Emergency Vehicles / Roadworks
Discussion
Posted in SP&L, but thought I'd get peoples impressions here as well
Took the Elan out today for a bit of a Sunday drive, coming into Matlock Bath is a set of roadworks. There's a lane closure which goes around a right hand unsighted bend, so single file traffic regulated by lights
Our lights go green, I'm 4th in the queue and I can hear a siren roughly from where I'm headed. The cars infront of me, together with around 6 or 7 cyclists head off to get through the restriction but I wait for them to clear. And wait. I've left enough time and space that the cars infront of me should definately have cleared. Can still hear the siren but cant see anything, doesnt appear to be coming any further towards me, the car behind is gesticulating that I like vinegar on my chips (thanks to Reg for that phrase), so I go.
Typically, the emergency vehicle decides he's coming as well, cue both of us meeting head to head. He's going much quicker than I am, the closed lane is on my offside so I take a route to the right through the cones to give him space to pass on my nearside. I dont think those behind me had the same judgement or luck
Had the opportunity come around again I'd have probably waited some more just incase
Interested to hear what the correct procedure is for this - should I have waited?
Should the emergency vehicle have turned the siren off if they were planning on waiting for those infront of me to clear?
Took the Elan out today for a bit of a Sunday drive, coming into Matlock Bath is a set of roadworks. There's a lane closure which goes around a right hand unsighted bend, so single file traffic regulated by lights
Our lights go green, I'm 4th in the queue and I can hear a siren roughly from where I'm headed. The cars infront of me, together with around 6 or 7 cyclists head off to get through the restriction but I wait for them to clear. And wait. I've left enough time and space that the cars infront of me should definately have cleared. Can still hear the siren but cant see anything, doesnt appear to be coming any further towards me, the car behind is gesticulating that I like vinegar on my chips (thanks to Reg for that phrase), so I go.
Typically, the emergency vehicle decides he's coming as well, cue both of us meeting head to head. He's going much quicker than I am, the closed lane is on my offside so I take a route to the right through the cones to give him space to pass on my nearside. I dont think those behind me had the same judgement or luck
Had the opportunity come around again I'd have probably waited some more just incase
Interested to hear what the correct procedure is for this - should I have waited?
Should the emergency vehicle have turned the siren off if they were planning on waiting for those infront of me to clear?
It sounds to me like you went when you thought it was safe to go (i.e. you went because the siren wasn't coming closer rather than because the guy behind was being a tool) - if that's correct, then IMO you did the right thing.
In respect of the siren, I reckon leaving it on in that situation was for the best - with it off no-one would know to take extra care or be able to judge the movement of the ambulance, and may assume it had taken a turn off the road or reached its destination.
In respect of the siren, I reckon leaving it on in that situation was for the best - with it off no-one would know to take extra care or be able to judge the movement of the ambulance, and may assume it had taken a turn off the road or reached its destination.
Thanks both. I thought that I'd possibly made the situation worse by stopping, then going while still having a green light. While it created a gap that both the cars infront and the cyclists should have been able to clear, and the emergency vehicle to then start their attempt, it might have been that the cars infront were reacting to the emergency vehicle with full lights and sirens waiting at his stop sign that slowed down the process. I may have been better to keep up with the other cars and prepare for having to move position. I didnt want to get tangled up with the cyclists though, and couldnt work out if the siren was actually coming further towards me. Obviously it wasnt, the vehicle was waiting for a gap which he took when it became available.
I'm referring to it as an emergency vehicle as I dont actually know what it was - wasnt one of the main 3, so presume it would have been blood or something. Blue lights, VAG estate.
I'm referring to it as an emergency vehicle as I dont actually know what it was - wasnt one of the main 3, so presume it would have been blood or something. Blue lights, VAG estate.
You did the right thing by continuing through, the emergency vehicle has no exemption on temporary traffic lights and should have switched the noise off and waited especially as he could not see the other end of the restriction, if the other end is visible and people are obviously waiting we would use common sense and go through,
Gary
Gary
jaf01uk said:
You did the right thing by continuing through, the emergency vehicle has no exemption on temporary traffic lights and should have switched the noise off and waited especially as he could not see the other end of the restriction, if the other end is visible and people are obviously waiting we would use common sense and go through,
Gary
That's not right.Gary
Temporary lights come under Reg 35 of The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002, the emergency services are exempt from lights described under Reg 35 by virtue of 36(1)(b).
ipsg.glf said:
Von
What is the correct procedure (from a police instructor's point of view) when coming up to temporar lights with blues and twos going where you cannot see the end of the restriction?
I don't go in.What is the correct procedure (from a police instructor's point of view) when coming up to temporar lights with blues and twos going where you cannot see the end of the restriction?
I'd rather wait for a short while & go through on green than sit there head to head with something that can't be passed & block the road completely.
Thats where I feel I cocked up really.
Having thought about it, I'd have waited longer, and if the lights went red then fair enough, whether an emergency vehicle appeared or not I'd felt I'd have done the right thing. What appeared to be my downfall was creating a gap that wasnt big enough for the cars and cyclists infront of me to get through, and for the emergency vehicle to then come through from their side.
I thought about just sticking with the flow of traffic, but it's the cyclists that I keep coming back to - 6 or 7 of them, 2 vehicles head to head and only one lane.
I'm not mentally beating myself up over it, just trying to prepare better if it happens again
Having thought about it, I'd have waited longer, and if the lights went red then fair enough, whether an emergency vehicle appeared or not I'd felt I'd have done the right thing. What appeared to be my downfall was creating a gap that wasnt big enough for the cars and cyclists infront of me to get through, and for the emergency vehicle to then come through from their side.
I thought about just sticking with the flow of traffic, but it's the cyclists that I keep coming back to - 6 or 7 of them, 2 vehicles head to head and only one lane.
I'm not mentally beating myself up over it, just trying to prepare better if it happens again
drivers of ems veichles are advised to turn audibles off and leave visuals on when they encounter such things as heavy trafic were its obvious that there is no safe way through and if the driver and i stress the driver decides that that he wants to procede as in the case you encountered he must use all warnings available to him and he does so based on his profesional judgement even to ems drivers a red light means stop and procede only were it is possible to do so safely the purpose of turning audibles off when locked in trafic is so it does not unduly panic other drivers into a dangerous situation and force them to make a decision that they are neither trained or prepared to make
ps excuse the spelling mistakes
ps excuse the spelling mistakes
Gassing Station | Advanced Driving | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff