People who react stupidly to emergency sirens.
Discussion
Iam seeing more and more of this and wondered if anyone else notices it,especially any emergency service drivers on here - people who just seem to freeze up and cant decide quickly how to move out of the way of emergency vehicles with their sirens in operation approaching from behind.
Two examples today -
Iam going along in the nearside lane at about 50mph on a dual carriageway,i hear sirens and see an ambulance in my rearview mirror coming up in the outside lane at about 70mph,the outside lane is clear ahead for hundreds of yards,the ambulance can make good progress without any traffic in the inside lane having to make any kind of manouvre to let it overtake,but the silly bint in the car in front of me just slams on the brakes nearly causing me to run into her back bumper just as the ambulance overtakes.
Later on iam on another dual carriageway in the outside lane on the approach to a roundabout,the traffic is backed up in both lanes for about 100m on the approach to the roundabout,sirens again and another ambulance approaching from behind,traffic in outside lane can only move a couple of foot over but traffic in inside lane can move much further accross onto grass verge quickly creating enough space for ambulance to get down the middle,silly bint (again) behind me in 4x4 decides to change lanes at the last second,but guess what? she cant get up onto the grass verge because of the traffic sign that is there and the ambulance has to come to a stop.
again
Two examples today -
Iam going along in the nearside lane at about 50mph on a dual carriageway,i hear sirens and see an ambulance in my rearview mirror coming up in the outside lane at about 70mph,the outside lane is clear ahead for hundreds of yards,the ambulance can make good progress without any traffic in the inside lane having to make any kind of manouvre to let it overtake,but the silly bint in the car in front of me just slams on the brakes nearly causing me to run into her back bumper just as the ambulance overtakes.
Later on iam on another dual carriageway in the outside lane on the approach to a roundabout,the traffic is backed up in both lanes for about 100m on the approach to the roundabout,sirens again and another ambulance approaching from behind,traffic in outside lane can only move a couple of foot over but traffic in inside lane can move much further accross onto grass verge quickly creating enough space for ambulance to get down the middle,silly bint (again) behind me in 4x4 decides to change lanes at the last second,but guess what? she cant get up onto the grass verge because of the traffic sign that is there and the ambulance has to come to a stop.
againThey don't wind me up as much as the ones who don't react at all and couldn't care less that you are behind them.
Even had one give me the middle finger when I sat behind him in the middle lane. Sure I could have gone around him, but I was in a particularly foul mood that day. Luckily for him that particular ambulance wasn't equipped with a Federal Q, haven't come across anyone who could ignore that beauty when it was at full chat.
Even had one give me the middle finger when I sat behind him in the middle lane. Sure I could have gone around him, but I was in a particularly foul mood that day. Luckily for him that particular ambulance wasn't equipped with a Federal Q, haven't come across anyone who could ignore that beauty when it was at full chat.
I once used to serve in the fire service and one moment springs to mind in particular.
We turned out to a house fire with persons reported (trapped inside). You tend to drive a little quicker in circumstances like that. So as we are charging down a hill (single carriageway) we are hitting about 60-70mph at the bottom when a vehicle who had been quite happily driving along at approx 60mph slams on the brakes in the middle of the lane, slowing right down to about 10mph. Slowing 9 tonnes of machinery doesn't happen instantly so the pump driver has to take a massive swerve onto the opposite lane which happened to be exactly on a blind corner. Needless to say there was another vehicle just around the corner travelling at about the normal 50-60mph who had the absolute fright of their life. I swear to god we lifted a wheel or two as the pump driver deftly swerved back to avoid the collision. A great piece of driving but it scared the cr@p out of him and the four of us riding shotgun. There were some very lucky people on that day.
It would have been so much easier if the driver in our lane had just maintained speed or even accelerated a bit to at least allow for us to get to a clear stretch for us to pass safely. That said you do tend to get a bit of sense as to whether somebody will do something erratic in front of you and most of the time its easily avoided. In four or five years I had just that one occasion where I was genuinely scared (the rest were just a little exciting or barely noticeable...)
