How letting an ambulance past can land motorists with a fine

[Pericoloso]

Dogwatch said:

Can't be bothered to chase up the item but there was a big row in Brighton a couple or three months ago where a lady pulled over to a bus lane (empty of course...) to let a police car past. Both cars were clearly visible in the bus lane camera picture.
Appeal to brighton council met with typical two-fingered reply so she had to appeal to the ombudsman or somesuch who instantly chucked the case out.
The idea of reviewing cases before issuing tickets is sheer fantasy I'm afraid. It's more like the Wild West - shoot first, field questions later.

Plod got quite heated when I refused to enter a live bus lane in a company lorry in that London.

the road was very wide and other wise empty ,why not use the other side ,like in an overtake or use the bus lane themselves.

Utterly baffling.

[Gary C]

Not quite the same, but a plod took my wing mirror off once squeezing by ( I couldn't move) he stopped immediately and the look of relief and the genuine thank you when I waved him on (old car, not that bothered) was nice to see.

Must be a nightmare of paperwork if you hit the public.

[chainy]

BAM225 said:

Pulled into a bus lane in Bristol to let a ambulance through and got fined, appealed and turned down.

Consider it paying for positive karma I suppose....

I'm just curious as to why the ambulance never used the bus lane to go around you?

[Fore Left]

chainy said:

BAM225 said:

Pulled into a bus lane in Bristol to let a ambulance through and got fined, appealed and turned down.

Consider it paying for positive karma I suppose....

I'm just curious as to why the ambulance never used the bus lane to go around you?

They're probably on commission from the local council

[jeremyh1]

Its a hazard that has to be accepted get a fine for helping to keep the traffic moving with someones life in the balance.

Its not right but there is nothing we can do I dont want a fine and I would fight it but I would never want to slow an ambulance down

[jamei303]

The law needs to change. Other countries seem to manage with requiring motorists to let emergency vehicles through, even if that means crossing stop lines at traffic lights.

I don't think the Netherlands for example has a big problem with people having fatal collisions because they saw an ambulance in their mirrors while waiting at a red light. But maybe we're too thick over here to cope.

[W124Bob]

I live very close to a combined fire/ambulance station which is about 600yds from a busy traffic light controlled junction , blues and twos out of the station onto a two lane oneway street righthand corner then if the lights are siren off and wait red . Interestlingly the main a road has traffic light cameras north and south but not the oneway street. It's the buslane one I just don't get , pure money grabbing and something which would deprive councils of probably less than 10% of the toal annual fines.

[numtumfutunch]

BAM225 said:

Pulled into a bus lane in Bristol to let a ambulance through and got fined, appealed and turned down.

Consider it paying for positive karma I suppose....

This coupled with the fact that how many blue light runs are to meet a meaningless government response target from pond life calling 999 instead of going to their GP versus a 'proper' cardiac arrest in he back?

Cheers

[In Arduis Fouette]

Gary C said:

Not quite the same, but a plod took my wing mirror off once squeezing by ( I couldn't move) he stopped immediately and the look of relief and the genuine thank you when I waved him on (old car, not that bothered) was nice to see.

Must be a nightmare of paperwork if you hit the public.

if you ( the MoP who has been hit) wanted it to be it could be - that goes for all the 999 services ( it was used as an excuse by mr i'm all right jack, lay NHS ambulance manager to stop volunteers from getting blue light trained in a speerate organistion whose national policy was that such volunteers should be trained )

POLCOL means supervision and a traffic copper / collision investigator have to attend , it means a potential disciplinary as well as potential for criminal charges ...

[Jagmanv12]

LosingGrip said:

Blue light drivers are told not to make others commit any traffic offences. Red lights for example, they should wait at the back with sirens off and possibly lights as well.

But they don't.
Following previous reports of prosecutions I decided I would not go through a red light if an emergency vehicle was behind me.

However last summer when a fire applicance was a few inches from my rear bumper with blues and twos going it was not easy to ignore and I drove through a red light. The fire appliance could easily have driven the other side of the road instead of bullying me.

Presumably the appliance driver had missed part of his training.

[4rephill]

Jagmanv12 said:

LosingGrip said:

Blue light drivers are told not to make others commit any traffic offences. Red lights for example, they should wait at the back with sirens off and possibly lights as well.

But they don't.
Following previous reports of prosecutions I decided I would not go through a red light if an emergency vehicle was behind me.

However last summer when a fire applicance was a few inches from my rear bumper with blues and twos going it was not easy to ignore and I drove through a red light. The fire appliance could easily have driven the other side of the road instead of bullying me.

Presumably the appliance driver had missed part of his training.

"they don't"?

So because a single fire engine driver didn't turn off his sirens (and lights) behind you once upon a time, that means none of the emergency service driver do?

That's odd! - I was sat in traffic on Friday when an ambulance with sirens and lights on came up behind traffic at a red light, and low and behold, the driver turned the siren off (left the lights on), waited for the lights to change to green, and for traffic to start moving again, before putting the sirens back on to get past.

That doesn't mean that all emergency service drivers do switch off the sirens at red lights, just as your experience doesn't mean that all drivers don't turn off the sirens.

[silverfoxcc]

Jumping a red light is the same question on here on where do you 'merge' where there are roadworks a mile back half a mile /400 yds/200yds???

The emergency vehicle is No 2 ( behind you in the queue do you move?

What about if it is 3/5/710/50? does the guy at the front and all those between him and the vehicle jump the light???

