Family Emergency. How fast would you go? Be honest.

[gr1340]

AH33 said:

I was right! In 1999

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/465718.stm

[David A]

I think there are a couple of key scenarios getting confused in this:

1. Bad news phone call cue a dash to a hospital/an other place as it may be the last time to see a loved one
or
2. Some incident and need to get someone to hospital etc asap

In both of these emotions take over, the "red mist" as described previously, its all very well to be on the sidelines/internet saying you're all crazy for doing x y and z but I don't for one moment believe anyone in these scenarios can be expected to behave rationally. We are only human and emotions, adrenaline, fear, you name it all take over and affect our responses and ability. If you have been in these situations and handled them in a calm approach then well done but I have every sympathy and understanding for those who haven't - no one is trained for this (outside of jobs obviously where you are trained for similar and even then...)

In #1 no there is nothing you can do to help - but that isn't what goes through your head.
In #2 it depends on the circumstances if its life or death you will do whatever you think is right at the time

Given my experiences (which as with others was a too late scenario anyway) if I see a car needing/wanting to make stupid progress to me they could have been me on that day or they could be a boy racer **** either way I'm not going to get in their way just in case.

Something for Sunday dawdlers to think about - maybe, just maybe someone does need to get somewhere quickly for a genuine reason so deliberately being an **** and getting in the way of someone is not thinking rationally isn't clever at all.

On another note - having a very quick very capable car in many ways does slow you down in such scenarios!

[drivin_me_nuts]

WestyCarl said:

drivin_me_nuts said:

zarjaz1991 said:

Silent1 said:

The sentiment is good, the way it's written leaves a lot to be desired.

Well I'm not going to beat about the bush. I've no time for people who think they can simply drop all of society's rules and regulations and put people's lives at risk just because they happen to think it's necessary. Someone has to scrape the bodies off the floor. Someone's family gets torn apart. All because someone panicked and decided normal rules of living can be dropped on a whim.

Does the idea of a highly stressed, panicking person with average driving skills at best, suddenly driving through residential areas at more than double the speed limit because of a 'medical emergency' not fill you with abject terror? Because it does me. Some of the posts in this thread are truly terrifying.

... as is your sense of moral outrage. Until you're in a situation where you need to be at a place at a time, you're spouting now't by hot air. Come back again when you've been in the same situation. Your views no doubt, based on actual experience, will be different. Your views are little more than the equivalent of a catholic priest discussing the virtues of marriage.

I've been in a situation twice and both times called for professionals. Bundling my wife (or son) into the car and driving very fast whilst emotional and trying to comfort them was a recipe for disaster.

Look after the patient whilst receiving advice on the phone every time.

I've done that to.. and the time I broke the rules was when the mechanism for handling advice was chap aka 999 'call handling ' and the knowledge that paramedics would have bugger all knowledge of what to do with a neck breather - and that's not some flippant dismissal, it's based on a prior experience and a town crew telling me they seem maybe one neck breather every six months or so.

You make split second decisions based on knowledge, experience, feedback and for want of an expression, gut instinct. Sometimes you just don't have time for emergency services to fanny about getting to you, it's far better to go straight to the hospital.

[Actus Reus]

superlightr said:

100 in a 30 ! jez As said before its no use causing a crash or killing other people in your drive to get wherever.

Dont take me or my family out on your way to your emergency.

Perhaps I'm in the minority on here these days, but I still think it's possible to utterly shatter a speed limit and be safe - just depends on the time and place.

[ORD]

Glad to see so many utterly selfish and shameless people on here.

'Sure I ran over someone else's child, but I was rushing to see mine'

[Actus Reus]

Has anybody on here actually hit somebody whilst in a rush? I must have missed those posts.

[Theophany]

ORD said:

Glad to see so many utterly selfish and shameless people on here.

'Sure I ran over someone else's child, but I was rushing to see mine'

But nobody has actually done that. :/

[vanordinaire]

ORD said:

Glad to see so many utterly selfish and shameless people on here.

'Sure I ran over someone else's child, but I was rushing to see mine'

I'd have to pay the consequences later but to be completely honest, I'd drive over a bridge made of other people's children if I had to to save the life of one of mine.

[Tuvra]

As quick as the car could carry me to be honest. I'd also undertake without even batting an eyelid if there was some tt even remotely hogging the outer lane.

[toasty]

vanordinaire said:

ORD said:

Glad to see so many utterly selfish and shameless people on here.

'Sure I ran over someone else's child, but I was rushing to see mine'

I'd have to pay the consequences later but to be completely honest, I'd drive over a bridge made of other people's children if I had to to save the life of one of mine.

