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Government: More emergency response vehicles to break speed limits
Date: 14 December 2012 | Author: Jack Carfrae
The Department for Transport has announced plans to allow a broader range of emergency services to break the speed limits on UK roads.
Road safety minister Stephen Hammond is considering proposals to allow vehicles carrying organ donor specimens for transplants, bomb disposal units and coastguard vehicles - none of which are currently permitted to break the speed limit - to do so.
The consultation will also look at amending legislation to ensure that drivers of such vehicles would have to undertake specific driver training courses before speeding.
Stephen Hammond said: "Police, fire and ambulance service drivers are highly trained individuals who are at times required to exceed the speed limit in order to save lives.
"It is only right that we look at allowing other services whose duties can mean the difference between life and death to exceed the speed limit when responding to emergencies.
"It is also time to look at the legal requirements of emergency vehicle training so we can build on the rigorous standards the police, fire and ambulance services have already applied through their code of practice."
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