[MovedGoalPosts]

There are so many rules and regulations affecting the police, and indeed any emergency services vehicle driver.

In simple terms they may be given authorisation by the service they work for to use blues and twos. If they have that authorisation, they can exceed the speed limit, go through red lights, etc, but they are still under a duty of care, and must still drive safely within the limits of the additional training they will have had. These divers can still be prosecuted for dangerous or careless driving, etc.

If a driver does not have the blues and twos authorisation, then he / she must always drive withing the road traffic regulations, and if he / she does not, she is open to prosecution. Similarly if there is no emergency, a driver should drive to normal traffic regulations.

If there is a pursuit, there are clear guidelines laid down by each force as to how these should be conducted. Most forces have taken the responsibility for control of a pursuit away from the driver on the ground, and given it to the inspector in charge of the force control room. That inspector has the final say as to who pursues, if anyone. If the officers ignore that command, however well trained they might be they will be open to disciplinary regulations, and if something goes wrong as well, their having ignored a command will add to the seriousness of any criminal offence as they will have been seen not to have behaved in a reasonable manner.

In the UK we police by consent. That means the police must work within the law, and not be above it.