Plod using blues and sirens to queue jump
Discussion
Wondering what the legality of this is ?
In the queue on the roundabout over the M11 yesterday, 2 cars come rushing past me lights and sirens on, like an emergency, the truck at the front of the lights was not impressed and did not move, then they squeezed thru the gap and rushed into the services
Round the corner, they cut the lights and sirens and drove at a more leisurely place to the far end where there was a meeting of plod that seemed to go on all day - drove back there on the way home
One reason I guess why most people do not jump lights for emergency services as for the most part it might not be an emergency ?
In the queue on the roundabout over the M11 yesterday, 2 cars come rushing past me lights and sirens on, like an emergency, the truck at the front of the lights was not impressed and did not move, then they squeezed thru the gap and rushed into the services
Round the corner, they cut the lights and sirens and drove at a more leisurely place to the far end where there was a meeting of plod that seemed to go on all day - drove back there on the way home
One reason I guess why most people do not jump lights for emergency services as for the most part it might not be an emergency ?
insanojackson said:
if they needed to be there fairly quick for a policing purpose (which we can only speculate on) they what they did was legal. There is no law that says you have to use blues and twos for an entire journey, sometimes you just need them to get past a bottleneck.
Indeed, they are only to be used in appropriate scenarios as they can cause chaos amongst civilian drivers. However, I suspect the meeting will have been time critical, perhaps for a strike with the base as the RVP you saw. Driving standards are so rigorously enforced these days that I doubt you'd ever see blues and twos used when they weren't neccessary. It could have even been a driver training meeting you were seeing. I'd always jump reds if safe to do so - just creeping over the give way lines to let them by or going left/right to give them room. I wouldn't want it on my conscious if I delayed an emergency. I'd be miffed if I saw them at a donut shop a mile up the road, but who knows eh? Once they have confirmed to control that they are responding, off they go - sometimes another unit gets there quicker or is nearer, so a responding unit gets cancelled.
Don't worry about fella - I'm sure there was a valid reason.
Don't worry about fella - I'm sure there was a valid reason.
PIGINAWIG said:
I'd always jump reds if safe to do so - just creeping over the give way lines to let them by or going left/right to give them room. I wouldn't want it on my conscious if I delayed an emergency. I'd be miffed if I saw them at a donut shop a mile up the road, but who knows eh? Once they have confirmed to control that they are responding, off they go - sometimes another unit gets there quicker or is nearer, so a responding unit gets cancelled.
Don't worry about fella - I'm sure there was a valid reason.
Bear in mind that if there's a red light camera you'll get fined and points for doing so.Don't worry about fella - I'm sure there was a valid reason.
I'd do whatever I reasonably could to get out of the way of emergency services, but I'm not sure I'd go through a camera controlled stop light...
PIGINAWIG said:
I'd always jump reds if safe to do so - just creeping over the give way lines to let them by or going left/right to give them room.
Do you know you would still get done for it though?I'm sure I read here about somebody who got snapped by a red light camera when getting out the way of an ambulance. They assumed a polite letter and appeal would get them off but no such luck, the reply simply stated that it's the emergency services responsibility to get through and the situation doesn't allow you to break the law.
chuno said:
Remember driving past the local poilce station a while back, was passed by a cop car with flashng lights/sirens etc, then he proceeds to turn left into the car park of the police station.
Methinks he must have been late for his lunch break...
Well, we can all speculate. Could have been a prisoner was kicking off in the custody suite and a shield team was needed to ensure the situation was safely contained. Methinks he must have been late for his lunch break...
As for running reds for the police, I'm sure you'd get away with creeping over the line to create space for a vehicle but only if you're not creating a hazard by doing so. Simply cruising through a red at 40mph because there is a panda car responding to an emergency call behind you isn't going to cut it. However, cameras do not have discretion like officers do so I wouldn't run one of those!
durbster said:
Do you know you would still get done for it though?
