Would you have phoned the police?

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Annagain

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I'm wrestling with my consience a bit this morning. While I was out hacking last night I two cars came flying past us, both overtaking in very dangerous places, probably as they were going too fast to stop and wait behind us The second was on a very sharp blind bend and nearly hit a van coming the other way. The van driver managed to get in to a wider bit of the road and he forced his way back onto the correct side of the road, only about 2ft in front of me. Luckily I was on my friend's horse who's a bit of a saint, had I been on the one I riding earlier he'd have been very upset by it.

Anyway in the time it took us to do our circular route (about an hour) we saw these cars 3 times (luckily the other two times we heard them coming and had convenient driveways to hide in) and they were clearly racing around mid-sized (wide enough for two cars but only just) country lanes at speeds of about 50-60mph in my estimation. I thought of phoning the non-emergency number for the police just so that they could keep an eye out for them if they were in the area, but talked myself out of it as I thought they probably wouldn't do anything.


When I got back to the yard one of the other liveris said she's seen the same two cars in the lanes going way too fast a few times, so now I wish I'd done it. This morning, the local news onthe radio said there was a crash on the main road that the lanes lead to last night. It didn't sound that serious (no fatalities or serious injuries) and I have no idea if it did involve these cars, but I'm feeling a bit guilty that if it was them I should have done something about it when I had the opportunity. Would you have phoned the police?
 
I think I probably would in this case. It is very unlikely that the police would actually take any sort of action with a one-off phone call but they may if there were several and it would give them a lead if, for example, someone had an accident as a result of this behaviour but hadn't been able to take the registration number. If it happens again get as much info as you can - car makes/colours/registrations etc. Note the time and if possible get a look at the drivers. If you are able to identify them it may be useful - although I very much hope you never need to!!
 
Yes. Absolutely. If you got the licence plate numbers. Even if neither one was involved in the crash, the police will know to look out for them. And if they were involved, you will have been a witness to their driving immediately prior to the crash.
I am a real old moaning minnie and report anyone to the police for reckless driving. I would rather they paid them a call and told them off than had to make the dreaded 'knock on the door' and I'm sure they would too.
 
That was one reason I didn't phone, they were going too fast and I was too busy trying to stay safe to get their reg numbers. I felt that saying one blue and one black"boy racer" type cars - small with big exhausts and blacked out windows wasn't enough for the police.
 
I would have. The description you have might be enough, could you name the make of the car? Might also be enough if other people have called in with the same complaint.
 
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Yes. Absolutely. If you got the licence plate numbers. Even if neither one was involved in the crash, the police will know to look out for them. And if they were involved, you will have been a witness to their driving immediately prior to the crash.
I am a real old moaning minnie and report anyone to the police for reckless driving. I would rather they paid them a call and told them off than had to make the dreaded 'knock on the door' and I'm sure they would too.

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Sorry, should have said the crash was few hours later by the sound of it about 8.30 and I saw them about 6.45. Think I will give them a ring though just in case.
 
On its own it probably wouldn't be Anna, but if other people have called in one of them may have been able to give further information - your call would be corroborating their behaviour and may still be useful. One call can make the difference between the police acting or not acting - it could be yours in this case. I'd still call.
 
I'd give them a call, the number of near misses people have had on that road it would be worth the police having complaints on record. Haven't a clue if they could do anything about it though!

Could have been a little more interesting if it had been the first hack
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Don't think M would have been as understanding as B - it was on the bend right outside your place! Lucky your turning was there for the van.
 
On a slightly different tack, I was plodding down the road with my bombproof lad the other evening and a white van approached me doing about 60mph. I made the 'slow down' sign with my arm and he shot past me at exactly the same speed but smiling and waving madly back at me. Twit must have just thought he was getting waved at by a friendly bird on a horse!
 
Def ring if you know there's been an incident - if it wasn't one pf these cars who crashed the crash could have been cause by these two behaving like that!

Just give as much detail as you can would be my advice - it can't hurt and you never know, it may lead to them being caught and reprimanded in some way if you just gvie the police that little bit more information that they may be missing.
 
I would have phoned the police - and have done for similar kinds of incidents in the past.

My thoughts are that it's no good thinking that the police won't bother coming out for something like that. Even if the police don't do anything about that particular event, (because they're under-resourced) it has to be logged. The more incidents that are logged, then eventually when someone takes a look at the statistics, there'll come a time when the statistics will show that something will HAVE to be done (the more logged calls - then the more accurate any statistics will be) - and only then will the police hopefully be provided with the resources to do anything about it.
 
