An elderly driver was involved in a low-speed pursuit near Newport last night (Sunday) after driving at ‘excessively low speeds’ and then failing to stop for Police.
A Citroen C3, being driven by a woman in her 70s, was observed going so slowly that other road users were forced to overtake in poor weather conditions.
With the rain lashing down and the vehicle still driving unacceptably slow, Police attempted to stop the black Citroen by activating their blue lights and sirens – but it failed to come to a halt.
Some 7 minutes later the motor was forcibly stopped by means of a stop stick device used to deflate the vehicle’s tyres.
It’s thought the driver travelled around 1.5 miles before being brought to a stop on Blackwater Road, near the cricket ground.
The driver has been reported for summons and officers are discussing with her the potential surrender of her driving licence to the DVLA.
UPDATE – Island Echo understands that the driver has now surrendered her licence to the DVLA.
I dare not comment as island echo will summarily remove it through censorship.
Drove slowly because of the weather. Ok. But why not stop for blue lights? Surely she didn’t think they can’t overtake her. I’m sorry if she has to surrender he licence, she could have stopped for the police and discuss the situation.
But why not stop for blue lights?
I think it’s generally called not looking in your mirrors.
Good grief!
So, there’s two distinct ends of the driving spectrum here on the Isle of Wight.
End A = drivers of advanced years who drive like drugged-up snails on sleeping pills who should have their licences revoked
and
End Z = drivers of immature years who drive like drugged-up wasps on amphetamines who should have their licences revoked.
We need the return of a dedicated Roads Policing Unit to weed out these menaces!
Driving standards on the Island are generally too poor to simply stereotype into two age categories. Drunk, drugged up, speeding, disqualified, uninsured, untaxed, no MOT etc. drivers fall across the whole age spectrum. Where I agree is in regard to a needed RTU. Such drivers know that there is insufficient policing or traffic management on our roads and unlikely they will be caught. For these idiots it’s worth the risk.
Couldn’t agree more
Anyone know what the Law is for the minimum speed??
After all disabled people use scooters on the road, and the maximum speed they have is around 8 mph…
The relavant legislation is ‘ failing to make satisfactory progress’. e.g 40 mph on a motorway. 20 mph in a 40. maybe.It’s very subjective to all the relevant circumstances at the time.
Would you have said ” A young inexperienced Driver” instead of elderly driver.?
Can someone tell me what the minimum speed limit is in Newport ??
Sadly there is no min speed limit but the police can stop you if they feel you are driving dangerously slow. Very rarely used though!! So sad they stopped her in the dangerous weather last night and to stung her when she was a woman on her own is unbelievable! Women can drive to a safe populated place to stop for police but should call 999 and ask if it is police behind them or not!! I have had blue lights behind me, turned out it wasn’t police!! Thank god I didn’t just stop…
So there could be an ambulance behind you and you wouldn’t pull over to let it pass !!
There isn’t one, but there are rules about looking in the mirror and there are rules about stopping for police
The person concerned give up your license you selfish so and so. You are not fit to drive, catch the bus.
Nice to know compassion and understanding is alive and thriving on the Island, Uncle. Can’t wait to hear someone say that dismissively and contemptuously to you and see how you react when you reach your seventies. If you do…
I don’t think driving to slow is really the issue here most of you seem to of missed the point. If they were driving slow and had pulled over the copper would of made sure they weren’t on drink or drugs (a potential reason for excessively careful driving – and totally correct for them to check this) Assuming they were clear they would of been let of their way.
The issue is that they weren’t aware enough to stop when prompted by the police. If you think that being so oblivious to other road users that you don’t stop for the Police (or could of been holding up any emergency service vehicle on a call out) is safe then I pity you..
I guess thte police had no idea who was driving ( they don’t have ANPR) so it could have been someone so off their their head on drink or drugs they had no option but to take the safest option open to them, in their opinion, at the time….
I’m a big supporter of our boys in blue who do a difficult and sometimes dangerous job dealing with a myriad of nasty individuals but I do believe that they “used a sledgehammer to crack a nut” and were too heavy handed and will lose much needed public support by not using common sense. The poor old dear who probably was confused and panicking and in reality should not drive again must have been petrified.
Yes, but they couldn’t let it go on forever
If this is the case, then sadly it is time for her to use her free bus pass.
We were sat behind an elderly woman this afternoon and the Briddlesford roundabout. We had followed her all the way from the dump doing 20 ish mph…. at the roundabout, she was waving cars across from the left and infront of her whilst she had the right of way. Only when there were no cars on all three junctions did she turn right. Truly shocking road sense…..
Judging by the police action for surrender of licence,
Judging by surrender of licence asked by police, the state of medical/ mental capability seems to be grounds for the incident in the first place.
Why couldn’t the police car overtake her and bring her to a stop by simply stopping in front of her? Using a “stinger” in this situation seems like over handed police well and truly over reaching their powers just for the hell of it. Totally stupid and unnecessary. That said, it is about time that the people who fail to make proper headway on the island are brought to account for their inconsiderate, dangerous driving.
Because to do so would have put other road users at risk. It was POURING with rain !
No driver is ever ‘ forced to overtake in poor conditions’ no matter how frustrated they be!
Perhaps other drivers should also have been arrested.
1.5 miles in 7 minutes is about 13mph, certainly slow enough to be frustrating but dependent surely on how poor the conditions were and, if cars were overtaking, why didn’t the police do so and pull her over that way?
Totally agree with you. She obviously felt that in such bad conditions she didn’t feel safe going any faster and probably felt harassed by the cars speeding past her. When the weather is so bad visibility is poor for all of us. Why the police couldn’t have pulled her over is a question only they can answer.
If you cant see blue lights behind you and attempt to pull over in a safe area as best you can you shouldn’t.have a license, the women is a driver who speeds in a built up area doing 40 in a 30 but then when going on middle road drives at 35, another huge hazard dealt with.
Really!? So when the absolute helmet driving his turbo’ed shopping car, did 3 laps of Gunville one Saturday night before Christmas. 2 cop cars let him get away from spar shop and didn’t once give chase… Thats acceptable? Perhaps they can’t handle a high speed pursuit?
Gunville
I am a bit suspicious as nowhere does the article say what actual speed she was travelling. No-one is forced to overtake in bad conditions. Also I believe the speed limit is a limit, not a target.
I personally think there should be some sort of driving test and medical every few years after a certain age, bus and HGV drivers need to, why not the rest of us?
Only on the Isle of Wight
So now they want to stop people for driving safely in accordance with the weather conditions, but let those dangerously overtaking get away with it. And why the big meal made over it?
I wonder if she wants to sell her car….. asking for a friend!! Lol