Top Gear Met Police Driving School 1984

MP MDS Hendon Driving School
Top Gear 1984
Metropolitan Police Driving School
Police Bandit Chase Training

[@frankellul613]

Best driving course in the job by far, mentally and physically draining but I was immensely proud to have passed and got a class 1 result.

[@johnlumb1078]

The best 6-week course I have ever done while in the police, Driving School has gone now sadly like most of the training facilities thanks to the govt. who seem to hate the police, the ones that look after them.

[@richardhutchinson9270]

I remember Arthur Shelley as my instructor back in 1988. Best course I ever had in the Met and still use the system of car control today - even been known to give a little commentary as I'm driving along.

[@cammyvelo]

Hi John, I hope you enjoyed the video, unfortunately not the best quality as it was a VHS copy from an original. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself at The Driving School, which I believe still survives, albeit in a totally unsuitable building over in Rowan Drive where the Married quarters were. Any way, I enjoyed my years as an Instructor there, happy memories, cheers, Roly Crisp

[@jimgroves3020]

Andrew Meadows , the only way Police can train for high speed work pursuits, ambulance escorts etc is to actually get out on the roads and practice, there is no other way, the Met police Driving School had a fantastic reputation for producing some of the best Police Drivers in the country, the techniques taught ensure that officers drive safely and kit is a testament to the training that in the millions of miles driven by Met Officers each year there are very few collision that are the fault of the Police Driver

[@mastergx1]

Cadence braking is now a thing of the past for nearly everyone (at least in this country where all new cars MUST have ABS). Modern Anti-lock brakes do this automatically for you several times a second. Definitely one of the best innovations in automotive history. They are particularly useful in the snow.

[@daviddaw999]

But the problem is that although ABS permits drivers to steer and brake in an emergency, most of them freeze and fail to steer away from the collision.

[@nigelalbright2283]

But effectively useless is the driver is not accustomed to the pumping action on the brake pedal when the ABS kicks in. Mostly the driver's reaction will be to lift the foot off the brake pedal. But, as one police driving instructor said, 'If you need it you are doing it wrong'

[@OlafProt]

The Woollard hairstyle was a thing to behold, never mind the cars.

[@adlinks662]

The driving school is now gone :( Hendon is the size of my council flat now, nothing left.

[@infrared567]

where is the driving school now?

[@adlinks662]

They work out of a few offices and one garage, they are planning on moving it elsewhere.

[@happynotnormal]

It’s still there. The skid pans are gone but they still train lorry and bus tests, response and advanced car courses and motorbike course.

[@p165711]

Jaunty angle to the hat chief

[@ryangarritty9761]

Always good to see William Woollard and a mature episode of Top Gear, before that long streak of piss Jeremy Clarkson fucked it up.

[@robbierobson3251]

I had quite forgotten just how boring William Woollard was as a presenter. Much preferred the era of Jeremy Clarkson and his chums!

[@animal79thecat]

Early ABS braking lol

[@dancurtis5981]

animal79thecat before ABS that was the only option. In effect ABS does the same thing it prevents the wheels from locking up by releasing pressure from the brakes. Abs is a lot more finessed than a human and it doesn’t panic which helps.

[@suds5866]

Was it easier to escape police back then?

[@jimgroves3020]

NO

[@itsweb1584]

Ghosty Ghost I mean, criminals were driving cars with the same speeds and power so... Probably just as many as today

[@paulcarter2907]

Must take issue with the instructor here..Cadence braking WILL stop you in a shorter distance, because you achieve more maximum braking instances..I know, I've taught it...That's the whole point, and retain some steering control...

[@cazzab999]

If the wheels are allowed to continue turning, in between stamping on the brake pedal, how can that possibly reduce your overall stopping distance. It can't.

[@michaelturner5443]

Typical of that copper in the pursuit car he keeps talking while he thinks of something to say sure likes the sound of his own voice

[@JD-eq4dp]

Its called commentary and is a good way of verbalising ones thought process and planning.

[@michaelturner5443]

These cops are a menace on the roads a danger to other road users give them a class one licence and they think they are invincible

[@JD-eq4dp]

You sound like a criminal or just a bad driver.

[@letsdiscussitoversometea8479]

They're not supposed to be just "given" a class 1 certification. The testing is supposed to be rigorous, checking things such as eye function, vehicle maintenance, cleanliness of windows, mirrors, lights etc., relaying a running commentary throughout about changes of road surface, road signage, hazards both static and moving, and general observation. I'd like for a course such as this to be able to be replicated for civilian use - under the auspices of one's own lawful rebellion, as it were. Common sense motoring, as opposed to fixed mindset motoring.

[@letsdiscussitoversometea8479]

​@@JD-eq4dpThat's not necessarily altogether fair. If you've ever seen Police, Camera, Action's "The Liver Run" episode, there's a part in the episode whereby a constable states that had anyone stepped into the road while they were making their way through traffic, they don't think they couldn't have stopped. The "hope" was that the sirens and wailers were enough...

[@andrewmeadows2596]

Thats the ticket. High speed training on public roads, endangering other road users. Genius.

[@daviddaw999]

So you'd presumably want it done on a private test track? How realistic would that be? Have you any idea of how many millions of incident-free miles of Police driver training are done on public roads?

[@philipjones3561]

Why not let airline pilots just learn on simulators? Don't let them near a plane before they fly pasengers. How do the police get the experience of advanced driving among the idiots on roads (50% of whom are worse than average) without on-road instruction? No doubt Andrew is one of the majority who consider themselves above average and therefore most knowledgeable about the police's tried and tested methods.

[@thefiestaguy8831]

Obviously blind, I didn't really see anyone that was "endangered"...

[@pshankland145]

Andrew Meadows tel folk to stop nicking cars then 😳

[@paulcarter2907]

If only YOU had the opportunity to do driver training, you wouldn't have such a view...