An extreme example but you get my drift

I have been in that situation once in London West End Sat on a red RH lane in a one way street.. Police SUV up my chuff blues bells whisltles the lot. I sat there. One got out and told me to shift it. I just pointed at the light and said 'When that goes green' He got back in a switched everything off

The reason i didnt was the cross traffic was heavy and moving. i didnt want to put my node out and get T boned by someone coming from my rightPLUS not sure if a red light cam

Still waiting for the NIP after 13 years

They get around you they have been taught to do it and if there is a prang, its them and the other guy. AND have been in an ambulance following an MI and i am still here

Also had a plod going mad at me along the A329 into Wokingham a year or so back. There is a cycle lane. He is bening me and the bus flashing . me to move over. NO WAY could he see if there was a cyclist in the lane ( there wasn't) but i kept my position unitl he could pass .Went past mr effing and jeffing, judging by his body language again still waiting for the NIP in obstructing the poilce

Edited by silverfoxcc on Sunday 27th May 15:14

[HTP99]

4rephill said:

Jagmanv12 said:

LosingGrip said:

Blue light drivers are told not to make others commit any traffic offences. Red lights for example, they should wait at the back with sirens off and possibly lights as well.

But they don't.
Following previous reports of prosecutions I decided I would not go through a red light if an emergency vehicle was behind me.

However last summer when a fire applicance was a few inches from my rear bumper with blues and twos going it was not easy to ignore and I drove through a red light. The fire appliance could easily have driven the other side of the road instead of bullying me.

Presumably the appliance driver had missed part of his training.

"they don't"?

So because a single fire engine driver didn't turn off his sirens (and lights) behind you once upon a time, that means none of the emergency service driver do?

That's odd! - I was sat in traffic on Friday when an ambulance with sirens and lights on came up behind traffic at a red light, and low and behold, the driver turned the siren off (left the lights on), waited for the lights to change to green, and for traffic to start moving again, before putting the sirens back on to get past.

That doesn't mean that all emergency service drivers do switch off the sirens at red lights, just as your experience doesn't mean that all drivers don't turn off the sirens.

Saw a similar thing a few weeks ago with a Police car, at a set of lights ahead of me on the opposite carriageway; Police car with lights and siren on steamed up to a queue of cars waiting at a red light, lights and siren went off and he waited patiently, as soon as the lights went green, the lights and siren went back on.

[jamei303]

HTP99 said:

Saw a similar thing a few weeks ago with a Police car, at a set of lights ahead of me on the opposite carriageway; Police car with lights and siren on steamed up to a queue of cars waiting at a red light, lights and siren went off and he waited patiently, as soon as the lights went green, the lights and siren went back on.

I suppose it's easier to do this when you're responding to a bit or argy bargy, compared to say, a house fire with people reported trapped.

[In Arduis Fouette]

jamei303 said:

I suppose it's easier to do this when you're responding to a bit or argy bargy, compared to say, a house fire with people reported trapped.

if you can't respond safely regardless of the nature of the call you shouldn't be a response driver. This is why Police and ambulance service drivers now have periodic reassessment and i suspect the fire service do as well.

Edited by In Arduis Fouette on Sunday 27th May 17:24

[jamei303]

In Arduis Fouette said:

jamei303 said:

I suppose it's easier to do this when you're responding to a bit of argy bargy, compared to say, a house fire with people reported trapped.

if you can't respond safely regardless of the nature of the call you shouldn't be a response driver. This is why Police and ambulance service drivers now have periodic reassessment and i suspect the fire service do as well.

Edited by In Arduis Fouette on Sunday 27th May 17:24

Who mentioned anything about not being safe? Asking someone to creep over a stop line at a red light is not unsafe, that's why it's common practice in other countries. There may be categories of blue light response for which it isn't deemed necessary, but a blanket refusal to countenance it even for the most serious incidents just shows that no one has bothered to assess the risks properly.

[Megaflow]

There’s seem to be a secret competition around here to see how much distraction people can cause for other traffic when an emergency vehicle is around.

I have seen people brake, slow down and move to the side of the road when one is coming in the opposite direction. Except there was nothing in front of it for about a mile, it need no reaction at all!

[In Arduis Fouette]

jamei303 said:

Who mentioned anything about not being safe? Asking someone to creep over a stop line at a red light is not unsafe, that's why it's common practice in other countries. There may be categories of blue light response for which it isn't deemed necessary, but a blanket refusal to countenance it even for the most serious incidents just shows that no one has bothered to assess the risks properly.

thankyou for showing your Dunning-Kruger card .

[Roofless Toothless]

Years ago, when there was a fire fighters' strike, the army were using their fire engines to provide cover. The Green Goddesses, if you remember them.

I once saw one in Ilford pull up behind a line of cars waiting at a red traffic light. Nobody made a move. The back doors of the Goddess opened and a squaddie emerged, looked forwards along the length of the roof and yelled in a voice obviously used to carrying from one side of a parade ground to the other,

"GERROUTADAFUGGINGWAY!"

[jeremyh1]

Roofless Toothless said:

Years ago, when there was a fire fighters' strike, the army were using their fire engines to provide cover. The Green Goddesses, if you remember them.

I once saw one in Ilford pull up behind a line of cars waiting at a red traffic light. Nobody made a move. The back doors of the Goddess opened and a squaddie emerged, looked forwards along the length of the roof and yelled in a voice obviously used to carrying from one side of a parade ground to the other,

"GERROUTADAFUGGINGWAY!"

I remember and these gutless motorist these days will give loads of abuse to decent ambulance crews but they would get out the way of a soldier that could take their head off and thats what our people are