31kph above limit too dangerous for Police. What a nonsense.
I have just heard there has been an enquiry into car chases involving Police. Seems that in WA, in the event of a pursuit being necessary, firstly the officer(s) involved have to get permission. Once that is gained – and who knows how long that could take – they are limited to 140 kph.
What a load of nonsense. Even the thick crims don’t take too long to work out that if they travel at 141 kph, they’ll escape. And on roads such as the major freeways in Perth, that sort of speed is not too difficult to achieve, after all, it is only 31 kph – around 18mph – above the legal speed limit on the Forrest Highway and other country roads.
So an untrained driver can simply accelerate away, and a highly trained police pursuit driver has to slow down and give up. The Sweeney and Gene Hunt must be appalled.
Some weeks back, right past my house, twice, at night, a car with its lights off was being pursued by Police with lights and siren blaring. I could hear them from 400 metres away. If I had been driving, or even a pedestrian, I would have KNOWN there was an emergency in place, and put myself in as safe a position as possible. That is common sense.
I accept that most chases are probably stolen cars, or idiots trying to evade booze buses. But at any point in time I see one, I don’t know if it might be a bank robbery and someone has weaponry on board or whatever, so I am all for the Police to get these morons. If they need to go above a silly 140kph to do so, then let ‘em I say. After all, we want to get rid of the bad guys, and if they crash and kill or maim themselves, who is to blame? Not the Police. They didn’t steal the car, get pissed and try to evade a road block or simply decide to joyride. Consequences for actions people, consequences for actions.
Also at the back of my mind I must say though, if whether this silly 140 kph security blanket is partly, as Police tell me, they have to use bog standard Falcons and Commodores with, as a mate in the tyre business says, inferior tyres on them.
Either which way, why on earth are we giving the crims a head start? You may just as well tell them where the speed cameras are being set up.
Oh wait …
