If you are going through a contraflow with max speed 30mph with nowhere to pull over and you have an emergency service vehicle with flashing lights behind you do you break the speed limit?
2006-11-28 09:12:17 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Commuting
Morally - yes. Legally - no.
2006-11-28 09:14:05 · answer #1 · answered by Older&Wiser 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As much I'd want to speed up to let them past I probably wouldn't. There was a story in the news about a year ago and some guy was at red traffic lights. He drove just past the lights to allow the emergency services through but he got flashed by a traffic signal camera. He took it to court to contest the fine and penalty points but he was told he had to pay. Things like that make me really angry. I wonder how the judge would have felt if that ambulance or whatever was for a member of his family, and someone didn't move out the way? Most of us have a conscience and will move right out the way but the law needs to be changed in this country to acknowledge the existence of common sense. The judge told him that the emergency services are trained to get through the traffic?? (Um yeah, but not when a car is stopped at a red light obviously!)
2006-11-30 09:26:31 · answer #2 · answered by Pickle 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No because it would not be seen as a valid excuse. I can remember a case some years ago when an army private was driving his general to an urgent meeting and got pulled for speeding, his defence was that his superior had ordered him to put his foot down. The verdict, guilty, the reason, such an order can not be used as a defence because the law of the land came first and the general could not over ride it. I reckon the same argument would be be the case if the driver in question broke the law.
2006-11-28 09:19:35 · answer #3 · answered by tucksie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No because you could cause an accident, the emergency services are specially trained to drive safely at high speeds. You would have to drive within the speed limit until you found a safe space to pull over.
2006-11-28 09:25:56 · answer #4 · answered by Jude 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a little known fact that even the emergency services (except ironically: the Police) have to obey traffic laws; as crazy as it sounds, even if an ambulance runs a red light with all sirens blazing they are breaking the law! A blind eye is turned that is all, if they hit someone etc, they are liable and will be done for dangerous driving!
In short , get out of the way as soon as you can.....WITHOUT breaking the law!
2006-11-28 09:30:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you can do so safely - it's called "Clear and Present Danger" - the law allows for the breaking of laws under extreme situations, such as when someone's life is in danger. You can only break the minimum number, though; so if you had to run a red light to avoid hitting someone, that's the only such law that you could break, unless by not breaking another you put yourself in danger, for example if you had to swerve to the right thru such a head-on scenario, you would not be compelled to signal to the right because you obviously have no time for such niceties.
2006-12-02 09:20:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I was learning to drive, I was told that you do not speed, but you drive normally and WAIT until you find a safe place to pull over. If you get caught speeding you could be pulled over and possibly fined, there is no excuse for speeding even in them circumstances.
2006-11-28 09:24:30 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you do anything possible to get out of the way of the emergency service speed up if you have too and then pull over
2006-11-28 09:18:55 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As an ambulance driver, in a rural area, I'm glad I don't have a freeway to deal with. As to the guy who says that we have to obey traffic laws? He is wrong.
We have our own set of laws that state that we can do just about anything we want to, as long as it is not too much of a risk to life or property.
Besides, we have this nifty little thing in our light bar, called an Opticom, that trips traffic lights, and provides the ambulance with a green light, and stopping traffic in all other directions.
2006-11-30 10:06:29 · answer #9 · answered by Captain Moe 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Brill question??? I was in a predicament one day with the old bill on my tail, we were in a 30mph, narrow road, loads of oncoming traffic.
Old bill gives me an extra blast on his two tones??(he wants me out the way) Where the f**k do i go?? stop, speed up, mount the kerb, WHAT FOR CHRIST SAKE!! Ihad'nt got a clue for the best move////??
2006-11-28 09:22:11 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just keep going at 30mph and then when you are through the contraflow pull over when it is safe and convenient to do so.
2006-11-28 09:20:30 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