11 Apr 07
Last week I was following a BMW 5-Series along the M54 between Birmingham and north Wales. It was late afternoon, traffic was relatively light and it was dry. We had both pulled out to overtake and were travelling at a smidgeon over 80mph. I was relaxed, comfortable and listening to Eddie Mair on Radio 4.
Suddenly there was a cry from the passenger seat: 'Police!'
My girlfriend, who has an enviable eye for such things, had spotted a patrol car on the bridge ahead. I braked hard - a natural reaction whether you're speeding or not - and switched to the inside lane. We passed the bridge, just as the police car sprang to life.
Thirty seconds later, the policeman is passing me on the motorway, travelling at more than 100mph in an old Isuzu Trooper. The BMW was stopped moments later and the driver is no doubt now a step closer to losing his licence.
It is easy to argue that the police were only doing their job. The law dictates that we must not travel at more than 70mph and we empower our police to enforce that law. The alternative is anarchy.
This is a theory that plays well in a school classroom, but one that's often at odds with real life. Surely the primary objective of our road laws is to protect us, but I fail to appreciate how tear-arsing down the motorway, siren-blazing in an aged SUV, is keeping me safe. The police intervention caused chaos, with cars desperately darting out of their way.
