Family Emergency. How fast would you go? Be honest.
Discussion
Back in 1998, I took a call from my Father saying that my Grandfather was gravely ill and I needed to get from London to Shropshire as quickly as possible, as the doctors had given him 3 - 4 hours tops.
I jumped in my car and hotfooted it to the hospital as quickly as possible.
I had a clean licence, The day was a bright, sunny Tuesday morning during the school holidays. I was driving a 4 month old Golf GTI, there was no traffic around me on the M40 and I was in the inside lane doing just under 100 indicated on the clock. Not weaving or driving like a tit in any way shape or form. Just cruising at a high speed in the inside lane with nothing around me.
As I came over a rise, I saw a police car on the hard shoulder in the distance with a policeman standing at the nearside of it, clearly speed trapping, so I slowed pretty quickly to 75ish. As I went past him, I saw him packing his kit and getting in the car, so I dropped right down to 60 / 65 to let him catch up as it was clear he'd clocked me.
As expected, the police car pulled up behind me and gave me the lights so I pulled over on to the hard shoulder. We had a chat where he explained he'd clocked me at 97 and was going to have to refer me to the courts. I explained the reason behind my speed, the ideal conditions, suitability of the car for the speed, lack of any traffic but he was having none of it.
I went on my way and got to see my Grandfather for about 90 minutes before he passed away.
Fast forward a few weeks and my court summons came through. I went and defended myself, where I repeated the story to the magistrate, along with providing proof of my Grandfather's date and time of death etc.
He was having none of it and explained, to his mind, there was no excuse for excessive speed whatsoever. I ended up walking out of the courtroom with 5 points on my licence and a £500 fine.
I jumped in my car and hotfooted it to the hospital as quickly as possible.
I had a clean licence, The day was a bright, sunny Tuesday morning during the school holidays. I was driving a 4 month old Golf GTI, there was no traffic around me on the M40 and I was in the inside lane doing just under 100 indicated on the clock. Not weaving or driving like a tit in any way shape or form. Just cruising at a high speed in the inside lane with nothing around me.
As I came over a rise, I saw a police car on the hard shoulder in the distance with a policeman standing at the nearside of it, clearly speed trapping, so I slowed pretty quickly to 75ish. As I went past him, I saw him packing his kit and getting in the car, so I dropped right down to 60 / 65 to let him catch up as it was clear he'd clocked me.
As expected, the police car pulled up behind me and gave me the lights so I pulled over on to the hard shoulder. We had a chat where he explained he'd clocked me at 97 and was going to have to refer me to the courts. I explained the reason behind my speed, the ideal conditions, suitability of the car for the speed, lack of any traffic but he was having none of it.
I went on my way and got to see my Grandfather for about 90 minutes before he passed away.
Fast forward a few weeks and my court summons came through. I went and defended myself, where I repeated the story to the magistrate, along with providing proof of my Grandfather's date and time of death etc.
He was having none of it and explained, to his mind, there was no excuse for excessive speed whatsoever. I ended up walking out of the courtroom with 5 points on my licence and a £500 fine.
Edited by schmalex on Wednesday 6th July 22:16
mph1977 said:
read the highway code - what does it say ...
Only the Police have an exemption to solid lines
Let me get this straight,Only the Police have an exemption to solid lines
If I broke down on a road with solid white lines and I had nowhere to push to car to as trees or something at the side of the road, nobody could legally pass me ?
-Michael- said:
mph1977 said:
read the highway code - what does it say ...
Only the Police have an exemption to solid lines
Let me get this straight,Only the Police have an exemption to solid lines
If I broke down on a road with solid white lines and I had nowhere to push to car to as trees or something at the side of the road, nobody could legally pass me ?
-Michael- said:
mph1977 said:
read the highway code - what does it say ...
Only the Police have an exemption to solid lines
Let me get this straight,Only the Police have an exemption to solid lines
If I broke down on a road with solid white lines and I had nowhere to push to car to as trees or something at the side of the road, nobody could legally pass me ?
I had experience of this a year or so ago: woken up at 5.30 am on a Sunday morning by my wife to say the 3 week old baby wasn't right, saw he had an obstructed hernia which needed an emergency operation. I'm a surgeon myself so knew what needed to be done and not to bother with the local hospital, so went straight on the motorway to the closest hospital with a paediatric surgical unit. No cars on the motorway for most of the way so did 120-130 leptons, safe speed when off the deserted motorway though. I like to think if I'd been pulled over the police would have been helpful rather than officious, if not I'd have taken it on the chin!
All went well, kids heal amazingly and within a week the 2cm incision was invisible to the naked eye!
All went well, kids heal amazingly and within a week the 2cm incision was invisible to the naked eye!
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