Police and ambulance have no right breaking a red light

[playerskrew]

Police and ambulance vehicles do not have the right to break traffic lights and drive without caution once their sirens are on.


In fact, the regulation that requires motorists to pull to the side and stop, leaving free passage for an emergency vehicle, refers only to fire engines—and not police and ambulance vehicles.


This was disclosed yesterday by People's National Movement Senator Pennelope Beckles, as she debated a motion filed by Fitzgerald Hinds, asking the Senate to take notice of the strengths and deficiencies of the Police Service.


Beckles said it had become standard practice for police and ambulance vehicles, while in traffic, to turn on their sirens in order to gain free passage, and they would usually proceed to break any red light.


But she referred to a 2002 ruling of the Appeal Court in a matter involving an accident between a private vehicle and an ambulance which had broken the red light.


Said Beckles, the Appeal Court, led by Justice Hamel-Smith, found that the ambulance driver proceeded on the assumption that as long as the siren was on, he could break the red light. But this was an "ill-advised assumption" because there was no provision in the law which allowed this, the court found.


Beckles said the ruling pointed out that Regulation 38 (19) of the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act applies to fire engines only if the fire engine is on its way to and from a fire.


The regulation provides, in the case of a fire engine, for vehicles to pull to the left and stop, leaving the centre of the road for free passage for the engine. "No mention is made of police and ambulance vehicles in the regulation," she quoted the ruling as saying.


However, the judge noted that the practice had developed for all emergency vehicles with a siren on to get free passage. The judge, however, pointed out that this did not allow them to run red lights at random. The judge said it was only in circumstances where the traffic gives way can a vehicle proceed "with a measure of caution" through a red light.


Beckles said a lot of people were not aware of this case. She said there was a need to educate the protective services of this regulation, because on a daily basis they breached this provision.


"They feel they have a right to break a red light and sometimes they don't even have on a siren. And it is a dangerous practice," she said, adding: "It is almost as though it has become a cultural activity."


Beckles said even some ministers who have access to motorbike escorts were now adopting the very same attitude.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/_Po ... 73668.html

[zoom rader]

So what about those private prisons convoys with police escorts that do over 100k and bully other road users out of the way.

Plus government MPs speeding with those black Prados .

Seems we have different laws for certain ppl

[zoom rader]

So what about those private prisons convoys with police escorts that do over 100k and bully other road users out of the way.

Plus government MPs speeding with those black Prados .

Seems we have different laws for certain ppl

[Premchand1976]

Problem here is if u out choose not to move out the way for the police to pass you may end up being assaulted, breathalyzer tested, questioned about license and insurance and when this fails, they may become license officers and choose to do a 40 point inspection of your car and it's road worthiness and they may find weed or guns in yuh car all of a sudden. If you pass that one too then prepare for some kind of attack on yourself or your family by their friends in the service. This is why we all choose to let them pass.....to avoid the headaches if we don't.

[mark2.0]

The fact is that TnT laws are so out dated and these jackasses we called leaders will use the backward laws to their advantage and the poor people's detriment.so stupid ooman talking in parliament and when you don't move when the police coming with sirens will land you before the court on a series of changes without she to back you up.

[VII]

When those regulations were drafted doctors came home to patients and the police were mostly occupied with people breaking laws such as driving or conducting of any cattle through any street between the hours of 10.00 in the morning and 7.00 in the evening.

Fires were the main threat in those days,one building on fire could mean the whole town on fire,but times have changed and a rapid police response may prevent the circumstances for a fire today,and the ambulances would treat and expedite victims of the same fire for care.

We all know they abuse things here but no one in their right mind would rationalize that a fire engine has more right of way than any other emergency vehicle in the 21st century .

Also I seriously believe we are in the middle of a serious psyche change here,the dui enforcement,the speeding enforcement,the wholesale removal of bad behaved kids from schools into remedial centres etc,if we can add littering and other less serious offences to the list only then you would see a change in more serious offences,it's most likely the litterer,abuser,assaulter would be the murderer. Only a ground up approach can work,and that applies to all things.

[TriniAutoMart]

It's all well and good to talk it in parliament but who is really going to defy law enforcement when you see blue lights flashing behind you and sirens blaring? No parliamentarian is going to be on the highway to defend you.

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

When those regulations were drafted doctors came home to patients and the police were mostly occupied with people breaking laws such as driving or conducting of any cattle through any street between the hours of 10.00 in the morning and 7.00 in the evening.

Fires were the main threat in those days,one building on fire could mean the whole town on fire,but times have changed and a rapid police response may prevent the circumstances for a fire today,and the ambulances would treat and expedite victims of the same fire for care.

We all know they abuse things here but no one in their right mind would rationalize that a fire engine has more right of way than any other emergency vehicle in the 21st century .

Also I seriously believe we are in the middle of a serious psyche change here,the dui enforcement,the speeding enforcement,the wholesale removal of bad behaved kids from schools into remedial centres etc,if we can add littering and other less serious offences to the list only then you would see a change in more serious offences,it's most likely the litterer,abuser,assaulter would be the murderer. Only a ground up approach can work,and that applies to all things.

This!!!!

[MaxPower]

All talk, this country is lawless...nothing will change

[BRZ]

Do Police Motor cycles have the right to SPLIT LANES? because some of those officers feel they are a power into themselves.

