Family Emergency. How fast would you go? Be honest.
Discussion
HughS47 said:
The best part of this thread is that what seems to be a life-or-death situation to most people, actually isn't. Even people arriving to A&E by blue light can spend an hour on a trolley before they even get seen by a doc. Even then, relatives are often not by the bed while we're putting in chest drains etc, so although I can totally understand the urge to drive flat out to get to hospital, often it doesn't change a thing. Worth getting there safely IMO, rather than join them in the bed next door in resus.
Troubleatmill said:
"6 month old is seriously ill......"
It doesn't matter how fast I get home, I am not medically qualified to help.
"Call 999, I'm on my way"
And as a cop out - I would ask someone to drive me there.
As much as we are all driving Gods.... our judgement will be seriously impaired with news like that.
I'd probably end up killing myself or others due to me not coping.
That has to be one of the more, if not the most, sensible contribution so far.It doesn't matter how fast I get home, I am not medically qualified to help.
"Call 999, I'm on my way"
And as a cop out - I would ask someone to drive me there.
As much as we are all driving Gods.... our judgement will be seriously impaired with news like that.
I'd probably end up killing myself or others due to me not coping.
We now have a guy who cares little enough about the safety of others that he will drive flat out but still brakes for speed cameras - so his licence is worth more than the lives of innocent road users.
As for guy saying he wouldn't look at the speedo, I hope he never has to use his brakes. Unless you do a lot of high speed driving, it's very difficult to know your speed from revs and scenery, and you need to know your speed to know your braking distance.
Utter ignorance from lots of people on here about the danger involved in driving 'as fast as I can'. Most people are barely safe at legal speeds, let alone with the hammer down at all times.
I expect a large proportion of people wouldn't get to their destination driving like that. That would be their problem except that they are likely to take out someone else's family while they are at it.
As for saying I sound like a baby for being rational, it is quite the opposite. There is nothing brave or tough about being a selfish little brat that doesn't care about the safety of others because you feel that you need to get somewhere.
As for guy saying he wouldn't look at the speedo, I hope he never has to use his brakes. Unless you do a lot of high speed driving, it's very difficult to know your speed from revs and scenery, and you need to know your speed to know your braking distance.
Utter ignorance from lots of people on here about the danger involved in driving 'as fast as I can'. Most people are barely safe at legal speeds, let alone with the hammer down at all times.
I expect a large proportion of people wouldn't get to their destination driving like that. That would be their problem except that they are likely to take out someone else's family while they are at it.
As for saying I sound like a baby for being rational, it is quite the opposite. There is nothing brave or tough about being a selfish little brat that doesn't care about the safety of others because you feel that you need to get somewhere.
When I took a phone call in a meeting in Birmingham to say that my six months pregnant wife had been rushed to hospital in Cheltenham and that she and the baby were in grave danger, I drove down the M5 at speeds reaching 120mph or so. Despite my mind racing I recall being totally focussed on the drive. I wasn't so quick through Cheltenham but I didn't hand around.
Wife and baby were ok in the end. baby born that day, 3 months premature, it was touch and go for a couple of months, I received several call in the middle of the night asking for permission to various high risk procedures.
Over those first 2 months I drove to the hospital (Bristol where baby was moved to) pretty fast but non like the first call.
So my view is yes drive fast, but don't take stupid risks like jumping lights etc. Being dead yourself helps no one
Wife and baby were ok in the end. baby born that day, 3 months premature, it was touch and go for a couple of months, I received several call in the middle of the night asking for permission to various high risk procedures.
Over those first 2 months I drove to the hospital (Bristol where baby was moved to) pretty fast but non like the first call.
So my view is yes drive fast, but don't take stupid risks like jumping lights etc. Being dead yourself helps no one
Potatoes said:
You're entitled to your opinion, but you act like a t
t on this thread.
Most people who have young kids would do this in the heat of the moment... maybe eye opening to you but this is life dude.
I'm sure it will be of great comfort to the family of someone killed by such a person, to tell them "he was just doing right by his kids".t on this thread.Most people who have young kids would do this in the heat of the moment... maybe eye opening to you but this is life dude.
Edited by Potatoes on Monday 9th May 22:23
It's bad enough all the crap people have to out up with in life because someone "has kids" but I can live with that. I can't live with the notion that it's ok to kill people because you have kids, and it is not remotely t
ttish to say so.The vast majority of these situations are not "life and death" they are "Omg junior has been taken to hospital, I must be there RIGHT NOW even if it's only something fairly minor". It is selfish and t
ttish and it will kill someone. ORD said:
We now have a guy who cares little enough about the safety of others that he will drive flat out but still brakes for speed cameras - so his licence is worth more than the lives of innocent road users.
As for guy saying he wouldn't look at the speedo, I hope he never has to use his brakes. Unless you do a lot of high speed driving, it's very difficult to know your speed from revs and scenery, and you need to know your speed to know your braking distance.
Utter ignorance from lots of people on here about the danger involved in driving 'as fast as I can'. Most people are barely safe at legal speeds, let alone with the hammer down at all times.
I expect a large proportion of people wouldn't get to their destination driving like that. That would be their problem except that they are likely to take out someone else's family while they are at it.
As for saying I sound like a baby for being rational, it is quite the opposite. There is nothing brave or tough about being a selfish little brat that doesn't care about the safety of others because you feel that you need to get somewhere.
I think if you find driving as difficult as you seem to, it's probably for the best that you drive slowly and let others handle the emergency.As for guy saying he wouldn't look at the speedo, I hope he never has to use his brakes. Unless you do a lot of high speed driving, it's very difficult to know your speed from revs and scenery, and you need to know your speed to know your braking distance.
