Do you have strobes in your POV?

[mcsap]

Dan, you DON'T know insurance companies. They understand one thing. Pay out the least amount of money they can on a claim. Find a reason to not pay is even better. There is a reason insurance companies have nice big buildings in big cities. They may talk about having compassion but that isn't the real world. They are in business to make money and as much as possible.

A local body shop I know WILL NOT do a crash repair from Progressive Ins. They will ask you up front what ins ( if any ) is paying for the damage. If it is Progressive... On the other hand , I switched to Erie ins in 1985 when their insured hit me and they took good care of my claim. 18 yrs later I am still with them. After 15 yrs of NO claims ( actually 18 as I never had one) , they will not raise my rates again for a future at fault crash.

[Hightower]

Dan,

I do work for a small department with one to two officers on at a time. Granted, we have plenty of marked cars.

If your town is so small, it should be pretty easy to get through town without emergency lights and sirens on a POV.

And Insurance companies do not care about the situation. All they care about is the money they will have to pay out if you crash your POV while responding to a Police Emergency with lights and sirens on it. I am willing to bet that some companies will not even cover you if that were to happen.

And finally, our city has a policy that NO personal vehicles will be used for work purposes.

Hightower

[Chief_Wiggum]

Originally posted by Dan
I think the insurance company would understand the situation, Its never happened here so I dont know what they would do.

That's one thing I wouldn't bet on. The insurance company will understand one thing: "We don't have to pay on this."

Insurance companies are not in the "understanding" business. They are in the business of making money, and the way they do that is pay out less in claims then they make in priemiums and investments. And the decision won't be up to your friendly local "insurance guy". It will be made far away in a corporate office by someone who has only the companies bottom line at interest.

That's not bad, that's business. It's important that you understand that and make darn sure you get something in writing confirming they will cover you if you use your POV in any way as an emergency vehicle. A million dollar law suit will really screw up your day. :mad:

[LuckyPolice]

POV?

[hawkman]

Originally posted by LuckyPolice
POV?

Personally owned vehicle.



I don't have any in my car, but their are a couple with the department that don't have their own car that get called out more than I do (they are more centrally located than I am and our department is not 24 hour, its call out after about midnight till 8 am) that do have them. But they also have a permit to run with lights/siren from the county commissioners. If they wreck, then tuff luck as the county wont pick up the tab and they'll have to deal with their insurance company on their own.

Personally... I just turn on my hazards if its that much of an emergency I need to exceed the speed limit. But again, I'm rarely called out.

[Scruit]

I once thought of installing wig-wags in my Taurus to help get Left-Lane-Blockers out of my way when I was driving down the freeway. I decided against it because the Ford Taurus was also used as a police vehicle and I didn't wanna get a case put on me for impersonating or anything...

The only time I've see officers use their POVs for work would be when they're directing traffic in and out of schools/churches that have no traffic signal and people have trouble getting in/out oif - they do this uniformed and in overtime. They'll park their POV off to the side of the road (no attempt is made to use it as a warning device - no lights/strobes or anything) and direct traffic.

That's the big city just south of here. In the county I live in they usually have 10-12 cruisers on the road at any point in time. They will direct traffic at thgis on particular 4-way stop that always gets really baked up. It's always a uniformed officer in a marked cruiser, though. Weird that the smaller dept would tie up an officer/cruiser whereas the big city will have the officer do this in his overtime and he has to drive his POV (but just to transport him there, his POV is not used in any way to assist in the directing of traffic)

(edited because I accidentally apostrophized a plural and made it look posessive)

[jeff92k7]

Originally posted by P01IC3M4N
(1) "Authorized emergency vehicle" means:
(D) a private vehicle of a volunteer firefighter or a certified emergency medical services employee or volunteer when responding to a fire alarm or medical emergency;

Yes, but if you are responding to a fire alarm or medical emergency, then you are operating an authorized emergency vehicle. If you are not resoponding to a fire alarm or medical emergency, and have your lights activated, then you are in violation of the transportation code for having flashing lights in your personal vehicle.

The original poster was asking about LEOs and their POVs. I was just using the construction equipment comment as a way to validate the fact that strobes are not allowed. I should have clarified it better. I was actually referring to pickup trucks and other street legal vehicles owned by construction companies that are equipped with strobes or flashing lights. I have seen far too many construction workers use their strobes to get through traffic on public roadways when they shouldn't be. The lights are intended for off-road use or use at construction sites only. I also wasn't referring to heavy equipment. If I'm not mistaken, heavy equipment does have to have flashing lights operating while on a roadway since they are a potential hazard.

[mcsap]

Which would catch your attention more, an unauthorized vehicle obstructing the highway who has no authority to do so ( other than the goodwill of helping out) and a potential lawsuit ?

How about flagmen ? Cones, barricades ? Or just close the road altogether ? We would NEVER allow someone in a POV to use their vehicle in anything close to an official capacity unless it was a genuine emergency and to cease and desist when PD/FD arrives. Bet their insurance carrier isn't aware of the uses of those vehicles ?!!

[HK45cal]

One you dont make enough to be strutting around town with lights in your car. Two when you are off duty, stay off duty. Waste of money I tell ya

[Solego]

explorers, can't live with 'em and can't shoot 'em (and not get caught that is)

[Stump]

Solego! Long time... married yet?

[P01IC3M4N]

Originally posted by jeff92k7
I have seen far too many construction workers use their strobes to get through traffic on public roadways when they shouldn't be.

i would tear that up.
heavy equipment has to have a slow moving vehicle placard.
we have a security company here with a fleet of cars. i'm waiting to see one on a traffic stop.

[Scruit]

If any vehicle abuses emergency marking or lighting to gain an driving advantage in a non-emergency situation then I would call that illegal use of emergency lighting (or whatever the wording is on your state) That goes for off-duty volunteer firefighters who use their otherwise-legal red lights to unfairly advance through traffic while NOT on an emergency call... Also goes from construction vehicles that are nowhere near the construction site etc. That even goes for police vehicles that are on patrol and don't feel like waiting at the red so they flip on the overheads, get through and shut them down. If they are running silent to a call and don't want to alert the burglar that they're ontheir way etc then that's totally acceptable, but if they're just on patrol nad can't be arsed to wait then that's totally off.

[phuzz01]

Dan,

I have attached the relevant section of the MA statutes regarding this matter. Obviously a POV does not qualify for (i), and although they could potentially qualify for (ii), my understanding is that chiefs have been extremely reluctant to give that kind of authorization, and furthermore, the registry has been even more reluctant to give permits. On top of that, MA State Police Troop B patrols local towns in that area frequently (unlike troops inside I-495 which do mostly highway patrol). In fact, if I remember correctly, Westfield is right next door to SP Russell.

--Alex

MA Chapter 90, Section 7E:

No motor vehicle or trailer except (i) a vehicle used solely for official business by any police department of the commonwealth or its political subdivisions or by any railroad police department or college or university police department whose officers are appointed as special state police officers by the colonel of state police pursuant to section sixty-three of chapter twenty-two C and subject to such special rules and regulations applicable to such college or university police department as the registrar may prescribe, (ii) a vehicle owned and operated by a police officer of any town or any agency of the commonwealth while on official duty and when authorized by the officer's police chief or agency head and only by authority of a permit issued by the registrar,