Blue Light Conflict
Discussion
Cool story incoming! I annoyed an ambulance driver on a blue light run today at Hermiston Gait/Calder Junction on the Edinburgh City Bypass today (A720).
Ambulance route in blue and me in green. There was traffic but it was all going at the 50 limit. I heard the ambulance somewhere, and he was in my left shoulder blind spot so I took a moment to see him behind me. Traffic in the left lane too which doesn’t merge - just continues onto A720.
In short he was behind me for a few seconds as I waited to clear the solid line bordered chevron area and pull over to the left lane.
I did so as soon as I safely could, but the driver was honking his horn when behind me for those few seconds. As he passed by me he gave me a “wtf” kinda face.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/A720,+Edinburg...
|https://thumbsnap.com/ttRo0URW[/url]
Thinking back, I’m not sure what else I should’ve done (or what he expected me to do). My options as I see it were:
Hopefully you can see my pics/links/description makes it clear enough. If not I can elaborate/clarify.
Ambulance route in blue and me in green. There was traffic but it was all going at the 50 limit. I heard the ambulance somewhere, and he was in my left shoulder blind spot so I took a moment to see him behind me. Traffic in the left lane too which doesn’t merge - just continues onto A720.
In short he was behind me for a few seconds as I waited to clear the solid line bordered chevron area and pull over to the left lane.
I did so as soon as I safely could, but the driver was honking his horn when behind me for those few seconds. As he passed by me he gave me a “wtf” kinda face.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/A720,+Edinburg...
|https://thumbsnap.com/ttRo0URW[/url]Thinking back, I’m not sure what else I should’ve done (or what he expected me to do). My options as I see it were:
- Pull left over solid line bordered chevrons into another lane of traffic
- Stop in my lane and force the ambulance driver to head up the solid bordered chevrons possibly into conflict with the other traffic
- Continue on my way and pull over left ASAP
Hopefully you can see my pics/links/description makes it clear enough. If not I can elaborate/clarify.
Yes, you were right.
I suspect the ambulance driver wasn't a local because everyone local knows that the left lane is quicker at that junction. Left slip lane from Hermiston Gait as you say becomes the left lane of the A720 bypass without any hindrance while the right slip lane has to merge in turn onto the right lane of the bypass.
I suspect he expected you'd see him earlier, before he reached the merge point, and that you'd hold back and let him merge in front of him so was annoyed that didn't happen. but as that didn't happen and you found yourself in front of him in a single lane with nowhere else legally to go, you did the correct thing carrying on in your lane until you could safely move over and let him pass.
I suspect the ambulance driver wasn't a local because everyone local knows that the left lane is quicker at that junction. Left slip lane from Hermiston Gait as you say becomes the left lane of the A720 bypass without any hindrance while the right slip lane has to merge in turn onto the right lane of the bypass.
I suspect he expected you'd see him earlier, before he reached the merge point, and that you'd hold back and let him merge in front of him so was annoyed that didn't happen. but as that didn't happen and you found yourself in front of him in a single lane with nowhere else legally to go, you did the correct thing carrying on in your lane until you could safely move over and let him pass.
simoid said:
Aye on further consideration, it’s possible that he just thought I totally hadn’t seen or heard his approach. He’s presumably inundated with eejits on a minute by minute basis and misunderstood what I consider to have been thoughtful driving. 
Probably this, a lot of people don't understand that there prime job when emergency vehicles come through is to get out the way and just automatically bank up to the side of the road, which is wonderful when it's on a junction with a pedestrian crossing island and the last car that should have stopped on the junction to allow them through the crossing is now blocking a emergency services vehicle until traffic in front of it can move out the way. Caught myself wondering if those sort of time differences could cost people there lives when i saw that. revvingit said:
Probably this, a lot of people don't understand that there prime job when emergency vehicles come through is to get out the way and just automatically bank up to the side of the road, which is wonderful when it's on a junction with a pedestrian crossing island and the last car that should have stopped on the junction to allow them through the crossing is now blocking a emergency services vehicle until traffic in front of it can move out the way. Caught myself wondering if those sort of time differences could cost people there lives when i saw that.