I think I probably woudl have phoned the police but not to help the idiots who were racing from crashing, more to help the poor horses/people they could have killed. They deserve what they get, although I have to say the innocence of youth and all that, I did some pretty stupid things in my time.
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Been on the police website and sent this message They have an e-mail address to report no urgent stuff. Feel a bit better now, hope it helps. Happier sending an e-mail as it means I'm not hogging a phone line for more important calls (not that I'd phone 999 for this anyway, but even just normal lines must be busy!)

Last night (Thurs Sep 10th) at approximately 6.30 I was riding my horse with a friend along xxxx, and witnessed a very near miss when a Blue Citroen Saxo (possibly an X reg but I'm not certain) came up behind us far too quickly, and, unable to stop and wait behind us overtook on the blind bend outside xxxx at the junction of xxxx and xxxx. It nearly collided with a van coming in the opposite direction, which thankfully due to the junction at that point was able to take evasive action. This blue car was the second in about 15 seconds that was travelling at very high speeds for that road (between 50 and 60mph in my estimation). The first, a new style black Fiesta with blacked out windows and a personalised plate, was also unable to stop and wait behind us and overtook us very quickly, and it was just luck that there was nothing else coming in the opposite direction at the time. In each car there was two young men (between 17 and 20). Unfortunately due to trying to make sure my horse and I were safe, the speed of the vehicles and the bendy nature of the road which meant they disappeared from view quickly, I wasn't able to get index numbers. Luckily the two horses are very dependable in traffic and although startled did not react too much.

In the time it took us to do a circular route of the 3 roads (about 45 minutes) we saw these two vehicles three times, twice on xxxx and once on xxxx. Each time they were going much too fast and were clearly racing each other. Luckily the two other times we saw them we could hear them coming and had convenient driveways to take shelter in. Despite knowing that we were very likely to be in the area on horses they were still driving at ridiculously high speeds. My friend who was with me at the time has seen them on the road before doing the same thing and upon retunring to out yard a fellow horse owner told me she has also seen the same two (or ones matching that description) vehicles on another occasion.

I am aware that there was also an accident on xxxx later that evening. Although I don't know whether either of these vehicles was involved, I thought it was important to inform you of what I saw as it may have a bearing on that accident.

I understand that police in this area are very busy, but even if these vehicles were not involved in the accident I thought it was worth bringing to your attention so that local officers are aware that the road is being used as a racetrack and they can perhaps keep an eye out for these vehicles if they are in the area.

I know this road has been the subject of PACT meetings in the area so have copied the ward officer in as well
 
When you report anything to the police ask them for an incident number as this will ensure it is logged in to their system.

As regard Flickers comment if you want to be able to slow down vehicles on the road then make sure you wear a long sleeved Hi-Viz jacket so that you arm signals can be seen. Point at the driver and then hold the palm of your hand up to them. This indicates to them that they shoudl slow down.

(Waving your hand up and down is the sign to indicate that you are slowing down).

Do a BHS road safety course and test as this will provide you with some usefull skills for riding on the road.
 
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On a slightly different tack, I was plodding down the road with my bombproof lad the other evening and a white van approached me doing about 60mph. I made the 'slow down' sign with my arm and he shot past me at exactly the same speed but smiling and waving madly back at me. Twit must have just thought he was getting waved at by a friendly bird on a horse!

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They do this round by me too - its a form of sarcasm. they usually rev the engine and yell as they go by too
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Definately have done the right thing. I did the same when an idiot boy racer dangerously overtook two cars then sat on my tail (on town roads) for yonks, before aggresively overtaking me and cutting up two cars on a roundabout. I noted his reg and 118'ted then phoned the non-urgent number for my local police. The car turned off the road I was on while I was on my (handsfree) call reporting them, but the police sent a couple of patrol cars out to look out for it. Definately worth it IMO, even if they don't cause an accident, a telling off might be what they need to not do it any more.
 
Having learnt that these idiots behave like this regularly then, yes. They should be reported any time anybody sees them behaving like this. Enough reports and the Police will (eventually) do something.

After reading OWLIES'S post, I have to say that I have often wondered if some horse riders are actually not using the right signal or executing the right signal incorrectly. I also think that many drivers are no longer aware of what many arm signals mean (no offence meant to anybody here)
 
I work in the control room for the police and i would say it would always be worth making that call to us.

Ideally they will need reg number etc and exactly were you last saw then and what direction they are travelling in.

Obsersvations will almost always be passed - so all officers here descriptions etc so that they can keep thier eyes open for the vehicle. If the is a officer in the area they will always try to find the vehicle.

If people dont call we dont know to look out for them is what i would always say....
 
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