Speed limits on police vehicles
Discussion
The following is an article in The Age, a Melbourne-based newspaper. I can't offer you the link cos to view the article would cost $1.65. It's a free search though... I'm going to guess that this refers only to Victoria, as the words "Federal" or "Australia" are nowhere to be seen.
Headlines will write themselves.
Speed limits on police vehicles
By John Silvester
theage.com.au
Wednesday March 3 2004
Tough new driving rules for police answering emergency calls will result in some police vehicles being banned from exceeding the speed limit under any circumstances.
Units banned include the new critical incident response vehicles, designed to be the first to any terrorist incident.
The elite special operations group has also been instructed to slow down when driving to deal with armed offenders and sieges.
Under the new colour-coded system, every vehicle used by police has been given a top authorised speed.
Gold cars have an unlimited speed; silver a top speed of 150kmh; bronze 120kmh; and white cannot exceed the speed limit.
Special operations group four-wheel-drive vehicles have been assigned bronze status. But some of their custom-built vehicles, including a heavily armoured safety car used to rescue people trapped by gunfire, will not be able to exceed the speed limit.
The critical incident vehicles -- two specially equipped Mercedes vans valued at $300,000 -- have been given white status and restricted to posted speed limits.
Senior police said the restriction would remain until the vans' safety had been assessed. It was possible they would be upgraded to bronze status, allowing a maximum speed of 120kmh.
The move comes just weeks after coroner Graeme Johnstone completed an inquest into fatal police pursuits and was critical of police policies on high-speed chases.
Among Mr Johnstone's recommendations were that police review the maximum safe speed for freeway pursuits.
But Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon rejected calls for a ban on police pursuits, saying it would give suspects a green light to escape.
Under the new system, marked patrol cars are limited to a speed of 150kmh. The only vehicles with gold status are pursuit vehicles and special high-powered traffic cars. Only police with a special gold licence will be permitted to drive the high-performance cars at unrestricted speeds.
Police began a safety review of all operational vehicles after two officers were killed when their divisional van rolled in Northcote in May 2000.
The review found that alterations carried out on some police vehicles had affected safety.
The speed limit of vehicle types was decided after police and the Monash University Accident Research Centre conducted a safety review.
Police business management assistant director Gary Glover said there was a need to conduct the review to protect police and the public. He said there were enough high-performance vehicles to ensure police could respond to high-speed pursuits.
Headlines will write themselves.
Speed limits on police vehicles
By John Silvester
theage.com.au
Wednesday March 3 2004
Tough new driving rules for police answering emergency calls will result in some police vehicles being banned from exceeding the speed limit under any circumstances.
Units banned include the new critical incident response vehicles, designed to be the first to any terrorist incident.
The elite special operations group has also been instructed to slow down when driving to deal with armed offenders and sieges.
Under the new colour-coded system, every vehicle used by police has been given a top authorised speed.
Gold cars have an unlimited speed; silver a top speed of 150kmh; bronze 120kmh; and white cannot exceed the speed limit.
Special operations group four-wheel-drive vehicles have been assigned bronze status. But some of their custom-built vehicles, including a heavily armoured safety car used to rescue people trapped by gunfire, will not be able to exceed the speed limit.
The critical incident vehicles -- two specially equipped Mercedes vans valued at $300,000 -- have been given white status and restricted to posted speed limits.
Senior police said the restriction would remain until the vans' safety had been assessed. It was possible they would be upgraded to bronze status, allowing a maximum speed of 120kmh.
The move comes just weeks after coroner Graeme Johnstone completed an inquest into fatal police pursuits and was critical of police policies on high-speed chases.
Among Mr Johnstone's recommendations were that police review the maximum safe speed for freeway pursuits.
But Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon rejected calls for a ban on police pursuits, saying it would give suspects a green light to escape.
Under the new system, marked patrol cars are limited to a speed of 150kmh. The only vehicles with gold status are pursuit vehicles and special high-powered traffic cars. Only police with a special gold licence will be permitted to drive the high-performance cars at unrestricted speeds.
Police began a safety review of all operational vehicles after two officers were killed when their divisional van rolled in Northcote in May 2000.
The review found that alterations carried out on some police vehicles had affected safety.
The speed limit of vehicle types was decided after police and the Monash University Accident Research Centre conducted a safety review.
Police business management assistant director Gary Glover said there was a need to conduct the review to protect police and the public. He said there were enough high-performance vehicles to ensure police could respond to high-speed pursuits.
Speed limits are interesting.
I forget where I saw this but with the rash of reduced limits the fire brigade are now attending emergencies at a lower speed than they would return from them a couple of years ago.
This is due to them being 'allowed' to exceed the posted limit by 'x' amount to attend and then adhering to the limit on the return.
So if you want fast emergency responce you need a higher limit (to save lives).
I wonder if the 'safety partnerships' factor in the K.S.I. figures for non-road when they are dictating these new, lower, limits?
I forget where I saw this but with the rash of reduced limits the fire brigade are now attending emergencies at a lower speed than they would return from them a couple of years ago.
This is due to them being 'allowed' to exceed the posted limit by 'x' amount to attend and then adhering to the limit on the return.
So if you want fast emergency responce you need a higher limit (to save lives).
I wonder if the 'safety partnerships' factor in the K.S.I. figures for non-road when they are dictating these new, lower, limits?
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