Ambulance whoopsie

[funkyrobot]

saaby93 said:

funkyrobot said:

Dr Doofenshmirtz said:

I'd love to know how many accidents are caused as a result of being flashed out and not looking.
As a biker I see this all the time. Seriously, if you're going to flash someone out it might be worth checking they can actually get out safely rather than flashing them into oncoming traffic. In which case they either don't look and crash, or they cause an obstruction as a result of your need to be thanked...Grrrr.

I remember my driving instructor specifically telling me not to do it.

I will only do it now if there is one lane of traffic that I'm helping. I.e., someone joining from the left on a junction.

I have noticed that if you get to a busy junction (people coming from the left and wanting to cross from the right) it can cause confusion.

Flashing says I'm letting you come out in front of me, you still have to check theres nothing coming the other way, or that because I'm stopped no-one is coming past me that you cant see - although for the latter whoever is coming past ought to check theres no-one coming out too.

Indeed. As pointed out above, it would be good to know how many just go without checking when being flashed.

[meehaja]

As a newly qualified emt I had a scary near miss. Long straight road, car in front about 200 yards away, on coming car about 600. I've got lights and sirens on and am doing approx 70mph. Car in front starts to brake (I assume he is slowing to stop so I can pass), on coming car slows and flashes his lights (I read this as stopping to allow me to over take car in front safely). I pull into the middle of the road to over take and the car on front turns right into a driveway. 4 ton of ambulance to a dead stop from 70mph takes a scarilly long time. 5 people in a Peugeot 306 completely oblivious to how close to death they all were!

Lesson learned, slow down, trust no one, cover brakes!

I work on an rrv now mostly and I'm always amazed by the number of people that don't look both ways at junctions and can't hear sirens!

[saaby93]

meehaja said:

As a newly qualified emt I had a scary near miss. Long straight road, car in front about 200 yards away, on coming car about 600. I've got lights and sirens on and am doing approx 70mph. Car in front starts to brake (I assume he is slowing to stop so I can pass), on coming car slows and flashes his lights (I read this as stopping to allow me to over take car in front safely). I pull into the middle of the road to over take and the car on front turns right into a driveway. 4 ton of ambulance to a dead stop from 70mph takes a scarilly long time. 5 people in a Peugeot 306 completely oblivious to how close to death they all were!

Lesson learned, slow down, trust no one, cover brakes!

I work on an rrv now mostly and I'm always amazed by the number of people that don't look both ways at junctions and can't hear sirens!

Sirens are pretty much a waste of time, just about the only people that hear them are trying to get some peace and quiet in their house youre passing. Pedestrians can be deaf as a post. Cyclists listening to itunes

[DoubleD]

Ive been in cars with lots of different people and weve all heard sirens. so i would be interested to know where you get that information from?

[ecsrobin]

funkyrobot said:

Dr Doofenshmirtz said:

I'd love to know how many accidents are caused as a result of being flashed out and not looking.
As a biker I see this all the time. Seriously, if you're going to flash someone out it might be worth checking they can actually get out safely rather than flashing them into oncoming traffic. In which case they either don't look and crash, or they cause an obstruction as a result of your need to be thanked...Grrrr.

I remember my driving instructor specifically telling me not to do it.

I will only do it now if there is one lane of traffic that I'm helping. I.e., someone joining from the left on a junction.

I have noticed that if you get to a busy junction (people coming from the left and wanting to cross from the right) it can cause confusion.

My cousin was waiting at the scene of a crash where police were directing traffic, officer waved him through and he Pulled away only to have a car coming the other way and a low speed bump. He was completely at fault but with an obstructed view he assumed the officer waving him on had checked the route was clear.

[MitchT]

ging84 said:

TooLateForAName said:

My guess - traffic backed up in the road and the ambulance going down the middle of the road - hatched area between the lanes.

Volvos view obscured and when traffic stopped (because thet could see the ambulance behind them), volvo though he was being let out.

I was thinking exactly the same thing

I wonder how you apportion blame in that situation

I guess the presence, or otherwise, of a siren would be a factor. If I hear a siren when I'm about to pull out onto a road I wait until I've worked out where it's coming from before continuing. However, I might have done the same as the Volvo in this scenario if there was no siren being used.