Utter ignorance from lots of people on here about the danger involved in driving 'as fast as I can'. Most people are barely safe at legal speeds, let alone with the hammer down at all times.
I expect a large proportion of people wouldn't get to their destination driving like that. That would be their problem except that they are likely to take out someone else's family while they are at it.
As for saying I sound like a baby for being rational, it is quite the opposite. There is nothing brave or tough about being a selfish little brat that doesn't care about the safety of others because you feel that you need to get somewhere.
zarjaz1991 said:
Potatoes said:
You're entitled to your opinion, but you act like a tt on this thread.
Most people who have young kids would do this in the heat of the moment... maybe eye opening to you but this is life dude.
I'm sure it will be of great comfort to the family of someone killed by such a person, to tell them "he was just doing right by his kids".t on this thread.Most people who have young kids would do this in the heat of the moment... maybe eye opening to you but this is life dude.
Edited by Potatoes on Monday 9th May 22:23
It's bad enough all the crap people have to out up with in life because someone "has kids" but I can live with that. I can't live with the notion that it's ok to kill people because you have kids, and it is not remotely t
ttish to say so.The vast majority of these situations are not "life and death" they are "Omg junior has been taken to hospital, I must be there RIGHT NOW even if it's only something fairly minor". It is selfish and t
ttish and it will kill someone. You sound like someone from BRAKE, or another do-gooder organisation that ignores most logic to make your point.
I am well aware what I would do in the heat of the moment is wrong, but if my little dude was seriously ill. Perspective on life changes greatly when you have kids...
Can we all just agree that most people would drive faster in the case of an emergency but that some of us have different ideas of what constitutes and emergency and what speed is reasonable?
I've already said on this thread (with no hint of exaggeration whatsoever) that I would drive over other peoples kids to save mine, but personally wouldn't rush to see someone before they died.
When my Dad had lost part of his hand in a tractor accident a few years ago, I applied a tourniquet and drove him 15 miles along country roads in less than 12 minutes, far faster than an ambulance would have taken just to reach him in the first place.
A few years later, when my Dad was sent home from hospital to die (from inoperable cancer), after saying our goodbyes while he was still conscious, I actually took my kids on holiday to get them away from the horrible situation then returned for the funeral a week later, no need to rush by then.
I've already said on this thread (with no hint of exaggeration whatsoever) that I would drive over other peoples kids to save mine, but personally wouldn't rush to see someone before they died.
When my Dad had lost part of his hand in a tractor accident a few years ago, I applied a tourniquet and drove him 15 miles along country roads in less than 12 minutes, far faster than an ambulance would have taken just to reach him in the first place.
A few years later, when my Dad was sent home from hospital to die (from inoperable cancer), after saying our goodbyes while he was still conscious, I actually took my kids on holiday to get them away from the horrible situation then returned for the funeral a week later, no need to rush by then.
jamiem555 said:
I have driven as fast I possibly could in this situation. No regrets. My wife was in premature labour and I was on Shetland. I had to drive 60 miles to make the last flight of the island and then hot foot it from Aberdeen to Dundee. I only slowed for the speed cameras. The thing was, even though I was flat out where I could be, traffic dependent, my focus was steady. I was planning ahead, looking out for hazards and always with the thought that I cannot have an accident. Cars used, were a 1.4 Polo TDI hire car on Shetland and my Mk3 Focus ST. On the run down the a90 people seemed to sense that I wasn't being an idiot and moved out of the way pretty sharpish without the volley of abuse.
as opposed to delivering at the closest unit or being flown to a specialist unit if clinically indicated once again unnecessary risk taken just to prove what a hero you are ...
Potatoes said:
Have BRAKE hijacked PistonHeads?!
no Just responsible drivers who realise that amateur heroics is excessively risky ... vs the Dunning- Kruger mob who genuinely believe they are in the top 1 % of drivers despite no road focused driver development or response driver training ...
Disastrous said:
I think if you find driving as difficult as you seem to, it's probably for the best that you drive slowly and let others handle the emergency.
Rather than believing in the power of you leet skillz and becoming yet another statistic proving the Dunning - Kruger effect ?driving is hazardous, response driving is even more hazardous and due to the laws of physics some of the outcomes are governed by squared or higher factors of severity ...
Crossflow Kid said:
Disastrous said:
I think if you find driving as difficult as you seem to, it's probably for the best that you drive slowly and let others handle the emergency.
Hmmm.......interesting comment.the amount of comments in such threads that are 20 (community responders / air ambulances) , 30 (blue book paramedics) , 40 (NHS direct management of the ambulance service and near total provision of fully 'qualified' ( green book) Ambulance crews ) or even 50 years out of date ( the origins of BASICS and the Millar report are mid 1960s) are remarkable.
mph1977 said:
Disastrous said:
I think if you find driving as difficult as you seem to, it's probably for the best that you drive slowly and let others handle the emergency.
Rather than believing in the power of you leet skillz and becoming yet another statistic proving the Dunning - Kruger effect ?driving is hazardous, response driving is even more hazardous and due to the laws of physics some of the outcomes are governed by squared or higher factors of severity ...
Besides, this isn't about making a rational decision to 'be a hero'. It's about the life of a loved one being threatened. Rationality goes out the window for me and I'll do whatever I feel I need to, regardless of anything.
It's a purely animalistic instinct of protection and if you can somehow over-ride it then you must be a very dispassionate man.
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