Red Light - Emergency Vehicle Defence?
Discussion
Ki3r said:
LudaMusser said:
Do ambulance drivers have any sort of training more than holding a car licence?
I live less than a mile from a hospital and on more than one occasion I've seen some very questionable driving. The incident that springs to mind the most is when I was at the front of a queue waiting at traffic lights for a green light. Lights go to green and just as I was about to pull away an ambulance came from my right on a red light without the siren on. Luckily I was able to notice it in time but people with slower reactions may not have been so lucky. Not to mention pedestrians slowly crossing the road
Yes, they have a three week course to drive on response.I live less than a mile from a hospital and on more than one occasion I've seen some very questionable driving. The incident that springs to mind the most is when I was at the front of a queue waiting at traffic lights for a green light. Lights go to green and just as I was about to pull away an ambulance came from my right on a red light without the siren on. Luckily I was able to notice it in time but people with slower reactions may not have been so lucky. Not to mention pedestrians slowly crossing the road
Slightly off topic, but I've been in an awkward situation before on a normal 2 lane road where the traffic on the other side was at a standstill so ambulance heading towards me on my side of the road with sirens.
Kerb on the left was very high and I knew that if I tried to mount it to let ambulance past I would damage my front Carbon Fibre splitter due to the car being so low. I chose to wait until cars on the right started moving so ambulance could go back into correct lane and carry on, but the amount of window abuse I got from those still in the queue as I drove past beggared belief!
Was I wrong in that situation or would you have knowingly damaged your car in order to let an Ambulance go past on wrong side of the road...?
Kerb on the left was very high and I knew that if I tried to mount it to let ambulance past I would damage my front Carbon Fibre splitter due to the car being so low. I chose to wait until cars on the right started moving so ambulance could go back into correct lane and carry on, but the amount of window abuse I got from those still in the queue as I drove past beggared belief!
Was I wrong in that situation or would you have knowingly damaged your car in order to let an Ambulance go past on wrong side of the road...?
Retroman said:
Joeguard1990 said:
Was I wrong in that situation or would you have knowingly damaged your car in order to let an Ambulance go past on wrong side of the road...?
I wouldn't personally. But i wouldn't think any more or any less if someone did decide toLegally it's been said that it's no defence - whether a magistrate might consider it or not is another matter.
However, it's perfectly easy to invisage a situation where a perfectly safe few feet over the stop line saves an ambulance minutes. I think that most people would edge over. If I was ever done for doing so, and the situation arose again, this is what I think would happen:
I look behind. Is it plod:
Yes - nah mate.
No - Break the law again.
However, it's perfectly easy to invisage a situation where a perfectly safe few feet over the stop line saves an ambulance minutes. I think that most people would edge over. If I was ever done for doing so, and the situation arose again, this is what I think would happen:
I look behind. Is it plod:
Yes - nah mate.
No - Break the law again.
Ki3r said:
LudaMusser said:
Do ambulance drivers have any sort of training more than holding a car licence?
I live less than a mile from a hospital and on more than one occasion I've seen some very questionable driving. The incident that springs to mind the most is when I was at the front of a queue waiting at traffic lights for a green light. Lights go to green and just as I was about to pull away an ambulance came from my right on a red light without the siren on. Luckily I was able to notice it in time but people with slower reactions may not have been so lucky. Not to mention pedestrians slowly crossing the road
Yes, they have a three week course to drive on response.I live less than a mile from a hospital and on more than one occasion I've seen some very questionable driving. The incident that springs to mind the most is when I was at the front of a queue waiting at traffic lights for a green light. Lights go to green and just as I was about to pull away an ambulance came from my right on a red light without the siren on. Luckily I was able to notice it in time but people with slower reactions may not have been so lucky. Not to mention pedestrians slowly crossing the road
Gavia said:
Bull story is bull. He's on a motorbike pulling left to let an ambulance past is an absolute doddle.
If you want evidence look for it, I did a search for "driver prosecuted for moving through red light for ambulance" and the very 1st hit on the list was http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1204944/Dr...I suspect there would be many more if I could be bothered...........
jaf01uk said:
Gavia said:
Bull story is bull. He's on a motorbike pulling left to let an ambulance past is an absolute doddle.
If you want evidence look for it, I did a search for "driver prosecuted for moving through red light for ambulance" and the very 1st hit on the list was http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1204944/Dr...I suspect there would be many more if I could be bothered...........
Ki3r said:
Yes, they have a three week course to drive on response.
