Caught speeding while assisting police on a call

[jez_200]

I have just received a NIP (well my dad has but I was driving) for doing 45mph in a 30, normally I don't do this sort of speed in a 30 but I quite clearly remember seeing an unmarked white car approaching behind with a magnetic removable blue light and 2 blue lights flashing in the grill, so I accelerated to get past the parked cars so the vehicle could get past me safely, it seems as I did this a mobile camera has caught me speeding!

I've spoke to the police but they've just said that speeding is dangerous under any circumstances (apart from if there is a blue light) and what if a kid had run out, I told them I assesed the danger and there was noone going to get run over. They said I should've of just carried on at 30 until it was safe to pull in. All the could suggest was go to court.

I don't want to have to go to caught to try and prove my innocence because if I lose it'd cost be a lot more than £60.

Is there any thing I can do, or do I just pay the fine and remember next time to not move out of the way quickly?

[trax]

As has happened with red light cameras, they wouldnt give a flying ****, you ar a child murdering speeder in their dimwitted minds.

[gh0st]

Bring on the crowd who says "if it saves one life, its worth it, whats your livlihood and insurance if it could save a small child etc etc" - erm a lot if there is no mechanism to stop this scamera shite

[cptsideways]

Contact the Sun/daily mail/express newspapers

[Joe911]

So it's OK for them to come past you at speed (and avoid hitting children running out into the road) but not for you to assist them by accelerating only moderately to get out tof their way!

Surely in court it wouldn't go any further?

[gh0st]

Joe911 said:

So it's OK for them to come past you at speed (and avoid hitting children running out into the road) but not for you to assist them by accelerating only moderately to get out tof their way! Surely in court it wouldn't go any further?

dont bet on it...

[john57]

Why does it have to be a police car ? .... everyone assumes it is but the police hardly ever use white unmarked cars !

The ambulance service 'Basics' doctors and the fire service all have many people who have clip on bits and pieces to be used as and when necessary.

[Joe911]

Presumably the scamera would have nabbed the unmarked car too?

[phillipj]

The white car was probably an unmarked Police Driving School car, used for training officers on "blue light runs".

It would be a normal looking white saloon with the removable blue lights held temporarily on the roof by magnets and the light's power supply fed in through the door seal.

>> Edited by phillipj on Tuesday 6th September 15:25

[jez_200]

Well I called the police information desk and they were a bit unsure about this white car, they said that they didn't know of any cars that used a magnetic removable blue light. I only noticed it coming along a side road before I passed it because it looked so strange.

I've got to call the Central ticket office tonight and possibly write a letter of complaint to the chief constable.

[mel]

Now days there are numerous other "agencies" that use blue lights, pulsing headlights and sirens that may not even be taceable by the police (even if you had the number plate) they are a common sight in london or on the M25 and come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, I suspect you're knackered if they don't come clean quickly

[Kinky]

As Joe911 says - surely the camera would have snapped them too?

So, you have a specific time (your pic + a few seconds), a place, and as a result - a registration number.

But I suspect, no matter what, it'll be cash and points please (based solely on the red lights story).

K

[7db]

So the moral here, folks, is that a blue light is asking for your permission to proceed, not directing you to break the law -- either by passing a stop signal or speeding.

Only the driver can know exactly the urgency of the shout, and then take more appropriate action to pass you if necessary.

Probably the most important thing to do when faced with blue lights is nothing silly and panicky that might cause another accident.

[trax]

Like I said, it will not make a difference if you were helping a police car, ambulance etc, even if it goes to court, (the CPS and Safety people will fight all the way with all their might to prosecute) the law has no leeway to be able to say you were helping save someones life etc.

Dont you remember the guy who went to court for pulling accross the red light line to let an abulance past, the CPS didnt give a hoot. Verdict, guilty.

CPS of course operate in the public interest, lol.

[7db]

trax said:

...the law has no leeway to be able to say you were helping save someones life...

There is a common law defence of necessity which includes saving someone's life, but this would need to be very direct -- ie they would need to be dying in the back of your car, and you rushing them to hospital, with no prospect of getting a real ambulance to do the job. In this instance however, you would be able to claim using the vehicle for ambulance purposes (statute) and not require the common law defence.

It's a really really weak defence, these days (ie since 1900) as judiciary have clamped down on its use - in other places, this defence is known as the cabin boy defence, for reasons I don't have time to go into now. Suffice to say, you can't eat him.

[bluesandtwos]

I dont know if they used the same system but up here our laser vans have a video recorder in them, they record everything the laser sees - as the camera that takes the picture is attached to the laser. Ask for this tape.

I suspect the vehicle in question will be either Police or Fire. Ambulances have to be clearly marked up, in 3 places IIRC that they are just that. Without this they cant display the blue lights IIRC

I dont think fire have too. BiB obviously dont have too.

[Jinx]

I mentioned this before but have never got a positive or negative answer.
What you did seemed perfectly reasonable and if your actions can be shown to be prefectly reasonable and any other reasonable person in your situation would have acted in the same way then you have broken no law. It is one of the founding principles of law in this country. Are there any lawyers in here who could confirm this as a valid defence?

[bluesandtwos]

But before the mags will listen to that we need evidence that there was a 999 on his ass.

[MR2Mike]

Some interesting history on necessity or duress of circumstances:

www.rjerrard.co.uk/law/cases/backshal.htm

[7db]

The second case there is the story of the cabin boy I mentioned earlier. Seems reasonable to eat him to me (I mean it's not as if they made mucked-about-food out of him), but still not "necessary" in the eyes of the law.

You don't stand a chance with disobeying a traffic signal.