We turned out to a house fire with persons reported (trapped inside). You tend to drive a little quicker in circumstances like that. So as we are charging down a hill (single carriageway) we are hitting about 60-70mph at the bottom when a vehicle who had been quite happily driving along at approx 60mph slams on the brakes in the middle of the lane, slowing right down to about 10mph. Slowing 9 tonnes of machinery doesn't happen instantly so the pump driver has to take a massive swerve onto the opposite lane which happened to be exactly on a blind corner. Needless to say there was another vehicle just around the corner travelling at about the normal 50-60mph who had the absolute fright of their life. I swear to god we lifted a wheel or two as the pump driver deftly swerved back to avoid the collision. A great piece of driving but it scared the cr@p out of him and the four of us riding shotgun. There were some very lucky people on that day.
It would have been so much easier if the driver in our lane had just maintained speed or even accelerated a bit to at least allow for us to get to a clear stretch for us to pass safely. That said you do tend to get a bit of sense as to whether somebody will do something erratic in front of you and most of the time its easily avoided. In four or five years I had just that one occasion where I was genuinely scared (the rest were just a little exciting or barely noticeable...)
I drive Ambulances and Rapid Response Cars and you would not believe how badly a large percentage of drivers react to sirens/emergency calls.
We have to constantly drive defensively incase for example 10 cars pull to the left and the 11th moves to the right.
I never expect anyone to move or make life easier but I would expect people to think to themselves "I will try to make life easier for as they could be on the way to a cardiac arrest or a fitting child"
Also I try to drive considerately on blue lights as we are not except from dangerous driving and noone wants to be scared by 4 ton of ambulance steaming towards them! It is very easy to hit 3 figures in the response car and I have in the past had to reign myself in after thinking "If I hit something at this speed i have no comebacks and it will be end up in someone being seriously injured or worse."
We have to constantly drive defensively incase for example 10 cars pull to the left and the 11th moves to the right.
I never expect anyone to move or make life easier but I would expect people to think to themselves "I will try to make life easier for as they could be on the way to a cardiac arrest or a fitting child"
Also I try to drive considerately on blue lights as we are not except from dangerous driving and noone wants to be scared by 4 ton of ambulance steaming towards them! It is very easy to hit 3 figures in the response car and I have in the past had to reign myself in after thinking "If I hit something at this speed i have no comebacks and it will be end up in someone being seriously injured or worse."
My wife is a mid-wife and therefore travels in ambulances relatively regularly when transferring ladies in labour. They avoid using blue lights and sirens when possible as the ride is so uncomfortable when doing so, especiaally if you have a lady that wants to push!
However they do have to use lights and sirens on occasions and she says its amazing how people react. SOme will just slam on the brakes and stop immediately, usually in a location where the ambulabce cant pass. Others wont appear to hear them at all, and stay in the way, and the you get those that pull out in front of the ambulance!
However they do have to use lights and sirens on occasions and she says its amazing how people react. SOme will just slam on the brakes and stop immediately, usually in a location where the ambulabce cant pass. Others wont appear to hear them at all, and stay in the way, and the you get those that pull out in front of the ambulance!
My greatest hatred is reserved for those who slow down when a vehicle with a siren is heading in the other direction with a clear road ahead of it.
A couple of months ago on the way to work there was an ambulance which everyone was getting out of the way for and tucked in behind it taking advantage of the space it made was some utter t
t taking the piss as much as he could. No - it wasn't an unmarked anything as I'd seen a few times before being an arse.
A couple of months ago on the way to work there was an ambulance which everyone was getting out of the way for and tucked in behind it taking advantage of the space it made was some utter t
t taking the piss as much as he could. No - it wasn't an unmarked anything as I'd seen a few times before being an arse.Ruskie said:
I drive Ambulances and Rapid Response Cars and you would not believe how badly a large percentage of drivers react to sirens/emergency calls.
Having 3rd manned 'on the buses' for a week I was amazed at how a few drivers react even when you're cruising back to base with no blue lights on... Slow to 15mph and expect you to overtake on blind bends...
