What is the real reason police officers drive so fast when they are not chasing someone down?

Odd as it may sound, sometimes it is faster to respond to calls without lights and siren. A person's natural instinct is to step on the brake when you hear a siren or see those flashing red lights behind you. If the traffic in front of an officer slows down i.e. slows him/her down, it defeats the purpose of using lights and siren. The emergency warning equipment is activated at intersections to warn traffic on the cross streets.

A police officer must obey the law at all times on or off duty. Sometimes a police officer is called out on a situation that they must have their siren's turned off. They will usually have their lights on to warn people that they are approaching and to clear traffic and have their sirens on momentarily when approaching an intersection (depending on the amount traffic). If you think about it if an intruder broke into your house and started robbing you would you want them to hear the sirens warning them that they are there to catch them? They approach the situation as to not be noticed. However I am sure that some officers abuse their status and get away with what your talking about. But this is something that usually isn't the normal case... I hope

Because they think they are above the law, better drivers than everyone else, etc. Police apologists insist that they're just heading to a call, but if its not an emergency, then they have no right to do so. Then they make up more excuses, except I see cops here tailgating and weaving all the time...or driving 90 mph to pull in and run radar. Or driving 120 mph/weaving like a maniac to 'get' someone harmlessly driving 80 mph with the flow of traffic

Thumb me down assholes...you know its true. Upstanding 'peace officers' my @ss. I'm not exaggerating at all. You're just thumbing me down because youre deluded and want to believe the cops are good and on your side. Nothing is further from the truth.

in the U. S., i've got seen particular departments applying not in basic terms Camaros and Mustangs, yet in addition Corvettes and Vipers that have been seized throughout drug busts. case in point, Camden County (GA), basically south of the place I grew up, has a stay clean of Viper. in spite of if, maximum of those police supercars are actually not used for easily chases. extremely, they function promotional autos for courses including D.A.R.E. etc.

Many responses to criminal emergencies or other urgent law enforcement needs (like back-up) call for or require NO sirens. They use their lights to get you to pull over so they can pass.

Few officers will speed unsafely for nonprofessional reasons, as that could jeopardize their employment. Lawsuits, lawsuits, lawsuits.

They consider themselves to be far superior than humans & do not feel they should have to conform to their rules.

They have blatant disregard for the law except when shoving it down someone else's throat & do not have to abide by it.

Just because they aren't responding to a major call that would require use of lights and sirens doesn't mean they aren't responding to any call at all.

Because they can. I'm by no means against police officer, I want to be one, one day. Police officers have a pride, they are only human, they do it because they can, who will stop them?

the line at the doughnut shop isn't always so short

200 mph...

right...