Is it ever okay for a police car to do this?

[mckenzie]

on the M3 on Friday, in the outside lane overtaking three cars, doing about 70/72 mph when right up my behind comes a BMW estate motorway police car. He wasn't flashing at me, didn't have any lights on but just sat right on my tail, so close to my boot to be very very dangerous. I ended up speeding up to get past the three cars even though I was overtaking them at the speed I was doing but thankfully there was nothing immediately in front of me. Once I pulled in he shot past and then tailgated the next car.

Was the driver being a dangerous arse or is he allowed to do that if he is trying to silently catch up with someone else?

Tia

No, they can only break the speed limit if they have blue lights or siren going I think.

Anyone driving a BMW is allowed to do this, I believe.

Motorway police often do this if people are pottering about in the outer lanes. He probably felt you should have pulled across earlier/not been attempting the overtake.

As an aside, if you were doing an indicated 70, your actual speed was probably nearer 65, which is another reason not to be hanging around the second overtaking lane...

All you could do was get out of the police cars way asap, and that was what the police were hoping and expecting you to do. To some extent Police cars can over ride all sorts of usual driving rules in that respect..

Lynette

I don't think I was being hesitant or slow at all. If anything, I think I was being the perfect driver in this instance . I was in the middle lane, I started to get too close to the cars in front so I pulled out and over took, after checking my mirrors of course!

I don't know but I do like that this is in Etiquette. Like it's the equivalent of using the wrong fork

I was once in a simlar position. Driving at 70 in the fast lane, no gpa in the traffic to pullover but had a car ul close and flashing me from behind. I deliberately ignored it and didn't even look in my mirror as i was determined to stand my ground against the 'bully ' driver. When there was eventually a gap in the traffic for me to pullover I saw it was a police car behind me!

sorry for all the typos in my message above!

He may well have been tailing the car in front of you and you were obstructing his camera.

I'd never posted in Etiquette before Lovelycuppa - thought this was vaguely relevant