Handbrakes

by **triquet** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:07 pm

Mmm. Makes you think ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28437914

by **TheInsanity1234** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 4:01 pm

Unless the problem is that some police cars are rolling away and crashing into others, I'm genuinely confused as to what damage could result from not using the handbrake?

by **TR4ffic** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 4:21 pm

I wonder if the Bobbies have reported the damage as being caused thus "...I was proceeding in a westerly direction when the vehicle in question fell down the stairs" :lol:

You couldn't make it up really, could you... It should come from the script of a Police related Sit-Com - The Thin Blue Line anyone.!?

by **Horse** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 5:50 pm

TR4ffic wrote:I wonder if the Bobbies have reported the damage as being caused thus "...I was proceeding in a westerly direction when the vehicle in question fell down the stairs"

You couldn't make it up really, could you... It should come from the script of a Police related Sit-Com - The Thin Blue Line anyone.!?

Or . . .

"'Ere's an 'ole, police are looking into it"

by **Mr Cholmondeley-Warner** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:07 pm

TheInsanity1234 wrote:Unless the problem is that some police cars are rolling away and crashing into others, I'm genuinely confused as to what damage could result from not using the handbrake?

Police Forces typically self-insure their vehicles, so they will be paying compensation to third parties whose vehicles or property is being damaged.

by **TheInsanity1234** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 8:42 pm

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:
TheInsanity1234 wrote:Unless the problem is that some police cars are rolling away and crashing into others, I'm genuinely confused as to what damage could result from not using the handbrake?

Police Forces typically self-insure their vehicles, so they will be paying compensation to third parties whose vehicles or property is being damaged.

It was talking about how the police were spending a sum of money because police cars were being damaged by policemen not using the handbrake.

It doesn't detail how the damage has come about that the police force are repairing, so I'm a tad confused.

by **Mr Cholmondeley-Warner** » Wed Jul 23, 2014 8:58 pm

BBC News wrote:A police force is spending thousands of pounds every month repairing patrol cars and property* because officers are failing to apply the handbrake.

Patrol cars - damaged by crashing into hard objects
Property - damaged by patrol cars crashing into it

What's complicated about that? :roll:

* my emphasis

by **TheInsanity1234** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 12:11 am

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:
BBC News wrote:A police force is spending thousands of pounds every month repairing patrol cars and property* because officers are failing to apply the handbrake.

Patrol cars - damaged by crashing into hard objects
Property - damaged by patrol cars crashing into it

What's complicated about that?

* my emphasis

I may be being overly pedantic here, but the article states damage in relation to lack of handbrake use.

I just can't imagine whether it's to do with cars rolling away, or whether the car itself has components that may deteriorate rapidly unless the handbrake is used.

Yes, I'm being far too pedantic, but it's just in my head, "Police cars rolling away? Impossible?!"

by **triquet** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 8:50 am

The article suggests that the boys have been leaping enthusiastically from their motor vehicles when on a shout and omitting the bit about putting on the handbrake. Whereupon the vehicle "proceeds" into the nearest wall or other "property". Egg on face.

The point is the boys are not infallible.

by **Ancient** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 9:12 am

triquet wrote:The article suggests that the boys have been leaping enthusiastically from their motor vehicles when on a shout and omitting the bit about putting on the handbrake. Whereupon the vehicle "proceeds" into the nearest wall or other "property". Egg on face.

The point is the boys are not infallible.

Quite. In the scale of things:

£30,000 of damage was caused over the past six months.

So averaging £5000 a month. If a car (which 'should' be kept in pristine condition and may be used at hgh speed) rolls into a kerb/wall/another vehicle etc at [speed unknown]: What's the cost of ensuring it is safe to drive again (tracking, brakes, steering etc etc)? Add the average cost of restoring the (potential) third party property to the state it is claimed to have been in beforehand... - that could easily be once a month. Oh! No need to guess:

Deputy Chief Constable Bill Skelly ... said there were seven incidents in six months.

Mr Skelly said the number of incidents were "relatively low" considering the force had more than 1,000 vehicles

The monthly rate being (just over) one in a thousand (per car, far lower per incident attended), in a highly pressured job: I agree with Mr Skelly.

by **zadocbrown** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 9:22 am

Horse wrote:
TR4ffic wrote:I wonder if the Bobbies have reported the damage as being caused thus "...I was proceeding in a westerly direction when the vehicle in question fell down the stairs"

You couldn't make it up really, could you... It should come from the script of a Police related Sit-Com - The Thin Blue Line anyone.!?

Or . . .

"'Ere's an 'ole, police are looking into it"

Looks like white cars are 'over represented in accident statistics' :wink:

by **waremark** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 11:41 am

So more than 1% of cars per year? Not so low.

Do they drive autos? Do they put them in park, and is that good enough? I believe I (maybe we, the AD community) am unusual in using the parking brake as well as putting an auto car in park. Which my automatic car does - wait for it - automatically.

by **zadocbrown** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 1:02 pm

waremark wrote:So more than 1% of cars per year? Not so low.

Do they drive autos? Do they put them in park, and is that good enough? I believe I (maybe we, the AD community) am unusual in using the parking brake as well as putting an auto car in park. Which my automatic car does - wait for it - automatically.

I would guess the vast majority of police vehicles are manual - I've only noticed some traffic cars as being auto. So in the absence of further info I wouldn't think it is an auto box issue. I expect some of these relate to leaping out to detain someone, forgetting to secure the car.

It also seems quite possible some of the incidents involve the handbrake being applied inadequately rather than not at all, then rolling away as the brakes cool. Given that emergency vehicles are more likely to arrive at destination with hot brakes perhaps they are especially vulnerable to this?

by **TheInsanity1234** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 2:25 pm

Now it makes sense if I consider the possibility that the police chappies get a tad over enthusiastic, and pull up behind someone who's just abandoned their car, and the copper leaps out and sets off after the chav (Always a chav), without setting the handbrake.

by **waremark** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:10 pm

Long ago my late F-in-law was stopped for ? exceeding the speed limit. He stopped behind the police car and got out, whereupon his car rolled into the back of the police car. According to family legend the policeman said 'That didn't help, did it sir?' They then had to wait for another police vehicle, called to investigate an accident involving a police vehicle.

Handbrakes

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