Okay to follow speeding police cars

[snopes]

Comment: During my career as a police
officer, I have stopped numerous vehicles for speeding as they followed my
fully marked police car. Usually, this is how the story goes. I'll see a
vehicle behind me on a highway approaching at a faster speed than I am
driving. As a rule, most officers will drive 5 miles an hour over the
speed limit so as not to back up traffic behind us.

I notice that the vehicle continues this speed until it nears my car. I
accelerate to a greater speed and watch as my speed is matched by the
trailing vehicle. I will then increase my speed to sometimes 20 mile an
hour faster than the posted speed limit and do a reverse pace on the
trailing vehicle for about a mile.

After about a mile, I'll pull over, let the vehicle pass, then pull it
over. When I make contact with the driver and ask them why they were
speeding, they tell me that they heard it was okay to following a police
car, no matter the speed, as long as the police car does not have their
emergency lights and/or siren activated.

This excuse never ceases to amaze me. The person I stopped today
for this, honestly believed this to be an accepted practice because her
mother told her it was okay. Taking this in to account, I let her off with
a warning.