Speeding Laws

[laviathen]

In my state, Hi, the police all drive fast enough over the speed limit that they leave you in a few seconds. The do not have their lights on and no siren to indicate they are on an emergency call. I would like to know if police are bound by the same laws they are supposed to enforce? If so who would one talk to about the issue and how would one do it in a respectful way?

[MP_Steve]

Just because they're not using their lights and/or siren doesn't mean they're not responding to an emergency. I routinely shut off my emergency equipment sometimes well before approaching a scene as to not alert any possible suspects to my presence.

[coucousis]

As told previously... There is absolutely no way that a by-stander can know if an officer is responding to some kind of emergency or not.

Officers are responding to calls without sirene and emergency lights quite often. They also have to accelerate quite fast to catch up with a driver who commited a traffic violation.

Depending on the traffic infraction involve, they might go for a quiet and discret approach.

Until one sit in the driver seat of a cruiser... No one can tell if speeding is justified or not.

The bottom line is that they are LEOs and you should trust them to speed for the appropriate reasons when they do so!
If you don't ... Then you'll be like 95% of the population bit*hing about things they don't know about.

I always smile when I'm sitting at the restaurant and a civilian tells me how he saw a cruiser heading for Dunkin Donuts with emergency lights on. Come on... In a 16 years carreer I've never seen any partner do such thing.;)

[InTheEnd]

Emergency vehicles are usually exempt from traffic law.

[InTheEnd]

In my state

What state? City or suburbs?

[Piggy]

Emergency lights slow you down if anything. The other day I yielded for an ambulance. When I got back onto the road about 1/2 mile behind him, I remained 1/2 mile behind him until he turned off for the hospital. I was going the speed limit and driving normal the entire time.

[Curt581]

Want to see dozens of people slam on their brakes and stop in the middle of traffic... even in the left lane... in the middle of intersections... you name it... all at the same time?

Just watch what happens when a squad car turns on his emergency lights and siren.

[TX-LEO]

In my state, Hi, the police all drive fast enough over the speed limit that they leave you in a few seconds. The do not have their lights on and no siren to indicate they are on an emergency call. I would like to know if police are bound by the same laws they are supposed to enforce? If so who would one talk to about the issue and how would one do it in a respectful way?

We arent 'required' to use lights and sirens.

[laviathen]

I live in Hawaii, the police mostley drive thier own cars with the single blue light on top. I have seen them speeding in sub divisions, and the freeway/highways. I have seen them not use thier blinkers to chage lanes cross over solid lines. I have seen this one poice officer turn right from a stop sign charge the vehicle in the lane then cross over to the turn lane turn left into a subdivision and pull into his driveway all of which he was exceeding the speed limit I know because he was going my direction. I have heard a police officer under oath that they do 120+ mph passes on the H1 at 1:00am to have another officer shoot them with radar/laser guns to validate the speedometer in thier cars.

[laviathen]

Sorry this reply was to InTheEnd

[Piggy]

I don't know Hawaii law, but I'm pretty sure if he testified under oath that he goes 120, than they are exempt.

If he testified to doing something illegal, the judge would be required to take action.

If they were doing something illegal and the courts are aware of it, I'm not who you would expect to complain to.

Have you considered becoming a Reserve Police Officer there? You seem to have a general concern about the law, why don't you volunteer your time and help them out rather than complain about them? Maybe you would learn why things happen the way they do.

[retdetsgt]

Emergency lights slow you down if anything. The other day I yielded for an ambulance. When I got back onto the road about 1/2 mile behind him, I remained 1/2 mile behind him until he turned off for the hospital. I was going the speed limit and driving normal the entire time.

Yep, peoples' IQ's drop at least 50 points when they see lights in their mirrors and hear a siren.

The only problem here running w/o them is the liability. If I crash code 3, I almost always have the law on my side. If I crash w/o them and it's my fault, it can get ugly with my dept. The brass are much more worried about covering their respective rectums than mine.

[Aussie George]

I had a complaint on my first job.

We were seen disregarding road laws and speeding through intersections with out lights on around lunch time. The complainant saw us head into Kentucky Fried Chicken car park and get out and walk inside.

What else could we be doing but using our Police vehicle innapropriately to get our lunch??? (as the numbnuts compl alleged). :rolleyes::rolleyes:

There was no way we could have been attending to the hold up alarm that came through from the cashier. (Turns out an electrician installing some equipment had hit the button by accident).

But I am sure the entire Hawaii Police all drive like idiots with no reason to do so and should all be taken down a peg or two. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[laviathen]

You are right I am a law conscious person, and you have a very interesting proposition, I will look into it.

As to the second part of my question, is there anyone, who a civilian can make a report about questionable activity, not becoming of an officer?

[Piggy]

Every department will vary on how to complain about an Officer. At my former PD you had to be able to identify the Officer. You then filled out a false informing statement, which meant you understood if you were making a false complaint you would be Prosecuted for a felony. You would then write up the complaint and agree to appear in any and all hearings pertaining to the complaint. As I said though, each agency is different on how they handle complaints.