I would also like to ask, what happens if you kid is hurt or injured. so you throw them in a car and start driving like a bat out of you know what to the hospital. Then lets say on the way you collide with a vehice that has my child in it and he/she is killed? Do we absolve any responsibility because you had an emergency too. No.
*sigh* Amazing. Absolutely amazing that people can be so simplistic and black and white about things without leaving any room to allow for extenuating circumstances.
To answer your question, in the case of colliding with someone, then the obvious right of way, and safe driving issues would come into play and the responsible party would be held responsible. But we're not talking about that, are we? I'm simply talking about rushing someone to the hospital. Under those circumstances, no, they should not be given a ticket by some overzealous idiot cop just because they were trying to get someone to a hospital. Now, if they got someone else killed in the process, then you examine that particular situation and come to a reasonable verdict, which would probably include citing the driver for unsafe driving. But that's just it...yes, we have laws in place, but the writers of the law can't possibly foresee every possible scenario and circumstance. So it then becomes imperative for the cops and the judges to use a little common sense and judgement to weigh the law against the particular circumstances of that situation and see whether a ticket is warranted, or if overlooking the law in that instance is warranted. Things are not black and white. To repeat
THINGS ARE NOT BLACK AND WHITE
It's kind of like falling asleep at the wheel. There is no law against driving while tired. But you still need to be careful doing so because, even though there is no law which says you can get a ticket for being drowzy behind the wheel, if your drowziness causes an accident, then yes, at that point, you're held liable. So, while you should not be bound by speed laws in the case of someone needing emergency medical care, you should still be cautious while rushing there. You are not absolved of your responsiblity to look both ways. Before blowing through that red light, you still need to look both ways to make sure that it is safe to do so, then if it is, by all means, blow through it at 80 miles an hour. But if you aren't careful and cause an accident, then you are rightly held liable. Judgement is the key; the ability to weigh the facts of a particular case to come to a reasonable course of action. Not just blindy applying the black and white letter of a law.
I don't know, maybe I'm just in the minority in thinking it's in rather poor taste for a cop to go up to a person at the hospital and say "I'm really sorry to hear about your wife's accident. I hope she will be alright. Oh, by the way, here's a 75 dollar citation for breaking the speed laws in order to get her here. Appear in court on this date to pay the fine, or a warrant will be issued for your arrest." Call me silly, but I just expect a little more understanding an compassion from a public servant. :shrug: