Legal Speeding?

[Noah930]

So I opened a piece of junk mail today at the office. It was from the California Medical Association. (I'm not a member.) This was a solicitation to join their organization. The letter started off with this:




"When your patients need urgent care, every second counts.

That's why the California Medical Association and the Los Angeles County Medical Association worked with the California Highway Patrol to revitalize legislation allowing surgeons get to their patients faster. The CHP has signed off on a program which gives doctors a special sticker to allow you to speed in an emergency, and even speed when necessary in rural areas."

What?!?!?!?!?



The form letter then went on to describe other physician advocacy stuff the CMA supports.

Hey, as long as they're dangling legalized speeding as a carrot, why not throw in booze and easy hot women (or guys, if that's your thing--it's PC California, after all) as lures to join/give them money?

Of course, if this is not just some scam and I can really get a sticker that'll allow me to speed at will, I take back all my skepticism and will be laughing all the way to normally felonous velocities.

[Jim Bremner]

As long as the DR. is traveling QUICKLY in a safe manor, I'm good with it.


I've been busted for 80 in a safe area with no blind corners or hills. No traffic, decent light.



Far from Justice being served. The only thing that got served was my cash to the state.

[pwd72s]

In most cases, the cop could decide to accompany the MD to the "emergency" with lights and siren....there had better be an emergency when the destination is reached.

There's always a bozo, but I really don't see many MD's misusing this.

[Tobra]

Thoracic Surgeon I know had a state trooper follow him to the hospital in Conroe. Cop caught him when he got to the doctor's parking lot. Started yelling at him about driving wrecklessly, which he had not been doing. Tossed him his wallet and told him he would have to wait if he wanted to arrest him, ran in, did a CABG.

[Noah930]

Tobra (or any of the other physicians in California on PPOT): is there really some (serious) movement to allow docs stickers on their cars which would allow speeding in medical emergencies?

[red-beard]

What happened to the MD license plates?

[Moses]

Twice, while on my way to true emergencies I've had CHP attempt to pull me over. Both times I was going very fast with my flashers on. I hand signal them to pull along side if they want. I do not stop. It seems pretty clear to them that somethings not right. When I pull into the hospital they followed. I didn't stop to talk, just ran into the hospital. One officer was cool, the other chased me into the hospital and the nurses has a hard time keeping him out of the operating room. When I came out of the OR covered in blood he was still there. He wanted me to sign a speeding ticket and give him my license and registration.

I told him I would follow him to HQ and I would sign the ticket in front of his watch commander while I also signed a formal complaint about his behavior in the hospital. He left.

[Tobra]

Dude, one of the reasons I am a Podiatrist is so I don't have to haul ass to the hospital in the middle of the night.

Only high speed run I ever made to any hospital was about a week after my wife had her tonsils out. She coughed and went into the bathroom about 2300. She apparently broke a clot loose, blood flowing out of her mouth. Did the 10 miles to the hospital in about 5 minutes. She was leaning over a 1/2 gallon pitcher on the way. Had about a quart and a half of blood in that thing after a total of 10 minutes. They took her right in at the ER. Disgruntled guy complained about us being taken ahead of his daughter. He turned pale and backed out when he say the blood running out of her mouth. 2nd most blood I ever saw. As a resident, nurse snatched me out of the hallway when I was not even on call. "Come with me Dr Doogie"(in philipino accent, they called me that due to my youthful appearance) Ruptured ectopic pregnancy, literally up to my elbows in blood.

I am unaware of any movement to get doctors a license to speed.

[Rikao4]

before the civilian 'Lifeflight' helos came along..
there was M.A.S.T..military helos picking up civilians..
I had a ..'Do not detain card' + Dustoff lis. plate..
didn't abuse it..but I didn't slow down either..

Rika

[john70t]

What a wonderful idea.

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by Jim Bremner

As long as the DR. is traveling QUICKLY in a safe manor, I'm good with it.

+1
But I think some training should be required.
Perhaps a mandatory season of PDX events.

[ossiblue]

Something I found in the California Vehicle code:

Vehicles Owned by Physicians
21058. A physician traveling in response to an emergency call shall be exempt from the provisions of Sections 22351 and 22352 if the vehicle so used by him displays an insigne approved by the department indicating that the vehicle is owned by a licensed physician. The provisions of this section do not relieve the driver of the vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway, nor protect the driver from the consequences of an arbitrary exercise of the privileges of this section.


Amended Ch. 1996, Stats. 1959. Effective September 18, 1959.

It appears this has already been in place for 50 years. Sections 22351 and 22352 deal with posted speed limits and the "basic speed law." It sounds like the letter is trying to get stickers approved rather than passing legislation to allow doctors to speed.

[gtc]

Wow... the way I interpret this is that they are admitting that speed limits are completely arbitrary or at least unrelated to driving safely.
Even though this is common knowledge, it's strange to see it spelled out in the code.

Originally Posted by ossiblue

Something I found in the California Vehicle code:

Vehicles Owned by Physicians
21058. A physician traveling in response to an emergency call shall be exempt from the provisions of Sections 22351 and 22352 if the vehicle so used by him displays an insigne approved by the department indicating that the vehicle is owned by a licensed physician. The provisions of this section do not relieve the driver of the vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway, nor protect the driver from the consequences of an arbitrary exercise of the privileges of this section.


Amended Ch. 1996, Stats. 1959. Effective September 18, 1959.

It appears this has already been in place for 50 years. Sections 22351 and 22352 deal with posted speed limits and the "basic speed law." It sounds like the letter is trying to get stickers approved rather than passing legislation to allow doctors to speed.

[ddbach]

As a physician, with the decline in respect for others and their property, do you want an external identifier on your vehicle? Might this not cause one to be targeted by criminally minded persons in search of $$ or a disgruntled patient (not necessarily your own) in search of revenge? Many docs I know don't even have MD(DO) on their personal checks anymore.

[Noah930]

Well a D.O. colleague has confirmed that these little red stickers truly exist. He joined some osteopathic medical group and was given one to put on the back of his car. It's stuck to his back window. He got it from the osteopathic organization, so no knowledge if one can just walk up to the DMV and request one. He hasn't tested the local LEO acceptance of the sticker's authority.

Personally, I'd rather have an occupation that didn't require me to speed to emergencies.

[Jim Bremner]

Originally Posted by Noah930

Well a D.O. colleague has confirmed that these little red stickers truly exist. He joined some osteopathic medical group and was given one to put on the back of his car. It's stuck to his back window. He got it from the osteopathic organization, so no knowledge if one can just walk up to the DMV and request one. He hasn't tested the local LEO acceptance of the sticker's authority.

Personally, I'd rather have an occupation that didn't require me to speed to emergencies.

PERSONALLY, I would prefer that the speed limit to not be set at an artificial low.

On a dry freeway with good visibility and as long as a driver isn't needing to thread their car around others to maintain a safe speed. The speed limit should be in the 80-85 mph range.

Fines shouldn't be levied as a tax. The State should not benefit from fines. ALL fines should go to a charity.

When the governing body shakes us down for revenue"Justice" will be swift, not proper.

[red-beard]

West Texas is 80 mph, during the day, 65 at night.