Shaolin said:
My greatest hatred is reserved for those who slow down when a vehicle with a siren is heading in the other direction with a clear road ahead of it.
A couple of months ago on the way to work there was an ambulance which everyone was getting out of the way for and tucked in behind it taking advantage of the space it made was some utter tt taking the piss as much as he could. No - it wasn't an unmarked anything as I'd seen a few times before being an arse.
Had someone do this to me on a blue light run. He was so close you could only see the rear half of his vehicle on the rear view camera. Followed me about a mile through a residential area, only stopped when we turned right through a red - and even then he thought about it.A couple of months ago on the way to work there was an ambulance which everyone was getting out of the way for and tucked in behind it taking advantage of the space it made was some utter t
t taking the piss as much as he could. No - it wasn't an unmarked anything as I'd seen a few times before being an arse.Also on A roads that are not wide enough to pass unless both sides move over, you would be amazed at how many people assume the ambulance has a supercharger strapped to the engine! Yes you have moved over but by sticking to 45mph I have to be in 4th gear with no power, in a 4 ton truck that has done 200,000 miles and no momentum because you did not see me for the last 1/2 a mile!
sneijder said:
Couldn't read a word of that, but perchance not everyone is as good at driving as you are ?
Well you understood the original post enough to make a reply didnt you?Its not really about peoples driving ability,its just that some people dont seem to have the mental wherewithal to make quick & sensible decisions when the need arises,this can happen in many day to day activities,not just driving.
I honestly think it is part of the "Speed Kills" s**e shoved down the throats of the people out there for whom driving is simply how they get somewhere. They believe that as long as they are not speeding, they are not a danger to anyone, accordingly, they have no idea what else to do when a situation arises.
I have stopped before now when an ambulance was coming the other way (he was about 500 yards away at the time but there was no-one behind me) only for the guy who was in front of the ambulance to travel down the middle of the road only to stop exactly opposite me - I then had to kerb it just so the ambulance could get past - I mean, 4-500 yards of road to stop in and the silly f***er parks up right next to me.....
I have stopped before now when an ambulance was coming the other way (he was about 500 yards away at the time but there was no-one behind me) only for the guy who was in front of the ambulance to travel down the middle of the road only to stop exactly opposite me - I then had to kerb it just so the ambulance could get past - I mean, 4-500 yards of road to stop in and the silly f***er parks up right next to me.....
It's just another symptom of the 'dumbing down' of society IMO.
Any situation outside of the comfort zone = Panic brake. Then engage brain.
The worst incident I've witnessed was when I was once in a two lane queue approaching a busy roundabout. An ambulance approached from the rear, blues and twos in full flow. The two lanes were parting in the middle as everyone put two wheels up the low sloping kerbs and onto the grass.
Everyone, that was - except for Landrover Discovery man who flatly refused to move, causing the ambulance to stop. What an assh*le!
Any situation outside of the comfort zone = Panic brake. Then engage brain.
The worst incident I've witnessed was when I was once in a two lane queue approaching a busy roundabout. An ambulance approached from the rear, blues and twos in full flow. The two lanes were parting in the middle as everyone put two wheels up the low sloping kerbs and onto the grass.
Everyone, that was - except for Landrover Discovery man who flatly refused to move, causing the ambulance to stop. What an assh*le!
wildone63 said:
sneijder said:
Couldn't read a word of that, but perchance not everyone is as good at driving as you are ?
Well you understood the original post enough to make a reply didnt you?Its not really about peoples driving ability,its just that some people dont seem to have the mental wherewithal to make quick & sensible decisions when the need arises,this can happen in many day to day activities,not just driving.
You are correct though, the mere sight of blue flashing lights makes most folk step on all three pedals at once.
Some ambulances I see could benefit from some local knowledge though, there's a massive roadworks up our end and the ambulances just plough into stationary traffic, ignoring the bus and tram lanes they've been knocking up for the past 12 months.
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