Blues and Twos and Traffic Lights

[GTR1400MAN]

I'm going to try one more time,to make this point. Nobody seems to be biting.

Then from behind came not only the sound of a siren but two very firm horn notes, clearly saying, ‘Get out of my way’!

Listen to the HORN being used to turn the sirens on and off in this video. The HORN is used to toggle the siren on or off, and/or to move through the various options of tones. When sat behind the OP was the police driver just not controlling the sirens, rather than trying to intimidate him to move out of the way?


Wind forward to 2m 12s to start hearing the HORN

[userLeft1]

There is no evidence that anyone has been prosecuted for complying with the instructions of a Police officer to get out of his way at traffic lights that involves the driver crossing the 'stop' line.

This is the sort of discussion that makes me doubt the veracity of your assertion.

Pepipoo? You will need to point to the evidence of prosecutions in the above circumstances. I had a quick look but couldn't find any but then it's hardly interesting reading.

[userLeft1]

- a policeman can instruct you to take certain actions which otherwise you might not take - but can't do so from behind the wheel of a car behind you!

That assertion is both unsubstantiated and misconceived. As I said, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. You might like to substantiate it by reference to the law. I will give you a clue, don't just rely on legislation.

[akirk]

- a policeman can instruct you to take certain actions which otherwise you might not take - but can't do so from behind the wheel of a car behind you!

That assertion is both unsubstantiated and misconceived. As I said, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. You might like to substantiate it by reference to the law. I will give you a clue, don't just rely on legislation.

really? how does anyone give instruction from within a closed car behind you - honking a horn / etc. is not sufficient or precise instruction...
is the policeman instructing you to move left or right or specifically to cross a red light / stop line?

I totally fail to understand how a police driver could instruct you from inside his / her car - other than via esp...

Alasdair

[userLeft1]

Then from behind came not only the sound of a siren but two very firm horn notes, clearly saying, ‘Get out of my way’

OP thought it was an instruction. What else is it?

[akirk]

It can be an instruction without clarity - and as we are debating nuances that becomes important.
What is the instruction?
- get out of my way, safely and legally
- get out of my way regardless of legality

for you to break the law the officer must specifically instruct you to do that - an instruction without clarity could easily not be a defence to breaking the law - you might be prepared to risk that, I wouldn't be...

it is also contrary to my understanding of how police drivers are trained, therefore I would base my assumptions on that and tend to not take that as instruction...

we do not live in a society thank goodness where we are expected to obey orders without thought - to me this is very simple, a police car from behind can not give clarity, therefore without clarity I will not break the law...

I think we also need to consider the wider setting - if a police car is sufficiently near to have heard it before I came to a stop at lights I would give space in my stopping, to avoid any issue... if it is not that close that I can hear it, then I would suspect that the lights would be about to change soon enough, so would wait...

if our society needs the level of finesse such that there is an immediate response to a police car approaching from behind in this scenario, then it is simple, install technology to change the lights to green on the car's approach - it is in place for buses where they have a priority lane, easy enough to implement - and if two police cars approach at 90deg, then you simply stay with the default instead of switching - very simple... it is not considered to be a big issue because the public are not expected to move through the red light...

Alasdair

[GTR1400MAN]

Then from behind came not only the sound of a siren but two very firm horn notes, clearly saying, ‘Get out of my way’

OP thought it was an instruction. What else is it?

Are my posts in this topic regarding the HORN invisible to everybody else?

[akirk]

Then from behind came not only the sound of a siren but two very firm horn notes, clearly saying, ‘Get out of my way’

OP thought it was an instruction. What else is it?

Are my posts in this topic regarding the HORN invisible to everybody else?

No, but they are becoming more amusing
I also know nothing about how the cars work, so can't really contribute! (not that that always stops me!)
I think you need to do a bit more of this:

Alasdair

[EasyShifter]

I'm going to try one more time,to make this point. Nobody seems to be biting.

Then from behind came not only the sound of a siren but two very firm horn notes, clearly saying, ‘Get out of my way’!

Listen to the HORN being used to turn the sirens on and off in this video. The HORN is used to toggle the siren on or off, and/or to move through the various options of tones. When sat behind the OP was the police driver just not controlling the sirens, rather than trying to intimidate him to move out of the way?


Wind forward to 2m 12s to start hearing the HORN

It's a good question. I read in one of Reg Local's books that that is how the system works on some cars, and I thought at the time that it's a potty way of doing it! It could indeed have been this, though it doesn't quite fit as the driver had used silent approach as instructed in Roadcraft and as he would have been trained to do, specifically to avoid creating the situation that ensued in this instance. What remains a puzzle, then, is why the siren then came on in the first place, unless he forgot who the horn works and tried to use it normally, which again begs a lot of questions.

[akirk]

unless he forgot who the horn works and tried to use it normally, which again begs a lot of questions.

or just had a nervous twitch and hit it by mistake
not unknown - especially if keyed up and very focused...

Alasdair