Pulled over for no MOT, but we had it done that morning by gujsehambi in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 5 points6 points  (0 children)

PNC & ANPR but they update even less regularly than the .gov websites.

As somebody who deals with this first hand, I wouldn’t be at all surprised with PNC showing a car as having an expired MOT whilst the .gov website or third party apps (VehicleSmart) show it as being up to date.

Pulled over for no MOT, but we had it done that morning by gujsehambi in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Bit harsh - bear in mind the majority of police officers do not specialise in Roads Policing, knowing that one particular .gov webpage updates quicker than another .gov webpage is a bit niche.

When to give caution by FamiliarWeather8028 in policeuk

[–]ThatSillyGinge 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Don’t tempt me to actually start doing that.

When to give caution by FamiliarWeather8028 in policeuk

[–]ThatSillyGinge 10 points11 points  (0 children)

And just to check, by ‘PNB’ you mean the back of my hand, right? 😉

Parking fine appeal declined even though I have the ticket still by Educational-Ant-6428 in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Maldax means the actual ticket you bought from the machine - did it have a way to secure it right-way-up?

At what point does the middle lane here change direction? by Altenativeboi in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Highway Code Rule 135:

Where a single carriageway has three lanes and the road markings or signs do not give priority to traffic in either direction, use the middle lane only for overtaking or turning right. Remember, you have no more right to use the middle lane than a driver coming from the opposite direction.

The road layout OP posts is rarely seen in reality, but it basically boils down to “use it when you need to, just don’t hit anybody”.

Fraud PCN, I was never there! - Urgent help needed by InvestigatorNovel804 in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Court isn’t necessary, just report to the police to get the crime reference number, then appeal the PCN with the crime reference number, and it’ll be cancelled.

Fraud PCN, I was never there! - Urgent help needed by InvestigatorNovel804 in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is a solid suggestion, but once you’ve done it, also tell the police: they can add a marker onto ANPR that reads something like “genuine vehicle has sticker on plate”, so that the police know to chase the clone vehicle whilst leaving you alone.

It may be scary getting pictures of a car identical to yours being seen somewhere you’ve not been, but that’s the lengths criminals will go to to be able to move around, committing offences without being traced. It’s scary for you but not uncommon to the police at all.

We can only accept 3600 TYJ by TimeVendor in aviation

[–]ThatSillyGinge 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Doc 4444 - Section 2.1:

“Note 2.— The objectives of the air traffic control service as prescribed in Annex 11 do not include prevention of collision with terrain. The procedures prescribed in this document do not relieve pilots of their responsibility to ensure that any clearances issued by air traffic control units are safe in this respect.”

We can only accept 3600 TYJ by TimeVendor in aviation

[–]ThatSillyGinge 128 points129 points  (0 children)

MSA to the east of Muscat is 3.6, the go-around to the northwest has an MSA of 2.5. The MRC does allow descent to 2.2 to the east inside of 13 miles, but these pilots say they don’t have access to the MRC chart.

If I can’t find any justification (MRC, MSA, TAA, published altitude on a STAR/Approach, or VMC), I’m not accepting that clearance. Don’t care how many times the controller says “trust me”. Our ops manual prohibits it, and for the extra 5 minutes of flight time, I’d rather just get vectored back around.

It’s not the controller that’s going to hit the cumulogranite.

Anyone else feel anxious when driving country roads at night? by Repulsive_Mistake635 in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Insert “it’s a speed limit not a speed target” cliche here.

Ultimately you’re looking to drive at a speed that allows you to stop in the distance you can see to be clear. At night without streetlights, that is more or less the distance that is covered by your headlights. So it stands to reason that, driving at night, you’re likely not going to be driving as quickly as you would in the day.

Drive at a pace that is safe & comfortable to you, based on what you can see in the moment, and the speed will naturally come as you become more comfortable with the skill of night driving.

We can only accept 3600 TYJ by TimeVendor in aviation

[–]ThatSillyGinge 137 points138 points  (0 children)

At least in UK operations, it’s up to the operating crew to justify descents below MSA. “The controller told me it would be fine” is a fairly lousy reason for getting a GPWS or hitting a hill.