Not sure if you’re agreeing with my course of action or not!? 
simoid said:
Not sure if you’re agreeing with my course of action or not!?
I'm agreeing with your course of action. Just pointing out that the ambulance driver probably reacted in the way he did because he's just had to deal with a million morons on the way back and hasn't got time to consider the ins and outs of your manoeuvre, don't take it personally.revvingit said:
I'm agreeing with your course of action. Just pointing out that the ambulance driver probably reacted in the way he did because he's just had to deal with a million morons on the way back and hasn't got time to consider the ins and outs of your manoeuvre, don't take it personally.
ruggedscotty said:
I know that section of road, you should have entered the chevrons signalling left or signalled right and got as far right as you could. you could have let the ambulance past quicker. don't panic just make space and let it through.
Yeah those were the options as I saw it. If we were going slower, or I had been a little later (ie next to the ambulance instead of in front) I definitely would’ve slowed and let him merge in front of me by passing my nearside.As I saw it at the time, legality aside, crossing chevrons weren’t an option due to 2 other vehicles in L1 who might not have expected me to do that. Hopefully I appear on a dash cam vid somewhere so we can see it from someone else’s point of view
ruggedscotty said:
I know that section of road, you should have entered the chevrons signalling left or signalled right and got as far right as you could. you could have let the ambulance past quicker. don't panic just make space and let it through.
Whilst possibly collecting a nail or two in his tyres. Bits of unused highway become a resting place for all sorts of nasty debris.Boosted LS1 said:
Whilst possibly collecting a nail or two in his tyres. Bits of unused highway become a resting place for all sorts of nasty debris.
risk a tyre ? oh my that poor soul in the ambulance can wait a while little longer...... pffttttt.blue lights aren't for fun, or for anything else other than 'get the fek outta my way' as said if it had been me id have been off to the left or the right and let him through.
ruggedscotty said:
risk a tyre ? oh my that poor soul in the ambulance can wait a while little longer...... pffttttt.
blue lights aren't for fun, or for anything else other than 'get the fek outta my way' as said if it had been me id have been off to the left or the right and let him through.
Maybe you would, but I wouldn't. Would you also go through a red light to make room to let an ambulance pass? I wouldn't. Would you move into a bus lane? I wouldn't.blue lights aren't for fun, or for anything else other than 'get the fek outta my way' as said if it had been me id have been off to the left or the right and let him through.
Pretty sure the correct advice is not to do anything illegal, just carry on until it's safe and legal to move over.
Interesting topic.
I live at the opposite end of the country from you.
However I have noticed a difference in recent months with regard to the behaviour of (in particular) Ambulance Drivers and the use of Blues and Twos.
Now, I can't say whether the use of blues and twos is genuine or not. I hope it is. I have been in an ambulance where B&T was necessary to get me to hospital. So I for one appreciate the (genuine) use of them.
But lately I am sure they go on at the whim of the driver.
Here is what 'we' are supposed to do. It's a film by all,emergency services about how we need to react.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=btRHvQEIkcU
One thing I do know is that Blue light training is inconsistent throughout the UK. Often these drivers are not "Advanced Drivers" , simply 3 weeks training on blue lights.
Despite the good work these people do I do not feel their driving ability should be seen as good just because they are driving vehicles with B&T.
I think the OP was right in what he/she did and the Ambulance driver concerned need to resulted his / her skills.
I live at the opposite end of the country from you.
However I have noticed a difference in recent months with regard to the behaviour of (in particular) Ambulance Drivers and the use of Blues and Twos.
Now, I can't say whether the use of blues and twos is genuine or not. I hope it is. I have been in an ambulance where B&T was necessary to get me to hospital. So I for one appreciate the (genuine) use of them.
But lately I am sure they go on at the whim of the driver.
Here is what 'we' are supposed to do. It's a film by all,emergency services about how we need to react.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=btRHvQEIkcU
One thing I do know is that Blue light training is inconsistent throughout the UK. Often these drivers are not "Advanced Drivers" , simply 3 weeks training on blue lights.
Despite the good work these people do I do not feel their driving ability should be seen as good just because they are driving vehicles with B&T.
I think the OP was right in what he/she did and the Ambulance driver concerned need to resulted his / her skills.
