Table of Contents
Driving can be an anxiety-increasing activity for many of us. It is especially nerve-wracking if you see a police car pull up alongside you or behind you. At such times, your mind begins to race, and you begin to wonder if you broke a rule in the recent past. But then you see the same car zoom past you and you breathe a sigh of relief. You realize that the car was never there for you in the first place. But where is it headed and is it allowed to be going this fast?
This post should answer most of your questions. It will help you understand why and what to do if a police car is driving over the speed limit.
In general, a police car is allowed to drive over the speed limit, especially if its duty requires it to do so. However, it is hard to determine when the situation calls for it. Thus, you can assume that the police car can always be driving over the speed limit. The only thing to keep in mind is that even then, police cars are supposed to ensure public safety. Hence, you can report these police cars if they are driving unsafely. Read more about this in detail below.
Should you match their speed?
Once you notice the police cars speeding away on the roads, it might occur to you if you should follow suit and match their speed. In such situations, you need to remember that you are a civilian. Thus, you are not allowed to break the speed limit under any conditions. Not unless you want to be the next one being chased anyway. Therefore, even if you see a police car speeding along next to you, you shouldn’t try to match their speed. Even if you are trying to give way to the police car it is still best that you calmly move out of their way without trying to match their speeds.
Is it legal for police cars to drive over the speed limit?
Police officers are required to respond to any crime scene as soon as they can. Thus, they are legally allowed to cross the speed limit if they are responding to a call or an emergency. Most police cars are capable of driving way over the speed limit. In fact, in some regions, the speed of a civilian car is limited electronically. This is usually to a limit just below that of a police car. This way, if there ever is a car chase, the cops always catch the bad guy.
Of course, bad guys don’t always play by the rules. That’s why some cities decided to go another way and include some supercars in their police fleet. The best example of this is seen in Dubai, where cars like the Bugatti Veyron and Nissan GTR can be seen among their ranks. While this is done mostly for the sake of tourism, you can rest assured that the criminals aren’t getting away no matter how fast they are.
When are police cars required to cross the speed limit?
As mentioned above, often the police are responding to a call and must reach there quickly. This can often be distinguished by their sirens and red/blue blinking lights. So, when you see a police officer cross the speed limit in this manner they are mostly responding to a call. However, it is worth noting that police officers aren’t always required to switch on their sirens and lights when responding to an emergency call. Sometimes, police officers may choose not to switch these on. This is because they tend to slow down the traffic which might be counterproductive in some situations.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, it is rather hard to discern whether a police car is responding to a call or not. Especially when it is driving over the speed limit. But one good thing to know is that even under such conditions, police officers are supposed to take public safety into account. They aren’t allowed to drive around like the cops in movies like Bad Boys or Fast and Furious. Hence, if you see some reckless driving by police cars, you can report it to the nearest police station. It is very important that you note down the license plate number or the police car number. This way, the correct officer can be reprimanded. These calls are also anonymous, so you don’t need to worry about any backlash.
Hopefully, this article helped you under when and why police cars drive over the speed limit and what you can do in such cases. We hope you drive safely and know what to do the next time you spot any form of reckless driving.