I’ve seen it twice now in as many days....

CBW

CBW

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....Driving home from work and ambulances trying to Navigate through the traffic:

  1. (possibly female driver) refused to move, might have been because the lights were on red - something I had never thought about, just done as 2nd nature, but appears could be considered a motoring offence: https://metro.co.uk/2019/11/29/can-...ulance-or-fire-engine-is-behind-you-11240995/
  2. Definite female driver, she was turning right at a 4 way road, ambulance was coming from her left, it got right up to her, siren was on, horn beeps, and still wouldn’t move, I think she thought the car opposite was turning, as ambulance tried to manoeuvre round, she moved also, they eventually got round her, but was a faff.
Anyone else witnessed such going’s on? Also more recently, some don’t seem to have siren on approaching lights, but they have the blue flashing lights on?
 
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I believe emergency drivers as part of their training now only use siren only if they want people to move out of the way and it is safe to do so. They will deactivate the siren at red lights if other traffic is Infront but continue with the blues.

The blues stay on if they are happy for people to stay as they are and even continue on (for instance if on a blind bend, it's better for you to keep going rather than attempt to stop on the bend and force the emergency vehicle to navigate the overtake blind). Find a better place to make way without impeding the emergency vehicle.
 
Blue and two's, as they are known, are used in vital emergencies when there is other traffic ahead but are silenced when there is no traffic and very light pedestrian traffic. On emergencies where there is a bit of leeway over immediacy they generally use just the lights, however, they often turn the sirens on to ensure a clear way ahead if they are approaching a junction known to be a usually busy one or if they can see traffic waiting at traffic lights on either side.
You are right in saying that if a vehicle goes through a red light to allow an emergency vehicle to pass they can face prosecution. Silliest law in the book in my opinion.
 
This video appeared the other day on my YouTube feed:
It just makes you wonder how the emergency drivers cope with the idiocy of the rest of us on the road, and then have to deal with a life or death situation when they arrive on scene.
It is beyond my comprehension!
 
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conny said:
Silliest law in the book in my opinion.
Click to expand...
I agree, it says in that link (don’t know if you read it fully?), that you have to prove you were moving out of the way for emergency services.
 
I've seen drivers, usually of Audis, following directly behind ambulances, taking advantage of the path cleared.
 
Being an ex Firefighter I was used to driving and being in charge driving on the Blues and twos , one has to judge when the right time to turn on the siren, people react differently some drivers will stop dead as an emergency stop, others speed up, Red Traffic Lights are a bone of contention, legaly red traffic lights mean stop unless its safe to go across at a reduced speed , ( there is always the possibility that a driver at the junction could be deaf or have their radio on loud and not hear the siren)
If you are driving and an emergency vehicle comes up behind you continue at the normal given road speed until there is a space to pull over to allow the vehicle to pass safely .
 
Bosswhite said:
If you are driving and an emergency vehicle comes up behind you continue at the normal given road speed until there is a space to pull over to allow the vehicle to pass safely .
Click to expand...

Good advice & it's a shame that most folk don't know what to do in the circumstances.

Do you think that we should expend a lot more of our resources on educating drivers what to do in such situations???

I likes to think that I can work it out for myself, I can't remember anyone ever teaching me what to do !
 
Ever thought what people, and why?

You didnt wait to be asked by anyone "interested".

Try imagining your post looking like this:

  1. (possibly male driver) refused to move, might have been because the lights were on red - something I had never thought about, just done as 2nd nature, but appears could be considered a motoring offence: https://metro.co.uk/2019/11/29/can-...ulance-or-fire-engine-is-behind-you-11240995/
  2. Definite male driver, he was turning right at a 4 way road, ambulance was coming from his left, it got right up to him, siren was on, horn beeps, and still wouldn’t move, I think he thought the car opposite was turning, as ambulance tried to manoeuvre round, he moved also, they eventually got round him, but was a faff.

If it had been men driving, would you have written it like that because "some people like knowing"?

Do you think it would seem odd to write it like that? I wonder how many people would?
 
Ffs, really? Too much time on your hands. Yes I would have stated males if were driving, not that it matters, but people might still want to know.
 
Captain Nemesis said:
Ever thought what people, and why?

You didnt wait to be asked by anyone "interested".

Try imagining your post looking like this:

  1. (possibly male driver) refused to move, might have been because the lights were on red - something I had never thought about, just done as 2nd nature, but appears could be considered a motoring offence: https://metro.co.uk/2019/11/29/can-...ulance-or-fire-engine-is-behind-you-11240995/
  2. Definite male driver, he was turning right at a 4 way road, ambulance was coming from his left, it got right up to him, siren was on, horn beeps, and still wouldn’t move, I think he thought the car opposite was turning, as ambulance tried to manoeuvre round, he moved also, they eventually got round him, but was a faff.

If it had been men driving, would you have written it like that because "some people like knowing"?

Do you think it would seem odd to write it like that? I wonder how many people would?
Click to expand...
Try imagine the post being written as:
(possibly Teenager, Pensioner, disabled, American, Black, Asian, Chinese, Eastern European, Transgender, Taxi......driver)
(definitely blah, blah.........driver)
Then it was undoubtedly written with some kind of inference.
 
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