Millions of UK motorists admit to breaking the law when faced with what they consider an “emergency dash”.

According to new research, panic and convenience often override road safety, even when drivers know the risks.

Stress and confusion among drivers when they hear emergency vehicle sirens or see blue lights approaching remain serious issues on Britain’s roads.

Time to act

A survey by temporary car insurance provider Tempcover found that more than seven million drivers, around 17% of motorists, admit to breaking at least one road law in an emergency situation.

Nearly a quarter (24%) said they would be prepared to bend the rules if they believed they would not get caught.

The research highlights how elastic the definition of an “emergency” can become behind the wheel.

While most drivers cited serious medical situations, such as a passenger having a heart attack or stroke (55%) or suffering a serious injury (52%), others were far more relaxed about what justified illegal behaviour.

Fourteen per cent said a pet emergency was reason enough to ignore the rules, and one in 20 admitted they might break the law simply because they urgently needed the toilet.

Overall, 68% of drivers believe it is acceptable to park on double yellow lines, exceed the speed limit or drive through a bus lane in an emergency, and almost one in ten (8%) even think running a red light can be justified.

Yet the same motorists are quick to criticise others.

A striking 86% said they feel annoyed when they see other road users breaking the law, revealing what Tempcover described as a “double standard” between personal behaviour and public judgment.

The greater good

The poll of 2,000 drivers also exposed high expectations of leniency from the authorities.

More than a third (38%) believe they should be legally allowed to speed or run red lights when taking someone to hospital.

If stopped by police, 32% expect an officer to escort them to their destination, while 14% think they could “get away with it”.

In reality, the law offers very limited exemptions.

Apart from emergency service vehicles using blue lights, drivers remain subject to the same rules and penalties, regardless of circumstances.

Paying the price

The survey also uncovered a significant insurance risk.

One in ten drivers admitted borrowing someone else’s car in an emergency, but fewer than half (41%) checked whether they were insured to drive it.

Worryingly, the primary concern for many was financial rather than safety: 27% said their biggest fear was being liable for costs if they crashed, rather than the danger posed to themselves or others.

More than a third (36%) were unaware that driving uninsured, even in a crisis, can lead to a vehicle being seized and crushed.

Adam Craddock, temporary car insurance expert at Tempcover, warned that panic decisions could easily make matters worse.

“Breaking road laws can inadvertently create a second emergency by putting yourself and other road users at risk,” he said. “The last thing anyone needs in a crisis is legal and safety repercussions to make an already difficult situation harder.”

He added that driving without insurance remains a criminal offence in all circumstances, with penalties including fines, points on a licence and vehicle seizure.

“Temporary car insurance is available 24/7, even for an hour at short notice, which can remove at least one risk from an already stressful situation,” he said.

Bending reality

The study also revealed the wide range of offences drivers consider acceptable in emergencies, from driving on the hard shoulder and through cycle lanes to using a mobile phone without hands-free or speeding past a school.

Road safety experts warn that such behaviour can have devastating consequences.

With emergency situations already charged with emotion, they say, the temptation to rush often increases the likelihood of collisions and serious injury.

The findings suggest that while many motorists believe rules should bend in a crisis, the law and physics rarely do.