Edited by Caymanwhite on Sunday 4th February 18:56
brrapp said:
ruggedscotty said:
risk a tyre ? oh my that poor soul in the ambulance can wait a while little longer...... pffttttt.
blue lights aren't for fun, or for anything else other than 'get the fek outta my way' as said if it had been me id have been off to the left or the right and let him through.
Maybe you would, but I wouldn't. Would you also go through a red light to make room to let an ambulance pass? I wouldn't. Would you move into a bus lane? I wouldn't.blue lights aren't for fun, or for anything else other than 'get the fek outta my way' as said if it had been me id have been off to the left or the right and let him through.
Pretty sure the correct advice is not to do anything illegal, just carry on until it's safe and legal to move over.
brrapp said:
Maybe you would, but I wouldn't. Would you also go through a red light to make room to let an ambulance pass? I wouldn't. Would you move into a bus lane? I wouldn't.
Given that there exists the possibility that there is a critically ill patient in that ambulance and that time is of the essence to get them to hospital then, personally speaking, yes, I would indeed go through a red light or into a bus lane to let an ambulance past, if it was giving it the full Blues and Twos.brrapp said:
ruggedscotty said:
risk a tyre ? oh my that poor soul in the ambulance can wait a while little longer...... pffttttt.
blue lights aren't for fun, or for anything else other than 'get the fek outta my way' as said if it had been me id have been off to the left or the right and let him through.
Maybe you would, but I wouldn't. Would you also go through a red light to make room to let an ambulance pass? I wouldn't. Would you move into a bus lane? I wouldn't.blue lights aren't for fun, or for anything else other than 'get the fek outta my way' as said if it had been me id have been off to the left or the right and let him through.
Pretty sure the correct advice is not to do anything illegal, just carry on until it's safe and legal to move over.
simoid said:
but the driver was honking his horn when behind me.
Maybe he was honking his horn at you because he was annoyed, but the horn is also the way on most ambulance's to change the siren tone (most vehicles have 3 or 4 different sirens).I overtook somebody on the way to a 999 call the other day and pressed my horn to change to tone coming up to a junction, and that person later arrived at the call i was attending (relative of the patient) and said he saw me "shoot past, and i beeped at him", but i hadn't beeped at any car, i changed siren tone and that is accompanied by a beep of the horn.
Not saying that's what happened in your case, but i do frequently see some confused looks, mostly of pedestrians who don't even look up or back when the sirens are on, but then when we change tone and beep they look at us as to say "why are you beeping at me, i'm just walking on the pavement" type thing.
Medic-one said:
Maybe he was honking his horn at you because he was annoyed, but the horn is also the way on most ambulance's to change the siren tone (most vehicles have 3 or 4 different sirens).
I overtook somebody on the way to a 999 call the other day and pressed my horn to change to tone coming up to a junction, and that person later arrived at the call i was attending (relative of the patient) and said he saw me "shoot past, and i beeped at him", but i hadn't beeped at any car, i changed siren tone and that is accompanied by a beep of the horn.
Not saying that's what happened in your case, but i do frequently see some confused looks, mostly of pedestrians who don't even look up or back when the sirens are on, but then when we change tone and beep they look at us as to say "why are you beeping at me, i'm just walking on the pavement" type thing.
Lol, how dare you hurry to an accident!I overtook somebody on the way to a 999 call the other day and pressed my horn to change to tone coming up to a junction, and that person later arrived at the call i was attending (relative of the patient) and said he saw me "shoot past, and i beeped at him", but i hadn't beeped at any car, i changed siren tone and that is accompanied by a beep of the horn.
Not saying that's what happened in your case, but i do frequently see some confused looks, mostly of pedestrians who don't even look up or back when the sirens are on, but then when we change tone and beep they look at us as to say "why are you beeping at me, i'm just walking on the pavement" type thing.
Thanks for the insight - I think I was semi aware that the horn changes the siren (probably from Grand Theft Auto or some documentaries) but you’ve confirmed. It certainly felt like he was using his horn to further alert me of his presence (prolonged and repeated more than a toot). I always get swiftly and safely out the way, I just reckon this chap expected me to have a lot more emphasis on the ‘swiftly’.
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