Getting out of the BiB's way etiquette.

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Coming back home yesterday I was at the front of the queue in heavy traffic to go right at a roundabout, the traffic coming from my right was very heavy and backed up across the roundabout making it difficult to get through.

I hear the sound of sirens coming up but can't see them at first, it gets increasingly loud and suddenly they are right behind me between the two rows of cars, lights flashing and looking pretty determined to push through. I can't move left or right so I just push out onto the roundabout and squeeze through a gap between two of the cars already on the roundabout, waving an apology to the bloke who's car I have just missed by about an inch. Can't go left (backed up traffic) can't go straight over (no entry) so squeeze round to the third exit which I wanted anyway.

Looking in the mirror I see the Police car is 1 inch from my bumper also heading this way, I exit onto the road but the opposing lane is full of queuing traffic and there's no way to get out of the way, P-car is still right behind me and the driver is looking pretty aggravated. This is a thirty limit but going out of town and there are no pedestrians about so I just floored it. My car picks up pretty quickly and in no time I am comfortably over double the speed limit, bus stop comes up on the left so I pull in and slam on, Police car hurtles passed me like a bat out of hell.

If any Traffic Cops are reading this what do you think? Should I have pootled along legally, staying in the way for another 400 yards? Awkwardly mounted the pavement (high curb, low car) with all four wheels? Or just hit the throttle?

Must admit I did go into panic mode slightly.

Cool story and all that.

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Mk3Spitfire said:

You may be legally liable, but I for one would never in a million years consider booking any person who was obviously trying to get out the way. Many calls hinge on seconds, and if those seconds are saved by someone speeding or pulling some kind of unusual manoeuvre (assuming it isn't ridiculous) then fine by me.
People tend to panic and there's nothing more frustrating than people just sitting there looking stupid when you're on an immediate.
IMHO, OP, you did the right thing.

Good to hear! Beautiful Spitfire incidentally.

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Motorrad said:

I wouldn't damage my car, go through a red light or otherwise infringe any law but would do my best to get out of their way and do so safely. That's the limit of what I'd do for the emergency services.

If there was absolutely no other option I think I would risk damaging my car (scraping up a curb or whatever), the thought that there may be somebody in real trouble desperate for help would override my material concerns.

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Hungrymc said:

I'd honestly be as concerned about causing as big an incident as the emergency services are rushing to resolve. You double the speed limit before diving into a bus stop. Which has a diesel spill and you end up taking the bus que out. To be clear, I agree your principle that we need to get out of the way, we just need to be very careful of not making bad decisions due to the pressure and the disorientation of these situations. I've seen people just freeze and stop in the middle of the road as they're in total panic. I've also seen people mount the foot path and cause pedestrians to jump out of the way.

Fair points Hungry.
Just to clarify, this was a dry bright day and there were no people at the bus stop or walking along the pavement. Had a Mum and a couple of kids been ambling along when I exited the roundabout I wouldn't have screamed pass them, that would have changed my response.
Of course putting your foot down in a thirty always caries risks whatever the conditions but I just tried to trade off the best course of action with the circumstances.