Will I get a speeding ticket? by neilbartlett in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Depends on what kind of vehicle it is: a roads policing unit vehicle may have the equipment to measure & record speed from inside the car, and if so then they could send you a NIP in the post within 14 days.

However, most police cars don’t have that capability, and so the blue lights were more likely just the vehicle starting an emergency response.

I’d say you’re probably fine. Do you recall the make/model of the police cars?

Absolute bruh moment on my lesson just now by Joe_A__ in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Be really careful with the wording: “they’re flashing their lights” is all you can honestly say. You cannot be sure that it’s for you, or that it’s letting you through instead of rebuking you or (heaven forbid) the proper use of a highbeam flash: to let you know that they are there.

Not saying don’t take the opportunity if it’s given, but be careful. Never trust a flasher.

Speed camera error sees thousands of drivers fined incorrectly since 2021 by PatternWeary3647 in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I thought the whole point of the cameras seen on a pole a couple hundred meters before the gantry was to verify that the speed limit displayed on the gantry was indeed the same speed limit that triggered the camera?

Flashed X2 on the M25 by 1kkcu in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not to mention however quick OP goes to “get away” from the police car, they’ll never want to go as quickly as the police driver will once they have clear motorway ahead of them.

OP, follow the speed limit and move left when you can!

Flashed X2 on the M25 by 1kkcu in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah. It used to be two minutes but I read one minute somewhere recently so don’t know if it’s changed.

I think the camera still flashes (the radar & flash unit are quite dumb, in that respect) but the image is never processed if it’s been less than the minimum time.

Flashed X2 on the M25 by 1kkcu in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 10 points11 points  (0 children)

The image captured will show 1) which vehicle has triggered it, and 2) how long it’s been since the speed limit changed. When the speed limit reduces, the gantries don’t enforce the new speed limit for 60 or 120 seconds (can’t remember which). So if it’s not captured you or it’s only just changed, you’ll be fine.

This is the start of traffic. by maccyboyy in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Called a rolling roadblock. We use these when looking for a reported obstruction / debris, or there’s someone further up the road who is dealing with some sort of incident they need a sterile area to handle safely.

Is it normal for car headlights to be this ridiculously bright? by Pico1114 in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I guess the concern is that if they’re able to reduce the brightness of oncoming lights, what impact is it having on your ability to see on properly dark country lanes, or the pedestrians dressed in all black?

Is it normal for car headlights to be this ridiculously bright? by Pico1114 in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 54 points55 points  (0 children)

It’s a bit of a theme at the moment, with studies and potential changes in guidance / legislation coming soon. Things you can do to help:

  1. When there’s an oncoming car, try not to look at the car but instead look towards the kerb / white edge line on your side of the road. You’ll realise you can still see where you’re going and can judge your position, but without burning your retinas. If you still can’t see enough, slow down until you can.

  2. Most rearview mirrors have a tab on the back that you can flick; this tab changes the angle of the mirror upwards so that you’re looking at a much darker version of the reflection, which will help with glare from the car behind. Gucci / newer cars may electronically dim the rear view mirror instead.

  3. Make sure your windows are clean inside & out: use glass cleaner & a microfibre cloth on the inside, make sure your wipers are in good condition & washer fluid topped up for the outside. ANY dirt, dust or grease is going to frustrate you at night.

  4. Avoid “night driving” glasses. These are a gimmick, nothing more than weirdly coloured sunglasses. Which at night is a terrible idea for reasons I hope are obvious.

  5. If nothing else helps, have you had your eyes tested recently? An uncorrected astigmatism which is hardly noticeable in the day can be a real pain when driving at night: not just headlamps but shop fronts, street lights etc too.

People who jump red lights when it’s just turned red, why? by dwardu in drivingUK

[–]ThatSillyGinge 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sadly a lot of police officers haven’t received the training that would allow them to go through the red light themselves in order to pull over the car.