Stupid Question?

[Highlander]

Picture this, you are riding along on a 100km/hr stretch of road.
You see comming up behind you a Fire engine with lights flashing, so indicate and pull left for them to pass.
He passes you and the couple of cars you were just thinking of passing.
A minute or two later you have passed the cars and here is the fire engine chugging up a hill at 70 - 80 Km/hr with an empty passing lane beside him.

Is it OK (legally) to pass him?
For the purpose of this question, you fully intend that once he catches you up again you will get clear and not hold him up.

For the record I throttled off kicked it down a couple of gears and sat sedately behind him, just didn't feel right to pass an emergency vehicle with lights flashing.

[onearmedbandit]

I don't know whether there is any law pertaining to it, but it's just really not the done thing is it. Unless you're on the back wheel. That'll give them something to smile about on the way to the fire.

[Usarka]

Sorry the mental picture stopped when i saw the swedish hitchikers in their bikinis.

:spanking:

You probably did the right thing, but I imagine there is no law as such. Depends on how long the hill is I guess, but I'm sure an officer of the law would have words if he was so inclined (bahahaha, thud).

Actually just thinking some more, there may be some law about passing emergency vehicles at a certain speed? But then we'd have to slow down when plods pulled someone over on the side of the motorway so i guess not.....

man that coffee was strong

[Robbo]

No, it's not a stupid question and probably one that many of us have asked ourselves at some time. I don't think that passing the fire engine would be illegal provided that you did'nt break any road rules in the process and did'nt hold it up when he caught up to you again, but you have obviously used curteousy and common sense in this situation as i think many of us would also do.
SD may provide us with legal details of this one.
Cheers

[Highlander]

Sorry the mental picture stopped when i saw the swedish hitchikers in their bikinis.

:spanking:


Didn't see them, must not be as observant as I thought :crybaby:

I checked the Road Code and it said that if there is an emergency vehicle BEHIND you with lights flashing you must let them pass. I guess as soon as I had passed them they would have been behind me....

[ManDownUnder]

Not a stupid question at all. I'd personally pass it and keep on my merry way. If it caught up to me again I'd give it priority passing rights again, but there's no need to wait out of courtesy.

Ask yourself, what would the driver want?

[slimjim]

come on,,,,,,, it's going that slow what else to do you know ya want-a lol pass it ...............

[mark247]

You shouldnt pass him, you should get up behind him and give him a push!:first:

[EJK]

Ok, how about cop cars? Can you pass them?

Say, traveling at 100kph (cop) and you pass him at like 105-10kph. Illigal?

[turtleman]

Ok, how about cop cars? Can you pass them?

Say, traveling at 100kph (cop) and you pass him at like 105-10kph. Illigal?

Off course it is !!!
You're breaking the speed limit !

:doh:

[EJK]

Off course it is !!!
You're breaking the speed limit !

:doh:

Basically passing a cop car is illigal then.... :no:

[turtleman]

Basically passing a cop car is illigal then.... :no:

No - read again what you typed in the first instance.

It is not illegal to overtake a police car. It is illegal to break the speed limit to do so.

[YellowDog]

An interesting question. I am intrigued to learn the correct answer. Personally, I would have passed the Fire Engine and built up a considerable distance so as not to impeed it further. In the event of this not being possible; only then would I sit behind it.

[Matt_TG]

1. I wouldn't think you would be commiting any offence passing a struggling emergency vehicle as long as you don't impede it's path and can do so within the law (100m visibility etc). Can't see how any law would prohibit it - imagine if it was slowing to turn into a driveway, would all traffic back up behind it or safely pass by?

2. The question about passing a cop car doing 100 is mad. Sure, pass it if you would normally, then come on KB and complain that you were nicked. Why tempt fate? The open road limit is 100km/h. Surely only a Darwin Award entrant would do more than this whilst passing a cop!

[pritch]

Basically passing a cop car is illigal then.... :no:

I passed one recently. He /she was sitting on a steady 95 so after a while I passed, if *very* carefully.

No visible signs of displeasure were noted. It may have been one of those
end-of-shift things, didn't want to get back to the station too soon or they might get another job...

[HornetBoy]

2. The question about passing a cop car doing 100 is mad. Sure, pass it if you would normally, then come on KB and complain that you were nicked. Why tempt fate? The open road limit is 100km/h. Surely only a Darwin Award entrant would do more than this whilst passing a cop!

Feels very weird passing a cop car at highway speeds ,but i have done it once and as i passed the cop car i was looking down at my speedo constantly and i could see the cop having a little laugh as i was just below 106kph and it was a very slow pass :pinch:

but then again id say they are a little more lenient here in lil ol wanganui

[firefighter]

yes it is illegal to pass an emergency vehicle responding to a call, but of course on a bike well it's not likely that you will get in the way again, iv'e had it happen going up S16 towards Kumeu, and cars were passing, which was fine until I needed to turn right and they wouldn't let me into the right hand passing lane until I pushed my way in, then they held me up at the turning bay (80km area so hard to get around them) so they were deafened by the air-horn and siren, which I was very liberal in using!so yeah it can be a pain if you do pass but only really in a car....

[CookMySock]

Ok, how about cop cars? Can you pass them?

