People who find themselves in an emergency situation often know that they need to act quickly. This can lead to them breaking traffic laws and speeding if they’re trying to get to the hospital.
For instance, maybe you and your spouse have been expecting a child. It’s still a month before the due date, but your spouse suddenly feels like they’re in labor and they need to get to the hospital right away. Odds are, you would consider speeding to get them there quickly enough. Many people may even tell you that you’re allowed to do this, but is that true?
Police can make exceptions, but it is still a violation
The reason people think that this is legal is often just that police officers may make exceptions for emergency situations. If an officer pulls you over for going too fast, you may be able to explain that you’re just trying to get your spouse to the hospital, and then the officer may offer to escort you there. This can keep you all safe while still helping you get your spouse the care that they need.
However, none of this makes speeding legal. It is still a violation of traffic laws. Even if you have a good excuse, the officer could decide that they will give you a ticket anyway. They would be within their rights to do so, even if they helped you get to the hospital. In other words, there’s no legal reason to speed, so you can always get a traffic ticket, even if you feel like the situation warranted it.
If you do find yourself facing a serious traffic ticket in a situation like this, be sure you know about all the legal defense options at your disposal.