That's fine, as long as you didn't do it while breaking the speed limit.

[djohnson]

A few years back the nursery called to say my son had breathing issues. I left the centre of Leeds (in a 911) and in a bit of a red mist moment whilst making very rapid progress out of town I very nearly had a big smash with a fiesta which pulled out in front of me, clearly not expecting someone to be coming at that sort of speed. For those who know the area she pulled out of what used to be the Ford dealer at the end of the Kirkstall road (I think it was a test drive). Really wouldn't have helped the situation short or long term if there had been a collision and I'd take it far steadier next time.

[vanordinaire]

toasty said:

That's fine, as long as you didn't do it while breaking the speed limit.

[so called]

Mafffew said:

so called said:

I was passed by a Ambulance with lights going as were all of the cars behind and ahead of me as we all pulled over.
As we all recovered our speed, a car went belting down the outside, obviously in hot pursuit of the ambulance.
He came very close to hitting a couple of cars on our side and oncoming.
Totally mental and showed me that you need to stay in control in those circumstances.

I wouldn't automatically assume it is because they're following a loved one/friend etc. in the Ambulance. Too many people do it just to get ahead of the traffic, the dirty little fking rats.

Yes I know what your saying but on this occasion I was convinced.

[JockySteer]

If life threatening, as fast as I physically can on the given road. If that's 160mph, then that's 160mph.

This all day long.

vanordinaire said:

I'd have to pay the consequences later but to be completely honest, I'd drive over a bridge made of other people's children if I had to to save the life of one of mine.

[bakerstreet]

lostkiwi said:

I would imagine that if an ambulance cannot get there as fast as you can get them to hospital that may be justification, especially if its a condition that cannot wait (as for example above).

Ambulances are targeted on 'arrival on scene' time. I can't remember the details, but its something like 8 minutes for a serious incident and 16 minutes for not serious. In short, from call to ambo on site, they could beat you quite easily (Subject to distance). I spent a day as an observer in an ambulance and the Paras really can make 4.7T's worth of mercedes sprinter move pretty quickly and the blues and twos mean they can make faster progress than people in normal cars driving through the same conditions.

My wife is Physio by trade and if it was serious, she would all ready be on the phone to the emergency services before she called me followed by calls to whoever she knew on the A&E ward.

[Actus Reus]

vanordinaire said:

I'd have to pay the consequences later but to be completely honest, I'd drive over a bridge made of other people's children if I had to to save the life of one of mine.

Exactly this. Surely, even in super-moral-PH-Daily-Mail-world, people can appreciate this?

[stephen300o]

As fast as I can.

[ali_kat]

I got the call from my Brother to get to the Hospice, NOW

It was 3 miles away, through the town centre.

I don't remember the drive, other than the traffic lights were with me. But I didn't make it

I do know that I wouldn't have stopped for a Blue Light, I'd have let them follow me. They'd have known the moment I made the turn off the main road where I was headed...

2pad said:

Happened to me and I deciced to stick to speed limit as it was more important I arrived safely than have two of us in crtital condition. Don't get me wrong the urge was there and have the the car for it, but I was not in the right frame of mind to drive safely, fast.

If it had been anything further, that's exactly what I would have done


My best friends Father was a Chaplain at our local hospital. He rode a motorbike

He was stopped one night doing 80 in a 40. He took his helmet off & explained he was enroute to give the Last Rites. He was told to keep up and bluelighted the rest of the way. He said never wanted to do that again!

Edited by ali_kat on Wednesday 4th May 15:06

[Paul Dishman]

In 2001 took a call at work from my hysterical mother saying that my father had collapsed at the wheel and was being 'coptered to Truro. Got from Exwick, Exeter to Treliske Hospital Truro, which is just over 90 miles in around 70 minutes in a Clio Williams.

Had to have some words with myself to back off when I realised the speed I was doing over Bodmin Moor..

The old boy was ok, but it was a warning sign as we lost him less than two years later

[Slidingpillar]

At the 75th anniversary of Morgan, the cars were leaving the Three Counties Showground in groups, with traffic police stopping other traffic at the lights. I headed one group and was told by the marshalling policeman to basically go for it, but safely and ignore the speed limits as the traffic was taking too long to clear.

What an invitation! With such an admonition, I think the group I lead touched 50* in a built up 30 limit, but the disappointment was that in less than a mile, we caught up the previous group who certainly were not either given such an instruction, or were not acting on it.

• I realise this being PH, that was a wimpy low speed but on a Saturday morning in an urban and justified 30 limit, I doubt anyone on a blue light run would have gone much faster.