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Is there ever a good excuse for speeding?

Posted on February 21, 2019 in

As soon as you see those red and blue lights flashing in your mirror, you start steeling yourself for the uncomfortable encounter that’s about to come with the officer who is pulling you over.

You were speeding. You realize that the police officer approaching your vehicle has probably heard every excuse in the book, so is there any point in offering an excuse at all?

Actually — yes. Generally, speeding is illegal. However, there are times when a good excuse may cause an officer to forgo the ticket. There are also times when speeding is actually permitted under the law.

Here are some of the reasons for speeding that might be valid:

1. It was a safety issue.

Colorado’s laws say that drivers should not impede or block the “normal and reasonable” flow of the traffic around them with their speed. In some situations, going too slow could actually be dangerous.

If you went a little over the posted speed limit because you were trying to maintain the flow of traffic, your actions may be justifiable. This is particularly true if traffic was somewhat congested and there wasn’t an opportunity to simply move over to the right and let other drivers go around.

2. You were trying to move out of the way.

Did you speed up in order to try to make room for an ambulance or fire truck? If you increased your speed in order to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle that was running its lights and sirens, you may have a justifiable reason for your speed — especially if there wasn’t a good place for you to simply pull over without first pulling ahead.

3. You have a medical emergency.

Even if there’s a woman in your car in labor, you’re still supposed to obey traffic laws. However, police officers are human — they may be willing to forgive a speeding incident when you have a true medical emergency. (In addition, you may be able to justify the necessity of your actions later in court.)

Traffic violations are a serious issue, so don’t take it lightly if you’re ticketed for speeding. The financial repercussions alone can make it worth your while to seek some legal advice.