104 mph and the fire brigade will be cutting
: > your corpse out of it. Drivers that purposely speed are no better than
: > drink drivers as both selfishly endanger the lives of others.
:
: so, what speed do you drive at on the motorway?

Depends. Anything up to 110mph usually.

 

chris says...

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chris says...

Bloody hell!!

It's best we warn them that speed kills, after all you never know what
might happen on a perfectly sunny clear day, with no traffic to cause an
incident that could result in injury or death purely because of the
speed.

Heck, I must warn my MP

<rushes off, very slowly>

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: chris says...
: > On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 22:08:25 GMT and in article
: > <>, SP said...
: > : PeterE says...
: > : > >
: > : > > Well given the choice between believing your half-baked theories and
: > : > > those of Isaac Newton, I'll choose Newton's. Accidents are going to
: > : > > happen and what happens after that depends upon the force of impact.
: > : > > Have a crash at 30 mph and you stand a good chance getting out of your
: > : > > car alive, have one at 104 mph and the fire brigade will be cutting
: > : > > your corpse out of it. Drivers that purposely speed are no better than
: > : > > drink drivers as both selfishly endanger the lives of others.
: > : >
: > : > Better stop all those trains doing 104 mph, then. Speed kills, you know.
: > : >
: > : They go *that* fast?
: > :
: > GNER goes 125mph iirc. They could go faster if they would upgrade the
: > tracks. The new Eurostar trains go well over 180/90 mph.
: >
: Bloody hell!!
:
: It's best we warn them that speed kills, after all you never know what
: might happen on a perfectly sunny clear day, with no traffic to cause an
: incident that could result in injury or death purely because of the
: speed.

Indeed ;p

Also: can someone please confirm what the safest type roads are in our
Country? Am I correct in thinking it is Motorways? If it is, ho hum ho
hum..speed kills eh? No. The WRONG speed kills.