girl's car collides with police car

[Lady Whistledown]

An arbitrary +20mph seems odd to me.... 50 in a 30 is very different from 90 on a motorway, for example.

Anyway, I wasn't aware there was any 'legal' limit... I would have thought it was up to them to drive safely, whatever the prevailing conditions.

Spot on. Whatever you do, you have to be able to justify it if it came down to something happening. Personally I'd say there are unlikely to be many circumstances that would persuade me I could justify driving at 150mph, for example.

 

[teaboy]

The 20mph thing applies to the LAS, not sure about the police. I can only offer the information I have.

No limit for the police might explain how the Met drive though...

 

[Staly]

In my experience (we once got hit by a police car- wife was driving) whilst the Police themselves my be very apologetic and freely admit it was their fault, their insurers will be a very different story.

 

[tubaman]

For clarification, folks, that's not true. Emergency service vehicles have en exemption from certain elements of the Road Traffic Act if complying with them would hinder the ability of the driver to do their job. Principally: speed limits, keep left signs and traffic signals (ie red lights).

There is nothing in the legislation about 20mph.

Ths is correct BUT they must still drive safely. If, for instance a red light is treated as a giveway and in crossing the stop line they cause a collision they can still be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention etc. In the same way as driving at speed when the road conditions are inappropriate to do so.