Cops on the clock

Quiz Freak wrote: »

I'd to make an emergency journey to the hospital a few weeks ago with my sister, she was in labour, waters had broke and baby was coming. At one stage I looked at the speedometer and I was driving over 100mph. If I couldn't overtake a car due to on-coming traffic I'd beep and flash the lights and they all pulled in for me, which I was very grateful for.


This is brutal behaviour by the cops, go easy on me now, i'm a long time reader of AH, first time poster!

With all due respect to your well intentioned wishes of getting your sister to the hospital on time to use the common phrase its better to arrive "late then dead on time", rather than developing what is sometimes called "red mist". A first baby will often (and in my experience usually does) take many hours to deliver after the waters break.

You ask if any people have been in the situation of having to decide whether an emergency was worth risking other lives - I have and am sure many others on the board have...

Calling 999/112 and asking for an ambulance would be the best advice I think that any of us would give to people who are in a similar situation in the future. Then you are in a position to make the expectant mother comfortable, assess the stage of delivery if advised to do so by ambulance control, and if a complication or a delay is likely many HSE Ambulance controls will send alternative responders - e.g. GP or Out of Hours Doctor or in some areas Fire Service First Responders.

If you felt the absolute need to drive her yourself you could have rang 999/112 and asked for an escort. There are expectant mothers escorted to one of the Dublin maternity hospitals by Gardai on a weekly basis - in everything from their private cars, to taxis to (on more than one occasion) a Dublin Bus!!!

I dont know the circumstances but if you were able to reach speeds of 100mph I assume you were in a relatively rural area. The Gardaí may have had a prisoner on board, they may have sent a message for another unit to intercept you, it may have been a driver who did not have appropriate authorization/training to initiate pursuit of someone who appeared to be so reckless, it may even have been a mechanic in the car! He might have been in an older vehicle (many of the Garda vehicles are now 6+ years old with over 200K miles on the clock) that as a long serving member he may have felt it would be inappropriate based on your speed, other traffic, etc to initiate a pursuit that would test his vehicle to the limits...

darren254 wrote: »

Its a bit late when the child comes and there is a complication which has happened to a relation of mine.The husband DID NOT rush but had to pull in as the wife was seconds from giving birth.The child came with breathing difficulties.The operator helped the father with getting the child to breath and when the ambulance arrived they took over.the child never made it but who knows if the father wasnt on his 3rd child and maybe did panic a little bit maybe the child would be here today.
So the next time you all want to put someone down for rushing because of child birth maybe just think about what your saying first

Many of the people on the board are registered or licensed healthcare professionals who will be well aware that less than 10% of births (IIRC the Hanly report states about 4-6% of births) are complicated... Our colleagues in AGS will tell us the hugely increased chances or likelihood of crashing if driving at 100mph, esp if panicing as worried over the childbirth.

In the UK many ante-natal classes will advise people to drive at their leisure to hospital once waters break, and NOT to call an ambulance, as its NOT an emergency. If one feels there is an emergency or is concerned, The ambulance service are there to transport ill and injured people.

As for thinking a little, the professionals who use this forum have plenty to think about, like the mangled bodies from collisions involving speeding cars... or about the times they had to do CPR on a pregnant/expectant mother... or the times they had to inform grandparents that their daughter and the grandchild they never met had died...

darren254 wrote: »

So the next time you all want to put someone down for rushing because of child birth maybe just think about what your saying first

Watch this video to see what happens to a car crashing at 100mph and decide if the risk is worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkn37BDvTw