Even in Lincolnshire? I lived there for two years. During that time, I have met oncoming ambulances on my side of the road on bends on two occasions and once read in the news that an ambulance had crashed into a field, killing the unfortunate patient. And then there was the one (not on blues) that pulled out to overtake me just before a 30 mph stretch through a village became an NSL. That one was left standing. Not big or clever, but satisfying.Gavia said:
jaf01uk said:
Gavia said:
Bull story is bull. He's on a motorbike pulling left to let an ambulance past is an absolute doddle.
If you want evidence look for it, I did a search for "driver prosecuted for moving through red light for ambulance" and the very 1st hit on the list was http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1204944/Dr...I suspect there would be many more if I could be bothered...........
Edit to add - your other "dismissed" point of non motorist being banned for offence - here is another for you, old guy holding a sign out to slow people down receives driving ban despite not being in a car at the time, but I guess you'll call "bull" on that too?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1463472/Mot...
Edited by jaf01uk on Friday 2nd June 10:02
jaf01uk said:
Gavia said:
jaf01uk said:
Gavia said:
Bull story is bull. He's on a motorbike pulling left to let an ambulance past is an absolute doddle.
If you want evidence look for it, I did a search for "driver prosecuted for moving through red light for ambulance" and the very 1st hit on the list was http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1204944/Dr...I suspect there would be many more if I could be bothered...........
Edit to add - your other "dismissed" point of non motorist being banned for offence - here is another for you, old guy holding a sign out to slow people down receives driving ban despite not being in a car at the time, but I guess you'll call "bull" on that too?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1463472/Mot...
Edited by jaf01uk on Friday 2nd June 10:02
What the juddering f
k has a old bloke holding up a sign about a speed trap got to do with someone going through a red light to let an emergency vehicle through. Hint - absolutely nothing is the correct answer. I was only interested in proof of the specific case mentioned by another poster as well. That case being the guy who got banned, because he was breathalysed for helping someone after an accident. No evidence has been forthcoming to support the claims initially made. A vaguely similar case has been posted, but that justifies the person being breathalyser given his connection to the person who crashed.
Edited by Gavia on Friday 2nd June 10:23
People are only pointing out that your imaginary world where the justice system is just and fair isn't always close to reality.
Why did the someone who was drinking but not driving and the court accepted he was not driving, still lose his license for assisting at a roadside accident? Is that justice?
With the other link posted. The old man lost his license for a non motoring offence. The police made an example of him for trying to prevent their stream of revenue. They value that over safety.
With these injustices happening and many more, and you're still confident that the police will not prosecute you if you can prove you went through a red light for an emergency vehicle
Why did the someone who was drinking but not driving and the court accepted he was not driving, still lose his license for assisting at a roadside accident? Is that justice?
With the other link posted. The old man lost his license for a non motoring offence. The police made an example of him for trying to prevent their stream of revenue. They value that over safety.
With these injustices happening and many more, and you're still confident that the police will not prosecute you if you can prove you went through a red light for an emergency vehicle
Retroman said:
People are only pointing out that your imaginary world where the justice system is just and fair isn't always close to reality.
Why did the someone who was drinking but not driving and the court accepted he was not driving, still lose his license for assisting at a roadside accident? Is that justice?
With the other link posted. The old man lost his license for a non motoring offence. The police made an example of him for trying to prevent their stream of revenue. They value that over safety.
With these injustices happening and many more, and you're still confident that the police will not prosecute you if you can prove you went through a red light for an emergency vehicle
1. He didn't lose his licenceWhy did the someone who was drinking but not driving and the court accepted he was not driving, still lose his license for assisting at a roadside accident? Is that justice?
With the other link posted. The old man lost his license for a non motoring offence. The police made an example of him for trying to prevent their stream of revenue. They value that over safety.
With these injustices happening and many more, and you're still confident that the police will not prosecute you if you can prove you went through a red light for an emergency vehicle
2. He was being particularly uncooperative
3. The connection to the crasher was unequivocal with the crasher having just left his house and crashing only 250 yards upmthe road.
4. Yes, its justice.
Your other link doesn't bother me at all. You raised it as a point, yet it's got next to no connection to what's being discussed. Revenue stream vs safety is almost as big a PH cliché as Red Bull, goatees, sausages or being well built. It's tedious.
I don't care whether the CPS prosecute me or not. I would try to make my case in court. Whether I'm successful or not wouldnhave to be seen. However, the chances of this ever happening are infinitesimal. As I keep saying I'd need to be first in line at a set of traffic lights with a red light camera and need an EV to be trying to get through whilst the lights are on red. There is virtually zero chance of that happening.
I said a while back that I won't change my mind on this, nor do I think others will change theirs. However, I believe that I'd sleep sounder and be happier with myself that I haven't potentially worsened the outcome for an injured person, because I was worried about my alloys, or a ridiculously unlikely scenario.
Just for clarity, I also speed every time I get in a car / bike and don't worry about being caught every time I do it.
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