Quote:
Originally Posted by martyh
|
It says that the decision is ultimately upto the driver, but that the safety of the public and the MPS staff must remain the priority. I would think that approaching the crest of a hill without lights or sirens is not putting the safety of the public first.
Quote:
|
The problem faced by the driver is who and how the decision is made that the risk was unacceptable.Had the car being chased by PC Dougal been full of drugs would that then have been acceptable?.What happens if a ambulance driver refuses to speed and someone dies as a result ,is it acceptable that he chose to safeguard the general public but someone died as a result.The decision to drive at speed and break normal traffic rules is one faced by all emergency vehicle drivers and if they face prosecution for doing what is required of them if it goes wrong then what are they supposed to do ?
|
Yes, it is a decision they have to make, and no-one is suggesting they should be prosecuted if 'it goes wrong', but rather if they demonstrably 'get it wrong'. Yes, there will be accidents in situations where the course of action is justifiable, and that will be just that. Accidents. Regrettable, but a consequence of having emergency services travelling at speed. However, that does not mean members of the Emergency Services don't have to justify their decision. If it turns out their decision resulted in an unacceptable level of risk given the circumstances, there should be consequences.