Re: acting against the rules, surely as PIC your over-riding responsibility is to avoid collision? If the rules help (as they usually will), well that's fine. I can also imagine circumstances (involving cloud, terrain, other aircraft etc) where not following the rules might be a better solution.
Edited to add: unless the collision really is imminent, of course, because then the immediate aircraft-aircraft separation is all you care about.
Last edited by 24Carrot; 23rd Feb 2012 at 10:47.