Jesus how do these people pass a test?

[edo]

See ambulance in the distance in my mirrors, am anticipating where to ease off so he can pass easily. Car in front of course doesn't see him till the last minute and stops on a blind bend causing the ambulance to stop. Genuis.

I think if I was an emergency services driver I'd be sacked for assaulting someone on the first day! They have my sympathy.

[Wazowski]

There have been several times on my way to or from work where I've seen an ambulance coming for a good minute or two, readying myself to prepare to let it by, and then get overtaken by the car behind me, who even then doesn't stop. Lack of attention I guess.

[iva cosworth]

Sounds like the "mirrors folded brigade".

Massive urine boiler.

[ch108]

Happened to me recently too. Pulled to the side in plenty time into a layby when I seen the blue lights in my mirror a fair bit back. Car behind overtakes me then ends up with a fire engine, who wasn't hanging about, up their backside until they ended up stopping on the narrowest part of the road!

The other I couldn't believe was traffic coming towards me not slowing down for a police car coming up behind them. I pulled into my side of the road allowing the police to overtake them. Got a wave from one of the cops so I would imagine they were frustrated about no one travelling in their direction giving way.

I just don't get it. Why wouldn't you give way to an emergency vehicle? Surely the clue is in the flashing blue lights and sirens? Cretins.

[Riley Blue]

How to deal with an approaching emergency vehicle isn't in the test. Perhaps it should be but how often does it happen to the average motorist? It happened to me this morning but I can't remember the last time, probably over a year ago.

[nicanary]

I've seen a sort of "opposite" problem. An ambulance with siren and lights coming towards me on the other side of the road, road ahead for them completely clear, and yet the driver ahead of me stops for absolutely no reason. They're not impeding the ambulance in any way, it's on the other side of the road. What do they expect is going to happen? Is the ambulance going to abruptly slide sideways like a crab?

[PHmember]

Saw a car recently stop to let an ambulance by - unfortunately they were in a road not wide enough for two vehicles. They just heard sirens behind them & stopped. Blocking the road. tts.

[InitialDave]

I had one last week - we were parallel on two lanes (one of those one-way systems where I'd come out of a carpark on the right, and so dropped into the right lane, other car had come up on my left). A few seconds after me joining the road, an ambulance appears round the bend behind us. Matey just starts slowing down. Doesn't stop, or pull to the left, just does that "oh, ooh, ah, uhm..." semi-dawdling thing while eyes catch up to brain catch up to arms and legs. I just floored it (for a given value of "floored it" in a small hatchback) to open enough room between us for the ambulance to come up behind me in my lane and then cut left in front of mr indecisive, then pass me on the left (I'd indicated right and headed for a bit of dropped kerb to get out of the lane, so it was clear I wasn't going to do a startled rabbit routine back in front of the ambulance).

Why do people not just make a damn decision and do it? Show your intent early and let the driver of the emergency vehicle choose how to proceed, they'll happily sort themselves out in almost any situation except having a ditherer in front of them, who could well go in any direction at random.

[TonyRPH]

InitialDave said:

<snip>
Why do people not just make a damn decision and do it?
<snip>

Because they are waiting for somebody else to make the decision for them - and when there is nobody...

Nanny state and all that maybe?

[eddy02]

nicanary said:

I've seen a sort of "opposite" problem. An ambulance with siren and lights coming towards me on the other side of the road, road ahead for them completely clear, and yet the driver ahead of me stops for absolutely no reason. They're not impeding the ambulance in any way, it's on the other side of the road. What do they expect is going to happen? Is the ambulance going to abruptly slide sideways like a crab?

Had exactly the same thing a while back.
Passenger was ready to jump out and beat me to a pulp because I was going mad at the stupid bint driving their car for slamming on in sheer panic,ambulance was two lanes away going the other way.

[JimbobVFR]

Riley Blue said:

How to deal with an approaching emergency vehicle isn't in the test. Perhaps it should be but how often does it happen to the average motorist? It happened to me this morning but I can't remember the last time, probably over a year ago.

