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OK I really dont know the answer to this one. I dont remember anyone saying anything about this situation during drivers ed.

So there is a construction zone with a speed limit of 40MPH. There are some police coming up fast behind you. ( not pulling you over ) There is one lane and no room to move over. Right side is a wall and left lane is blocked by closely placed barrels.

What do you do? Do you speed up or do you just continue going 40MPH?

Lets say that the construction zone ends in about 1000 feet.
What do you do?

Lets say it ends in 5 miles.
What do you do?


Also do you have to slow down if your in the right lane on a 4 lane road and the police are passing on the left?

Do you have to slow down if the police are in the opposite lane?

Come to a complete stop and see what the cop does.

4 lane cop in the same direction you pull over, 4 lane cop in the other direction you pay no mind.

So there is a construction zone with a speed limit of 40MPH. There are some police coming up fast behind you. ( not pulling you over ) There is one lane and no room to move over. Right side is a wall and left lane is blocked by closely placed barrels.

What do you do? Do you speed up or do you just continue going 40MPH?

Continue to do a safe speed within the posted limits until you can clear the lane.

Lets say that the construction zone ends in about 1000 feet.
What do you do? Same as above.

Lets say it ends in 5 miles.
What do you do? Same as above.


Also do you have to slow down if your in the right lane on a 4 lane road and the police are passing on the left? If their lights are on you must pull off to the side of the road until they pass. If unable to pull completely off you must make room on your left if it is safe to do so. If it isn't safe to do so then proceed forward until you can clear the lane.

Do you have to slow down if the police are in the opposite lane?Same as above. If it's a two lane road. In this case, just slowing down with the attempt to pull off will give them time to pass you. The reason you pull over when they are in the other lane is in case they need to do a U turn into your lane. It's their highway we just pay for it.

If there is a median or barrier separating you from a police, ambulance, school bus then you do not have to stop. :D - Dale

In South Africa we are taught to follow the book unless instructed otherwise by a police officer. So in the single-lane construction zone example, I'd consider breaking the posted speed limit if it was clear that the officer wanted me to (not sure how exactly I might attain this level of clarity though).

The American practice of stopping when you hear sirens is nonsensical in my opinion. Surely stopping isn't the best reaction in all situations?

-Simon

Clearing the lane is the objective. Safely and within the posted limits. If you've cleared the lane for the officer to pass then you've complied, even if your still rolling. It happens everyday in every city.

To make it simple: "Get out of the way." Stopping in the single lane would be an obstruction. Exceeding the posted limit may get you a ticket. Assuming an officer wants you to break a law for his benefit wouldn't hold up well in court if you were tried.

This link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_car) is interesting. Read the second paragraph about the first police car. Dale

To make it simple: "Get out of the way." Stopping in the single lane would be an obstruction. Exceeding the posted limit may get you a ticket. Assuming an officer wants you to break a law for his benefit wouldn't hold up well in court if you were tried.

I do know that if a cop is directly behind you at a red light you can run the red light. I learned that from a retired officer that instructed a defensive driving class I took many years ago.

In that case, I'd do a right turn on red and allow them access to the intersection. I can be sure that is a legal move.

Blue and Red Lights or no Lights?

No lights 40 mph until I was able pull over for the police car to pass.

If there was enough room to squeeze over to the right shoulder to give to Officer room to pass I would make room for him if I felt he was on call and needed by.

Lights on and I knew he needed by me I would punch it up to the normal pre construction speed limit to help him get through the construction zone quicker as long as there were no workers in the area.

I saw this happen about three years ago on Pa Turnpike when I was coming home from a car show at Carlyle. I saw the lights way back, and I thought the state police had gotten themselves a speeder in a construction zone. Nope it was our Governor Fast Eddie Rendell in the Limo pulling his normal 80-100 mph runs on the Turnpike with a state police escort.

I had just gotten to the end of the construction zone and was speeding up to 65 mph when when the State Police Suburban and Fast Eddies black limo blew past me by at least 20 mph over the limit.

Nope it was our Governor Fast Eddie Rendell in the Limo pulling his normal 80-100 mph runs on the Turnpike with a state police escort.

I had just gotten to the end of the construction zone and was speeding up to 65 mph when when the State Police Suburban and Fast Eddies black limo blew past me by at least 20 mph over the limit.

That's when you most definitely hold the lower speed limit.

The answer to all the questions is you follow the PSL if the emergency vehicle doesn't have his flashing lights on. If he needs to get past you, he'll activate lights and/or siren. At that point, you pull over when it's safe to do so.

Yeah, you didn't say rollers on or rollers off. If on, and there's
conceivably room for two cars to squeeze in the lane, I'd get
as far right as I could and try to get him past; sometimes in
the construction zones the barrier and lane width isn't consistent
and there might be a slight widening a short distance ahead.
.
If he's rollers-off and comes up and tailgates, then it would be
flashers and thumb, and if he wanted to make a stink about it
then he'd have his day in court. And it wouldn't be pretty.
.
_H*

Yeah I'm talking with the lights flashing.

I had a state police either in his own car or an unmarked car tailgate me. No flashing lights. This was all in the right lane. I slowed down. When he passed me he pointed at his shoulder. I don't remember why he passed me on the right or why I was in the left lane. I may have been passing a car at the time. This was many years ago before I had my Prius. I took a picture but did not have time to give him the bird.

http://stuff.jaygroh.com/pigtailgater.JPG

You were begging for a ticket, taking a photo (distracted driving) while driving.

I do know that if a cop is directly behind you at a red light you can run the red light. I learned that from a retired officer that instructed a defensive driving class I took many years ago.
Be sure of your state laws before you do that. There is no provision in VA law for that and it can be dangerous regardless. We teach emergency vehicle drivers that as they approach a red light with traffic and no lane clear for passing, to kill the siren and wait patiently until the light turns and traffic can safely and legally move through. Traffic signal preemption technology (http://www.tcmfd.com/stuff/opticom.html) helps considerably.

Hi All:

___Dale’s reply’s much earlier in the thread were ideal imho.

___Al, if Fast Eddie is behind in a similar situation, than you P&G between the lower minimum and 5 mph below the PSL to make sure everyone is safe while in the construction zone and you save as much fuel as possible for everybody involved :D

___Jay, that officer was a jack @$$ for sure!

___Good Luck

___Wayne