Crash with blue light running police car
Discussion
Just back from A&E with the missus, she was turning onto the Huddersfield ring road when a police car came through their red light and took the front off of our XC60. Soft tissue damage only thankfully. The police driver was hurt by their airbags activating, but seems otherwise uninjured.
Our Lass was following the blue line, when the police car, in red, came through their red light at speed, not giving Our Lass time to stop.
The stop line in Zetland Street is well back from the junction, so you cannot see the ring road until you have set off, and the buildings also make hearing any sirens harder.
Any idea how much hassle this is going to be, and possible outcomes?
Our Lass was following the blue line, when the police car, in red, came through their red light at speed, not giving Our Lass time to stop.
The stop line in Zetland Street is well back from the junction, so you cannot see the ring road until you have set off, and the buildings also make hearing any sirens harder.
Any idea how much hassle this is going to be, and possible outcomes?
gazza285 said:
Just back from A&E with the missus, she was turning onto the Huddersfield ring road when a police car came through their red light and took the front off of our XC60. Soft tissue damage only thankfully. The police driver was hurt by their airbags activating, but seems otherwise uninjured.
Our Lass was following the blue line, when the police car, in red, came through their red light at speed, not giving Our Lass time to stop.
The stop line in Zetland Street is well back from the junction, so you cannot see the ring road until you have set off, and the buildings also make hearing any sirens harder.
Any idea how much hassle this is going to be, and possible outcomes?
Glad no one was seriously hurt. Our Lass was following the blue line, when the police car, in red, came through their red light at speed, not giving Our Lass time to stop.
The stop line in Zetland Street is well back from the junction, so you cannot see the ring road until you have set off, and the buildings also make hearing any sirens harder.
Any idea how much hassle this is going to be, and possible outcomes?
It should be straight forward to get sorted. Although some departments within the police can be slow!
In terms of liability someone has said 50/50. Ignore them. Police will pay out fully. Drummed into us (as above with fire) that you treat red lights as a give way. First or second gear, no more than 20 miles per hour.
Officer driving will properly end up with points on their police licence (and possibly on their normal licence if its deemed necessary).
gazza285 said:
It was a panda car, rather than traffic, so I’m not sure how much high speed training the driver will have had.
I'd say that the distinction you mention is irrelevant. If the driver was authorised to respond on blues they will have been given the training relating to safely making use of their exemptions such as crossing the stop line against a red ATSRushjob said:
gazza285 said:
It was a panda car, rather than traffic, so I’m not sure how much high speed training the driver will have had.
I'd say that the distinction you mention is irrelevant. If the driver was authorised to respond on blues they will have been given the training relating to safely making use of their exemptions such as crossing the stop line against a red ATSCanon_Fodder said:
Ouch that sounds like a big accident OP.
Not that big, luckily. The police car hit forward of the front wheel, it removed the bumper, and damaged the radiator and intercooler, and damaged the bonnet slightly, but as it was an Astra it passed under the headlights. The Astra had damage to the nearside front, and down the side, but hopefully both are repairable.
It’s interesting (but perhaps unsurprising) to observe the difference between police advanced traffic and panda standard drivers approaching urban hazards. In my locality (North Yorkshire) the panda drivers (especially in Transit vans) approach the same traffic lights/roundabouts etc at far higher speeds(sometimes way too high imo) than the (much higher powered) advanced traffic cars (typically BMW 330’s)- the latter only using high speed on the exit.
LosingGrip said:
Glad no one was seriously hurt.
It should be straight forward to get sorted. Although some departments within the police can be slow!
In terms of liability someone has said 50/50. Ignore them. Police will pay out fully. Drummed into us (as above with fire) that you treat red lights as a give way. First or second gear, no more than 20 miles per hour.
Officer driving will properly end up with points on their police licence (and possibly on their normal licence if its deemed necessary).
It's not someone, it was me in the post directly above yours. So not only have we had reports on here, but it happened to my BIL - plod through red light and it went 50/50.It should be straight forward to get sorted. Although some departments within the police can be slow!
In terms of liability someone has said 50/50. Ignore them. Police will pay out fully. Drummed into us (as above with fire) that you treat red lights as a give way. First or second gear, no more than 20 miles per hour.
Officer driving will properly end up with points on their police licence (and possibly on their normal licence if its deemed necessary).
Someone posted that the police driver should have treated the red light as a give way sign. This is correct. The driver was at fault it would appear.
The other driver should have treated the green light as a give way sign. It does not mean proceed. Some blame lies with that driver it would appear.
The degree of blame on each driver depends on the circumstances. There's not enough detail to make an informed decision in this case.
My driving school taught that you should always expect a driver with a green light not to view it as a give way sign. If a police driver did not make this assumption, then they would assume blame.
Times have changed since my day but the police normally paid out in such circumstances. I've been involved in three Polaccs (police accidents), never as the driver. Once we were stationary at lights but with half the vehicle over the centre line, with blue lights on. We paid out.
