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Is it legal to speed in an emergency?

On Behalf of | May 24, 2022 | Criminal Defense

You know that it’s illegal to break the speed limit. While it’s true that most people will break it by a few miles per hour fairly often, they’re technically violating the traffic laws and could be pulled over.

One thing that people often say, however, is that the police are not going to give you a ticket if there’s an emergency. For instance, maybe your significant other is pregnant. If you believe they’re going into labor, you want to get them to the hospital as quickly as possible. All you care about is their health and this new baby. If you’re speeding to the hospital and you get pulled over, is it true that you’re not in violation of the law due to that emergency?

It is still illegal

This is actually just a myth, and speeding for any reason is always a violation of traffic laws. You still could be given a ticket. The police officer could theoretically pull over your car, help you deliver the baby on the side of the road, and then ticket you for speeding and causing the traffic stop.

The reason people think that it isn’t that big a deal to speed is just that the police may be willing to look the other way. There are stories of officers giving people an escort to the hospital, for example, to make sure that they can safely break the speed limit or even run red lights. But the police don’t have to do this and they are still able to give you a ticket.

If you do end up with a ticket in a situation in which you feel it’s unfair or unwarranted, then you need to make sure you understand all the legal defense options at your disposal.