Everyone has heard a story of somebody getting pulled over while speeding to the hospital. Often, it’s a case where a man is bringing his wife to the hospital because she has gone into labor and is about to have a child. The man has decided that speed is more important than anything else, and he intentionally breaks the limit to get there on time.
Usually, these stories are told to illustrate how the police will let the person continue when they find out the reason that they’re speeding. Sometimes, the police are even said to give them an escort to the hospital to let them run red lights and do things of this nature. Does this mean that it’s legal to speed to the hospital?
You can still get a ticket
No matter how many times these stories and anecdotes get told, the truth is that speeding is illegal. If you’ve done this, you have still broken the speed limit, and the law doesn’t contain any exceptions for going to the hospital or going into labor.
In fact, the police officer may offer to give you an escort to the hospital to help keep you safe. Once you arrive, that officer may ticket you anyway. You can plead your case, and some officers will decide not to give out a ticket, but that doesn’t mean that this action is legal. The officer certainly can still ticket you and make you pay the fine because you technically broke the law, regardless of the reason.
That said, you may be able to argue your case if you’ve gotten a speeding ticket in an unusual situation. Make sure you know about all of the legal steps to take.