It was on my motorcycle test ☺

Funnily enough the car in front of me was an utter knob jockey, panicked and stopped right on a roundabout with no room for the ambulance to pass. I, on the other hand, for praised by my examiner back at the test centre for dealing with the situation.

[M4cruiser]

ch108 said:

The other I couldn't believe was traffic coming towards me not slowing down for a police car coming up behind them.

It's more complicated than that, I see people slowing down for an emergency vehicle behind them when in fact there's no way it can get past, and in that case it's best to keep going.

[ch108]

Riley Blue said:

How to deal with an approaching emergency vehicle isn't in the test. Perhaps it should be but how often does it happen to the average motorist? It happened to me this morning but I can't remember the last time, probably over a year ago.

Depends where you live I suppose. It happens quite often on my route back and to work. Also the town I live in isn't that large but has a police station and fire station. So emergency vehicles that serve my town also serve neighbouring villages, so are a common sight.

How to deal with emergency vehicles may not be in the test but it is in the highway code.

Edited by ch108 on Sunday 20th July 21:13

[TangerinePool]

All the flipping time! Blackpool seems to have a lot of need for blues n twos

So many drivers though just panic last second and stop dead. I try my hardest to mitigate and for example I'll accelerate past or stop some distance before whoever has slammed on on the opposite side to create a slalom type gap for the emergency vehicle. But it doesn't always work out! I just think though that whatever the scenario those few seconds of continuity could be the difference required...

nicanary said:

I've seen a sort of "opposite" problem. An ambulance with siren and lights coming towards me on the other side of the road, road ahead for them completely clear, and yet the driver ahead of me stops for absolutely no reason. They're not impeding the ambulance in any way, it's on the other side of the road. What do they expect is going to happen? Is the ambulance going to abruptly slide sideways like a crab?

this also in buckets!!

[ch108]

M4cruiser said:

ch108 said:

The other I couldn't believe was traffic coming towards me not slowing down for a police car coming up behind them.

It's more complicated than that, I see people slowing down for an emergency vehicle behind them when in fact there's no way it can get past, and in that case it's best to keep going.

In this case it was a straight bit of road. If the traffic had pulled to the side the police car would have got by no problem. Instead I had to pull into my side of the road travelling in the other direction to allow the police car to overtake the moving traffic on their side of the road. But you are correct in some cases just slamming on the brakes can cause more problems than it solves.

[Dave_]

Funnily around half an hour ago i saw someone jam the brakes on and come to a complete stop halfway round a roundabout because a police car appeared behind them who then of course came to a complete stop.

I know its a hard event to replicate in a test but some sort of road sense should be compulsory.

[Willy Nilly]

It's annoying but to many driving is just a means to an ends. Maybe the people that aren't very competent drivers would look in my house and wonder why I live in a st hole, but I'm not more interested in house work and DIY than they are in driving.

[Crafty_]

ch108 said:

I just don't get it. Why wouldn't you give way to an emergency vehicle? Surely the clue is in the flashing blue lights and sirens? Cretins.

Lack of consideration for other people, too absorbed in getting to the shops/supermarket/home to watch eastenders or whatever.

As someone else said I've been overtaken by a following car when pulling over before, it has occurred to me that I've distracted the driver by slowing, positioning the car to the left whilst indicating and finally pulling over and coming to a stop and they haven't clocked the sirens ? not sure.

[sjabrown]

It is very annoying when you are working in the back of an ambulance on a blue light run. Accelerate, sharp braking, accelerate. Can be very difficult for the drivers to make swift progress when needed with folk that just don't know what to do so stop whereever they are whether safe or not.

[Tango13]

I had this the other week on the way to work, Met Plod on a training run behind me so the car in front pulls over at the narrowest point of the road. If i'd pulled in behind them the Plod wouldn't have been able to pass so I kept going and moved to the left further down the road where it was easier to pass.

That said, the Plod really need to learn how to keep their foot in, I reckon Morgan Freeman with Miss Daisy in the back could show the Met clean pair of heels...