Why can police pass red lights and we cant?

paddykopieczek

in ENGLAND, they cannot pass red lights unless "it is necessary for their official and intended purpose". (Road traffic Act) What that really means is that is that they must be using the police vehicle as a "police vehicle" (not as a pizza collecting vehicle for the police officer's lunch) and they must be responding to a situation in the capacity of being police officers. Sometimes a police vehicle will take the very dangerous choice of going through red lights when responding to an emergency if using the lights and sirens might make a situation more dangerous, such as proceeding to a nearby incident like a bank robbery, a hostage situation or someone threatening suicide and they do not want to alert the person or scare the person. (Or sometimes but not often, a fuse blows when you turn on all the extra electrics!)

Copgirl

Its called code 2. Why is it that people complain that it takes us too long to respond to their calls, but when we step it up and get there within 2 minutes, they complain about us going through red lights? Damned if we do, damned if we don't.

Steven C

How do you know that it is not an emergency? I don't always use my lights and sirens to go to an emergency call if I have to go in fast and not let the bad guy know I am on my way.

John H

Copgirl you rock, you always have the best answers lol!!

Police officers sometimes have to respond to emergency's w/o lights and sirens.

player_862

Well If they are the state police they do any thing they wont but if not the state police will give them a ticket

cajunrescuemedic

Sometimes the police may be involved in an investigation, or on a call, which may not permit them to use their emergency lights or siren while traveling down a road or going through an intersection. They will be at fault if they cause an accident, whether they're using their emergency lights or not. The emergency lights and siren are there to basically ask for the right of way during an emergency. It's a shame that sometimes police do abuse their powers and will often speed and pass traffic lights, or do "rolling stops" through stop signs. Just like your other answer, who is going to give them a ticket? We could file a criminal charge against the officer, provided that the district attorney will accept the criminal charge against the officer. However this may again be fruitless, as just like challenging a speeding ticket. Who is the judge going to favor or believe? A regular citizen, or a policeman who is "sworn to uphold the law".

B.B.B.

My guess is because they are friends with the other police.

*****

This is common everywhere, they do it because they can. This is still wrong, because they are suppose to OBEY the very laws they enforce.

Dogsnoop

They are arrogant and above the law.................Oh how the truth hurts.......lol

The law is a form of tyranny.

That don't bother me, riding with an off-duty cop who forgets they ain't in a squad car, that s--t is scary! All traffic laws broke, half-azzed haphazard driving!

PK211

Who's going to give them a ticket?

Condor

Because they are nasty, bully and ignorant police and you are not.

Zazzrix Zebriel

Because eveytime when the siren is switched on the color of the siren lights is blue and red like the traffic light blue and red.

lou g

u have really but limited ways to know if they are responding to a call or not. what state do you live in? most states have laws that states a emergency vehicle has to slow down for a red light, stop sign. do they have to have lights or siren on or both? what is the local agency's policy?
get involved find out these things. buy a camera, file a complaint, get rid of bad cops.

PEACE

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