Emergency Vehicles on the wrong side of the road
Discussion
There's roadworks near where I live (a new cycling lane) which has narrowed the road considerably and has caused considerable queuing.
There's traffic lights controlling the entrance to this road from my road.
I turned left tonight onto the road and and after a about a hundred yards a police car with blue lights emerged from the traffic queue
and came towards me. I managed to mount the kerb and let him through. Fifty yards earlier I couldn't have done this as there were railings on the kerb.
The traffic queue was solid on the other side of the road.
There was a similar incident on this stretch a few weeks ago when a fire engine came through on the wrong side and nearly hit a car turning left.
What's the convention/accepted practise in these situations - I thought it was up to the emergency services to anticipate situations like this?
Because of the nature of the junction you can't see anything in the roadworks until you actually turn onto the road.
It's for them to get around you. They are the emergency driver. If you're already 100 yards in and they've pulled out they must have a plan on how to proceed.
Forget all the emotional bullying about what if it was your granny, utter nonsense. Follow the highway code and protect yourself.
I've seen more issues with people getting excited and wanting to be involved bouncing up the kerb to 'help' whilst nearly knocking down pedestrians or cyclists and being zero help whatsoever.
Forget all the emotional bullying about what if it was your granny, utter nonsense. Follow the highway code and protect yourself.
I've seen more issues with people getting excited and wanting to be involved bouncing up the kerb to 'help' whilst nearly knocking down pedestrians or cyclists and being zero help whatsoever.
You seemed to do the right thing in the circumstances “… mount the kerb and let him through...”
The emergency services driver probably estimated that would be the action you were persuaded to take.
If you were adjacent to the fencing the driver may have spotted that and awaited you to pass them and “… mount the kerb and let him through...”
Happy days.
The emergency services driver probably estimated that would be the action you were persuaded to take.
If you were adjacent to the fencing the driver may have spotted that and awaited you to pass them and “… mount the kerb and let him through...”
Happy days.
There is no wrong side of the road. They were using the offside line to face oncoming traffic to respond to an emergency call and are trained for this. The training is be be dominant, be clear on your intentions and await for a reaction for other drivers before proceeding. If you had no where to do, they would work it out.
Also there is no expectation for you to mount a full kerb however a blocked kerb by all means drive onto to allow to pass.
Also there is no expectation for you to mount a full kerb however a blocked kerb by all means drive onto to allow to pass.
heebeegeetee said:
It's worth remembering that when turning left, there is a need to look right and left before emerging. Might not have helped the OP but the incident with the fire engine sounds like a classic case of 'look right only'.
At this particular junction, you can't see anything in the left hand lane due to trees. It's always been a nightmare junction and will be made worse by all the cycle lanes now being added. I was behind the car that nearly collided with the fire engine and I only heard it at the last second. Perhaps the trees were masking the sound?Hungrymc said:
I had a nasty accident about 25 years ago when a fire engine was overtaking round a bend and hit me head on (on a motorcycle).
Yes but what if that fire engine had been on the way to put out your mum who had been set on fire while being robbed?(*hope you are fully recovered/weren't badly hurt!)
budgie smuggler said:
Hungrymc said:
I had a nasty accident about 25 years ago when a fire engine was overtaking round a bend and hit me head on (on a motorcycle).
Yes but what if that fire engine had been on the way to put out your mum who had been set on fire while being robbed?Try and get to a safe place, if you can't let them work it out around you.
With everywhere dug up at the moment this is something I encounter a lot. The police driver may have been able to see where you were in the roadworks so was either anticipating you hopping up out of the way or they may have planned to do that to let you by then continue through.
It's our job to get around you at the end of the day, I don't want anyone smashing their car, getting tickets due to me. Any assistance will be acknowledged with a little thumbs up/wave/toot on the bull horn.
With everywhere dug up at the moment this is something I encounter a lot. The police driver may have been able to see where you were in the roadworks so was either anticipating you hopping up out of the way or they may have planned to do that to let you by then continue through.
It's our job to get around you at the end of the day, I don't want anyone smashing their car, getting tickets due to me. Any assistance will be acknowledged with a little thumbs up/wave/toot on the bull horn.
Don't feel obliged to mount the kerb - nobody will have any sympathy if you damage your tyres/undercarriage. That said, the gesture is always appreciated.
It's a bit different to diving into a bus lane, where you won't be inconveniencing anyone and the chances of getting a ticket are miniscule. It's also different to going through a red light, which you should only do if your situational awareness is good enough to understand the risks exactly where you are. Mounting a kerb - assuming there are no pedestrians etc - is only a risk to your own car. So it's entirely up to you.
Sounds like the driver may have come forward without properly seeing if there was a route through; it happens.
It's a bit different to diving into a bus lane, where you won't be inconveniencing anyone and the chances of getting a ticket are miniscule. It's also different to going through a red light, which you should only do if your situational awareness is good enough to understand the risks exactly where you are. Mounting a kerb - assuming there are no pedestrians etc - is only a risk to your own car. So it's entirely up to you.
Sounds like the driver may have come forward without properly seeing if there was a route through; it happens.
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