Comments about ‘Case focuses on Utah emergency-driving law’

There are current laws stateing that all drivers yield to emergency vehicles responding to an emergency. This gives the emergency vehilce the right of way and if some idiot is being stupid and not paying attention it is his own fault and the blame falls on his shoulders. At least there is one less idiot removed from the gene pool to keep him from passing on his stupidity gene. This is an injustice to the officer responding and sends the wrong message to other drivers that they can ignore the emergency vehicles responding. Emergency vehilce drivers are always on the lookout for these gene pool defectives but there is always the one defect that gets caught. Whether there are state or city policies is irrelevant as the law already states that all drivers yield right of way to emergency vehicles, that means stop and do not go. Inattention and drugs is no excuse to violate the law. The officer should be filing a civil suit against the family for letting this drug addict drive and endangering his life and causing him bodily harm. Why is the state and city even allowing such an accuation and trial?

Of course no mention is ever made of police officers ever taking advantage of their "emergency rights-of-way." Just the other day I was driving in rush-hour traffic approaching a busy intersection and a red light. Along comes a police officer from the rear, no lights flashing or siren on. As the officer got closer, he flipped the lights and siren on. Everyone moved to the right, as they were supposed to. The officer proceeded through the intersection and about 30 yards down the way off went the lights and siren and he went on his merry way.

Next time I will read the plates of approaching officers and report them if I ever see this again. Maybe he was in a hurry to get to the doughnut shop.

TO DES NEWS:

Stop blocking my comments! You are so biased it's not even funny. My comments are not any more abusive, offensive, off-topic, or misrepresentative than most I see that ARE posted. I haven't called anyone an "idiot," "stupid," or someone "passing on his stupidity gene" or calling human beings a "defect." Block comments like those from Bob G!

Catherine.....here's a news flash for you...police cars have radios...dispatchers continually relay information over those radios to the police as it comes in... which often creates an emergency...thus the lights and siren goes on...frequently this information changes and the dispatcher then promptly passes this new information on to the police and the lights and siren are turned off.....it's not an especially complicated system...but does require a speck of common sense....stereotyping your local police...not a good idea..God forbid that you might have an emergency requiring an emergency response....be sure to check for traces of glazed donut residue surrounding the cheerful smile of your uniformed responder...in its absence....try rethinking your hateful comments before you decide to publish them...exposing your ignorance... and obvious hateful bias...have a nice day..

Dan is correct. Quite often, a dispatcher will relay information which requires officers to respond expeditiously, and quite often, that information will change and officers will be updated. This may require a not-so-expeditious response, thus the lights and siren will go away. Should Catherine ever find herself mangled and pumping out in a ditch due to a drunk driver colliding with her vehicle, she will probably appreciate the lights and sirens of her first responder. It is tragic, but far too often we see people unaware of their surrounding when they are driving. Whether it is tunnel vision, drunken stuper, or just texting a friend, not paying attention to the world around you as you drive can get you hurt or killed someday.