Why cops are better drivers than most other people.....

[TC]

This was actually brought to my attention the night before last while I had a civilian ride-a-long. I had arrested a suspect for driving while license suspended and had to do the case report on the lap top in the car. I was on my way back to my beat and got up on the freeway to get there. I drove with my knee while banging away on the keyboard with both hands. I was doing 65mph while typing 75wpm and the civilian said, "I have no idea how in the world you're doing that." Then I realized that we ALL do this. If it's not on the laptop, we're fumbling with the police radio or the siren or the light bar controls or the FLEER system or the camera or SOMETHING. We're ALWAYS having to divert our attention within our patrol cars while driving. That would explain how I drive over 130 miles per day, and have for the past going on 7 years, and have had zero accidents. Cops are constantly having to operate a motor vehicle while under some distraction, thus they become better drivers.

I know, people will say, "That's dangerous for you to do that!", but it's a necessary part of the job. You can't afford to pull over to use your equipment, because most times you're on your way to a call. It just makes me wonder why people with cellphones don't become better drivers over time, because it's the same principle.

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[AQUABATZ]

Hmm...makes you think...

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1987 Monte Carlo SS
G-Body Lover
"Bad cop, no donut!"

As for an 84' Mustang, do you think it actually is a real Mustang. HOpefully you know when it says Mustang on it thats all it does, just SAYS Mustang. It has no such image to make it go fast or look cool. A girlfriend will take care of that for ya'. Good luck.

[Rottie and 91RS]

Amen TC! If you guys can handle all the distractions, why can't a regular citizen handle a phone call? I have some friends who are on the force here locally. I have ridden with them off duty and you better buckle in! They are great drivers. And a word of advice to all, never race go carts at the track with an officer, you'll lose every time. http://www.3rdgen.org/ubb/biggrin.gif

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1991 Black RS http://www.suempresaenlinea.com/drowned/images/iroc-black.gif
Proud owner of Baron Von Waterford
http://members.tripod.com/~oobusdoobus/index.html

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[Jason86Z28]

TC, I think part of it might also be that all of the other drivers on the road see a cop car and avoid it like the plauge, where if they see someone on a cell phone they just keep driving. So since everyone around you is driving safer because they're afraid they might get pulled over, the likelihood of an accident is greatly lessened.

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1986 Z28 LG4 M5 (beater mode until spring comes, then new paint)
Aiwa CDC-MP3; Alpine 6x9's; 2 10" MTX Thunder 4000's run by an MTX Thunder 102 Amp; Hooker Aero-Chamber Cat-Back
1991 Suzuki GS500E
The slowest street bike you'll ever see

[This message has been edited by Jason86Z28 (edited 01-24-2001).]

[Chaotic Firebird]

Well let's see,if I were in Puncharelo's shoes[you know,the funny one from CHiPS http://www.3rdgen.org/ubb/biggrin.gif]
I'd be scared of the sargeant for one, and I'm driving a car worth 20-30k. http://www.3rdgen.org/ubb/wink.gif

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Formerly 92BlackBird

The Chaos...
All you Pontiac guys out there,be kind to those 5.0 Stangs.They suffer from P.M.S.

Pontiac Muscle Syndrome!

[KamaroZ'91]

All Citizens are stupid crack heads, thats why they drive worth crap. http://www.3rdgen.org/ubb/smile.gif I was sitting in a Wendys drive through, and some guy tryed to turn in wendys, he missed the entrance and turned into a dirt road next to wendys by mistake, it took him 3 minutes to figure out the only was to get out was to put it in reverse, when he almost back out into 3 cars having to slam on brakes, then he was in the road holding up traffic, so he put it back in drive, and went back into the dirt road and hit the wendys sign, when he coulda easily turned out, i payed for my food then pulled back around and parked to watch this upstanding citizen attempt this simple muneaver, he was still turning he finailly got his car in the middle of the road taking up two lanes and the median, went off the other side of the road into the ditch, and had to stop and wait for other cars to go around him becaus his front end was still in the road, then he pulled out the ditch and pulled straight into wendys,actually parked in the space, and went inside to order, i drove off shaking my head, i wish i coulda caught that on camera.

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1991 Z28 Camaro L98
5.7L T.P.I
Blk ext/grey lthr int
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http://www.iroc-z.org/albums/KamaroZ91/


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[Bullit]

i type and drive with the same hand. i swivel my computer over by the steering wheel and use my wrist to steer while i'm typing. pursuits are the best test of driving skills though. love those tests too.

[KamaroZ'91]

I cant fukin wait to go to the academy, the main thing i wanna do now is Ram people that im chasing and make em spin out, after ive done that ill be happy!

[TC]

Will your dept. let you hit other cars?

[Bullit]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by TC:
Will your dept. let you hit other cars?</font>

i wish ours would. one guy tried to ram me twice a few months ago in a chase and i wanted to hit him with my car so bad. i think denton county is the only agency around here that allows that.

[Blue_Chameleon]

My department won't let us ram people...however, we just got authority to use the retractable spike strips http://www.3rdgen.org/ubb/biggrin.gif

Maybe in another 50 years, we'll be able to make use of those push bumpers, you know...it's all decoration for now. http://www.3rdgen.org/ubb/wink.gif

[KamaroZ'91]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by TC:
Will your dept. let you hit other cars?</font>

You know, i really dont know. I was watching americas scariest police chases or one of those shows and there was a few videos in south carolina and the troopers rammed the guy to get him to stop, but this was back in like 1997/98. I hope we can! I think in either GA or NC they can shoot at the tires f the person their chasing.