[Dizzy28]

If I am in an ambulance suffering a heart attack or stroke I sure as hell want them breaking all the red lights!!!

[rollingstock]

Do Police Motor cycles have the right to SPLIT LANES? because some of those officers feel they are a power into themselves.

Show me the legislation that pinpoints splitting lanes as an offence.

BTW Beckles need to read the amendments to the mv&rt act. Some of what was posted there was inaccurate.

[skylinechild]

Do Police Motor cycles have the right to SPLIT LANES? because some of those officers feel they are a power into themselves.

Show me the legislation that pinpoints splitting lanes as an offence.

BTW Beckles need to read the amendments to the mv&rt act. Some of what was posted there was inaccurate.

but r.s with all due respect eah.....if a motorcycle comes up between two cars - ie lane splitting - and another car (or truck) in front of those two cars switches lanes and mr motorbike man cant react fast enough...what happens.??

what if mr motorbike man gets into an accident - for report sake..investigating officer asks -.which lane was he riding in.?
how is lane splitting legal.???
just cause a motorbike cud fit in there makes it legal???

doesnt it have a law requiring a vehicle to occupy the lane of the highway.??
why is motorbikes exempted from this??

if there wasnt a sign at every entrance ramp indicating no cycling , pedestrians , mopeds, animals etc onto the highway - would it automatically make it legal for them to transverse the highway...??

tbh ALOT of our laws are outdated while ppl charged with amending / making new laws busy arguing abt nonsensical things instead of doing the job they were hired to do.

my $0.02

[rollingstock]

You answered your own question. The laws were not amended to take this into consideration. It is now a legal oversight.

[BRZ]

Well doesn't the same law govern a motor cycle as does a regular vehicle? You are supposed to stay in one lane and indicate when switching, yes Tri idadians have issues giving right of way to a motorcycle in your lane and in traffic a motor cycle is supposed to stay in line in traffic , how often do we see this? , but same way that cycles split lames and feel they have the right to do it.

[SR]

If a motorcycle hits a vehicle while lane splitting or vice versa who is right?? In the eyes of the law as applied by the police

[ismithx]

And why should a motorbike be reduced to riding in a lane? It makes no sense

[pugboy]

So where should it operate ?

[viedcht]

Problem here is if u out choose not to move out the way for the police to pass you may end up being assaulted, breathalyzer tested, questioned about license and insurance and when this fails, they may become license officers and choose to do a 40 point inspection of your car and it's road worthiness and they may find weed or guns in yuh car all of a sudden. If you pass that one too then prepare for some kind of attack on yourself or your family by their friends in the service. This is why we all choose to let them pass.....to avoid the headaches if we don't.

This is an accurate depiction of why trinis pull aside.

[Gem_in_i]

The police escorting the prisoners always break lights. Just this wk at the Penal traffic lights i saw these bullies in action.

[ingalook]

The police escorting the prisoners always break lights. Just this wk at the Penal traffic lights i saw these bullies in action.

I'm ok with this transport breaking the lights - one can easily imagine a scenario where there may be an attempt to free these prisoners in transit if they are in an organised gang etc. if they are known to be stopping at a particular light.

I am NOT ok with EVERY police officer putting on their siren at EVERY red light or anytime the traffic may slow them down. I saw a police jeep almost run a motorist off the ramp with his siren on only to see him stop a few seconds later on the side of the highway next to another police vehicle that seemed to be "liming" on the side of the highway and casually get out of his vehicle.

We can't have THAT MUCH crime that there is ALWAYS an emergency.

Police are put on suspension or worse in "developed countries" for things like this - if we are enforcing the laws all of a sudden - we should probably start with the enforcers

[BRZ]

And why should a motorbike be reduced to riding in a lane? It makes no sense

because its a Mode of transport that utilitizes the same roadways?

I really want to know the legal standpoint of splitting lanes and who has right of way in an accident situation if the motorbike was spltting lanes at the time.

[BRZ]

SO DOES a motorcycle have to stay within a LANE or is it LEGAL for them to SPLIT lanes? Question still remains,....

[pete]

Whether legal or not, once they are splitting lanes they are overtaking and should exercise care and caution while doing so. It depends on the situation but in the event they hit a car while doing it they would probably be wrong.

[BRZ]

Whether legal or not, once they are splitting lanes they are overtaking and should exercise care and caution while doing so. It depends on the situation but in the event they hit a car while doing it they would probably be wrong.

Well I would also like to believe so too, but many of those motor cyclists always like to play bad or they are the first to get angry when they are wrong.

[zoom rader]

SO DOES a motorcycle have to stay within a LANE or is it LEGAL for them to SPLIT lanes? Question still remains,....

Bro I often ride with Off duty biker officers on the weekends ect. I asked this question to them several times to different officers

There is no law for Lane splitting, it is seen as overtaking , However you have to observe the white lines and go by law according to those lines. Double white line means never to overtake.

Once I came at a stop light next to a police vehicle, I was on the white line on to the next Lane which was a right only turn, Officer in jeep said I have to turn right since I am on that lane. So did not argue with office, was my fault for being in wrong Lane and on the white line.

[Dizzy28]

Over the past week I've found the Justice on Time convoys to appear to have noticeably slowed down (at least those on the PBR).
Maybe a directive from above to do so??

[Cantmis]