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.



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.

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

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!

[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 !

[EJK]

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

Basically passing a cop car is illigal then....

[turtleman]

Basically passing a cop car is illigal then....

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....

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...