I'm sure I read here about somebody who got snapped by a red light camera when getting out the way of an ambulance. They assumed a polite letter and appeal would get them off but no such luck, the reply simply stated that it's the emergency services responsibility to get through and the situation doesn't allow you to break the law.
I'm unsure of this. But I'd still slip over a red if I was responsible for holding up an emergency vehicle. One can only hope that if a camera is triggered, the emergency vehicle is also captured and the motorist is given dispensation for the offence.I'm sure I read here about somebody who got snapped by a red light camera when getting out the way of an ambulance. They assumed a polite letter and appeal would get them off but no such luck, the reply simply stated that it's the emergency services responsibility to get through and the situation doesn't allow you to break the law.
Deva Link said:
No they don't. And the ones that do rarely work when needed.
Anyway, surely being able to jump queues, exceed the speed limit etc is just a perk of the job? I get free coffee.
Wrong on both counts. I'm not sure where you're getting this info from, the recorders are checked regularly (even moreso if the UDS function needs reset) as part of the vehicle service schedule.Anyway, surely being able to jump queues, exceed the speed limit etc is just a perk of the job? I get free coffee.
Baryonyx said:
Indeed, they are only to be used in appropriate scenarios as they can cause chaos amongst civilian drivers. .
Civilian drivers? WTF does that imply? We are all stupid? Not in your little group?You must be a PO, as only they use this patronising term "civilian". I've got bad news for you, we are all civilians. Being a PO does not raise you above the masses.
Lancs Jag Boy said:
Civilian drivers? WTF does that imply? We are all stupid? Not in your little group?
You must be a PO, as only they use this patronising term "civilian". I've got bad news for you, we are all civilians. Being a PO does not raise you above the masses.
I'm not a police officer (although I have many friends who are). At the end of the day, what are we if not civilian drivers? Joe public drivers? Mr Cannybody drivers? Bog standard drivers? etc etc. You must be a PO, as only they use this patronising term "civilian". I've got bad news for you, we are all civilians. Being a PO does not raise you above the masses.
Lancs Jag Boy said:
Civilian drivers? WTF does that imply? We are all stupid? Not in your little group?
You must be a PO, as only they use this patronising term "civilian". I've got bad news for you, we are all civilians. Being a PO does not raise you above the masses.
Given the standard of driving on the roads by the majority of drivers, I wouldn't want to be plod trying to make my way through!You must be a PO, as only they use this patronising term "civilian". I've got bad news for you, we are all civilians. Being a PO does not raise you above the masses.
By civilian, perhaps he meant not a police vehicle/ambulance etc, don't think he was being patronizing, perhaps your one of those who just seems to dislike all police for no apparent reason
ETA: I'm not Plod but would describe myself and others as civilian, as it is the correct term to use for people or entities which are not part of a government body, force or service doing a public duty!
As for the original question, probably on their way to a time critical R.V. for a strike or similar, if they fly round with blues and twos on then the bad guys tend to hear them coming two to three miles away and disappear....
Baryonyx said:
Deva Link said:
No they don't. And the ones that do rarely work when needed.
Anyway, surely being able to jump queues, exceed the speed limit etc is just a perk of the job? I get free coffee.
Wrong on both counts. I'm not sure where you're getting this info from, the recorders are checked regularly (even moreso if the UDS function needs reset) as part of the vehicle service schedule.Anyway, surely being able to jump queues, exceed the speed limit etc is just a perk of the job? I get free coffee.
BTW, you make yourself sound an arse when you throw in acronyms that no-one understands, especially when you're not even connected with the job.
Deva Link said:
They're only fitted in some areas, and certainly not to all cars.
BTW, you make yourself sound an arse when you throw in acronyms that no-one understands, especially when you're not even connected with the job.
Well I certainly wouldn't be saying if I was! Curse me for knowing all these acronyms and lazily repeating them! I'd like to know which forces aren't fitting them though. Even the vans and unmarked cars with no hidden lights/sirens in Northumbria have them. BTW, you make yourself sound an arse when you throw in acronyms that no-one understands, especially when you're not even connected with the job.
king civvies.
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