Say, traveling at 100kph (cop) and you pass him at like 105-10kph. Illigal?Nope. Sit and wait and watch very carefully. Stay legal distance behind him. Wait for a lapse in his concentration where his speed drops off to 90ish, and blow him off resoundly, taking care not to exceed about 115k. Get past him and get your speed back to 100-105k PRONTO and act like nothing happened, then SAFELY split him off somewhere and walk away adding only 4-5km/hr.

You cant pass people only going 5k faster than them - its dangerous.

DB

[Trudes]

I passed one recently. He /she was sitting on a steady 95 so after a while I passed, if *very* carefully.



Yep, I do that too, if they aren't doing the speed limit I'll pass them no probs. Often see a string of cars behind a cop car on the motorway, everyone too scared to pass, even if he's only doing about 90, funny when you pass and suddenly there's a string of sheep behind you passing too.

[BiK3RChiK]

Heheh... no one wants to pass first! LOL Rock on!!

[barty5]

Ok, how about cop cars? Can you pass them?

Say, traveling at 100kph (cop) and you pass him at like 105-10kph. Illigal?

been there done that slowiy in cage just set cruise control at 105 steady she gose. got givin shit over loud speaker on the sothern was towin trailer in fast lane sitin on 93k c/control on every other lane was doin round 75 -80 so i moved to fast lane no one else using it and got yelled at not like i was holdin antone up enen the cop was only doin 80-85k go figure

[Gremlin]

Don't know the legalities... but I have passed fire engines (that had lights on) and cop cars (patrolling) in the country. Very tentatively, made very sure I was safe, didn't pass too fast etc. Just wait for the twistier bits, you stay on 110 indicated (usually around 100) and you cruise away from them quite quickly indeed.

Obviously be aware there is some sort of incident ahead if its an emergency vehicle that has its lights on...

[MaxB]

been there done that slowiy in cage just set cruise control at 105 steady she gose. got givin shit over loud speaker on the sothern was towin trailer in fast lane sitin on 93k c/control on every other lane was doin round 75 -80 so i moved to fast lane no one else using it and got yelled at not like i was holdin antone up enen the cop was only doin 80-85k go figure

Maybe that 3 km/h over gave him a reason to yell at you. Or you pulled out too suddenly for him?

[banditrider]

I don't think that the fire service will ticket ya....

I think I'd probably go along with most the suggestions in that as long as you don't impede the emergency vehicle getting to the incident you should be ok. Would pay to keep an eye out for the incident though - and any cops that might be attending.

Re passing cops - quite a laugh really. Have done it slow & easy a few times when they've been tootling. The only worry is when you think you're just passing a bunch of cars and you all of a sudden notice one of them is a mufti - I've been lucky so far. I wonder if the mufti guys are actually a bit more lenient on bikes as long as the riders aren't being stoopid - otherwise I figure I should have had a few more tickets by now??? Maybe the mufti guys are actually looking for crap driving and total speed demons???

[Highlander]

I normally have no problem passing police / ambos / fire engines - if the situation allows. Clearly the police have to be doing less than the posted limit for that section of road or that would just be asking for trouble. But the question in this case arose as he had his lights flashing and was clearly on his way to an incident.

[NOMIS]

I think if i was in that situation and wanted to pass thoes cars safely, If it was safer to do the "fire tuck" aswell so be it. i dont speed to much on an open road and no doubt he would catch me again unless there where corners. And when he did catch me i would be sure to let him go by.

[discotex]

2. The question about passing a cop car doing 100 is mad. Sure, pass it if you would normally, then come on KB and complain that you were nicked. Why tempt fate? The open road limit is 100km/h. Surely only a Darwin Award entrant would do more than this whilst passing a cop!

:Oi: I do it all the time. Won't be bitching on KB if I get a ticket though.

109km/h is my cop passing speed. Lost count of the number I've passed on 16 when they're doing like 95-100km/h. Just need a looooooong straight. I even had one wave me faster while I was crawling past him :2thumbsup

Never been pinged. I think they're so impressed a bike is within 10km/h of the limit that they're lenient.

[spudchucka]

Nope. Sit and wait and watch very carefully. Stay legal distance behind him. Wait for a lapse in his concentration where his speed drops off to 90ish, and blow him off resoundly, taking care not to exceed about 115k. Get past him and get your speed back to 100-105k PRONTO and act like nothing happened, then SAFELY split him off somewhere and walk away adding only 4-5km/hr.

You cant pass people only going 5k faster than them - its dangerous.

DB

And if he pulls you over afterwards make sure you get his badge number and make it go international.

[Sanx]

Just remember, the only time it's legal to pass a police car is when you're doing 140, front wheel in the air, standing up, giving the cop the bird and mooning them at the same time.

It's true - I read on the interweb.

[Patrick]

Just remember, the only time it's legal to pass a police car is when you're doing 140, front wheel in the air, standing up, giving the cop the bird and mooning them at the same time.

It's true - I read on the interweb.

This is true... I even read it on here...

Cops can't put on the red and blues to get ya with a donut in one hand and the steering wheel in the other... Multi tasking and all that sort of thing... unless the cop is a chick...