Edit to enable my face to become less red.
The other driver should have treated the green light as a give way sign. It does not mean proceed. Some blame lies with that driver it would appear.
The degree of blame on each driver depends on the circumstances. There's not enough detail to make an informed decision in this case.
My driving school taught that you should always expect a driver with a green light not to view it as a give way sign. If a police driver did not make this assumption, then they would assume blame.
Times have changed since my day but the police normally paid out in such circumstances. I've been involved in three Polaccs (police accidents), never as the driver. Once we were stationary at lights but with half the vehicle over the centre line, with blue lights on. We paid out.
Edit to enable my face to become less red.
Edited by Derek Smith on Saturday 5th November 14:29
Derek Smith said:
Someone posted that the police driver should have treated the red light as a give way sign. This is correct. The driver was at fault it would appear.
The other driver should have treated the green light as a give way sign. It does not mean proceed. Some blame lies with that driver it would appear.
The degree of blame on each driver depends on the circumstances. There's not enough detail to make an informed decision in this case.
My driving school taught that you should always expect a driver with a green light not to view it as a give way sign. If a police driver did not make this assumption, then they would assume blame.
Times have changed since my day but the police normally paid out in such circumstances. I've been involved in three Polacks (police accidents), never as the driver. Once we were stationary at lights but with half the vehicle over the centre line, with blue lights on. We paid out.
Cough, Polaccs Derek! What you wrote is something different ......The other driver should have treated the green light as a give way sign. It does not mean proceed. Some blame lies with that driver it would appear.
The degree of blame on each driver depends on the circumstances. There's not enough detail to make an informed decision in this case.
My driving school taught that you should always expect a driver with a green light not to view it as a give way sign. If a police driver did not make this assumption, then they would assume blame.
Times have changed since my day but the police normally paid out in such circumstances. I've been involved in three Polacks (police accidents), never as the driver. Once we were stationary at lights but with half the vehicle over the centre line, with blue lights on. We paid out.
Derek Smith said:
Someone posted that the police driver should have treated the red light as a give way sign. This is correct. The driver was at fault it would appear.
The other driver should have treated the green light as a give way sign. It does not mean proceed. Some blame lies with that driver it would appear.
The degree of blame on each driver depends on the circumstances. There's not enough detail to make an informed decision in this case.
My driving school taught that you should always expect a driver with a green light not to view it as a give way sign. If a police driver did not make this assumption, then they would assume blame.
Times have changed since my day but the police normally paid out in such circumstances. I've been involved in three Polacks (police accidents), never as the driver. Once we were stationary at lights but with half the vehicle over the centre line, with blue lights on. We paid out.
Agreed, not enough info to fully apportion blame, but the bulk lies with the police driver. However, the OP's wife must take some for not checking it was clear to go.The other driver should have treated the green light as a give way sign. It does not mean proceed. Some blame lies with that driver it would appear.
The degree of blame on each driver depends on the circumstances. There's not enough detail to make an informed decision in this case.
My driving school taught that you should always expect a driver with a green light not to view it as a give way sign. If a police driver did not make this assumption, then they would assume blame.
Times have changed since my day but the police normally paid out in such circumstances. I've been involved in three Polacks (police accidents), never as the driver. Once we were stationary at lights but with half the vehicle over the centre line, with blue lights on. We paid out.
Highway code:
176. You MUST NOT move forward over the white line when the red light is showing. Only go forward when the traffic lights are green if
there is room for you to clear the junction safely or you are taking up a position to turn right. If the traffic lights are not working, treat
the situation as you would an unmarked junction and proceed with great care.
Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10 & 36
MustangGT said:
Agreed, not enough info to fully apportion blame, but the bulk lies with the police driver. However, the OP's wife must take some for not checking it was clear to go.
Highway code:
176. You MUST NOT move forward over the white line when the red light is showing. Only go forward when the traffic lights are green if
there is room for you to clear the junction safely or you are taking up a position to turn right. If the traffic lights are not working, treat
the situation as you would an unmarked junction and proceed with great care.
Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10 & 36
Listen to this man. He is the expert on everything. Especially googling. Highway code:
176. You MUST NOT move forward over the white line when the red light is showing. Only go forward when the traffic lights are green if
there is room for you to clear the junction safely or you are taking up a position to turn right. If the traffic lights are not working, treat
the situation as you would an unmarked junction and proceed with great care.
Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10 & 36
Just looking at it from different angles and not apportioning any blame but did the police car have its siren on, did you wife hear a siren or not?
Should drivers proceed with caution when hearing a siren until the location of the vehicle with the siren on is identified?
I have seen many times driver’s pull out in front of emergency vehicles, even though a siren can be heard long before the vehicle has appeared
Should drivers proceed with caution when hearing a siren until the location of the vehicle with the siren on is identified?
I have seen many times driver’s pull out in front of emergency vehicles, even though a siren can be heard long before the vehicle has appeared
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