Ambulance gets it wrong

[Simpo Two]

If I'd left home a minute earlier, I might have had an ambulance on top of me...



I hope they didn't have anyone in the back.

[Marki]

From living over here ie Denmark , Sweden, Germany , and now Holland over here they give emergency services vehicles the greatest respect and the widest berth , when in England it seems people are much more me me me and still try to get out infront of it as if an ambulance in front of them will slow them down in some way ..

[Simpo Two]

That's not my experience - people always seem to pull over in very quick time - sometimes it actually hinders the vehicle getting past.

As I went past the scene there were impressive skidmarks across the road. As it's on a 90 degree bend I guess he just went in too fast and lost control. Did it make the local news?

[iluvmercs]

It's selfish but everyone thinks it....."if I'd been a few seconds early/late..."

Darren

[Simpo Two]

Actually I think it's sobering - reminding us that there can be a thin line between 'normal day' and 'very nasty accident'.

[Racingdude009]

Hope everone was ok if so would be good for a Simp Caption Comp.

[Simpo Two]

I would have taken more photos but Plod was there and I thought they'd take a rather dim view of it... as it was he was so busy taking his own pix that he forgot to wave the traffic through There were also three police cars, which seemed a bit of overkill - but they do seem to over-react these days.

Edited by Simpo Two on Friday 8th June 23:16

[Naughty Magpie]

Simpo Two said:

There were also three police cars, which seemed a bit of overkill - but they do seem to over-react these days.

Off topic, but when I broke down in the Cobra a month or so ago, I had five police cars and a police bike. All to push me 50 yards. Massive over-reaction but quite cool.

[Naughty Magpie]

Just thought of something else - my ex-boyfriend never once pulled over for ambulances, police or fire engines when they came hairing up behind him, he'd speed up, wouldn't move over & definitely wouldn't slow down.
On asking him why he was being such an idiot, he replied "they (ER services) prefer it if you keep moving with the speed of the traffic so they can get to their destination quicker"

Er yes but not when you're doing 50mph & they're bearing down on you at 70mph+, they'd want you to get out of the way, not put your foot down & go as fast as you can to (almost) prevent them getting past. He wouldn't even move over in the road at all. I really did despair with that young man - his dad was the same.

However did follow an old chap in a Micra on the A10 about a week ago that drove his car up onto the verge & hit the hedge to get out of the way of a police car - whilst he was doing 40 mph & didn't brake until he was on the grass, causing a muddy mess. Think he must have panicked seeing the flashing lights. The policeman had to stop & extricate him from the hedge & call for more police cars to redirect the traffic round him.

It's interesting seeing people's reactions to the emergency services, how some people jam on their brakes & others, like my ex b/f will pretty much try to race them.

[Simpo Two]

Naughty Magpie said:

It's interesting seeing people's reactions to the emergency services, how some people jam on their brakes & others, like my ex b/f will pretty much try to race them.

And here's another idea - letting them past, then trying to hang on to their tail (being very careful that vehicles which pulled over for it see you as well and don't pull back into you). Quite a skill (apparently!)

[johno_78]

Simpo Two said:

And here's another idea - letting them past, then trying to hang on to their tail (being very careful that vehicles which pulled over for it see you as well and don't pull back into you). Quite a skill (apparently!)

Did that once in my younger days through Dunstable town centre, and got a "police, slow down" flashed at me by the police car in front, on one of those LED message screens they have in the back.

[Naughty Magpie]

johno_78 said:

Simpo Two said:

And here's another idea - letting them past, then trying to hang on to their tail (being very careful that vehicles which pulled over for it see you as well and don't pull back into you). Quite a skill (apparently!)

Did that once in my younger days through Dunstable town centre, and got a "police, slow down" flashed at me by the police car in front, on one of those LED message screens they have in the back.

I did this in my white MINI a couple of years ago behind a fire engine towards Wolverhampton.

[Simpo Two]

johno_78 said:

Did that once in my younger days through Dunstable town centre, and got a "police, slow down" flashed at me by the police car in front, on one of those LED message screens they have in the back.

Not a good idea to do it with police cars!

[busta]

Naughty Magpie said:

Just thought of something else - my ex-boyfriend never once pulled over for ambulances, police or fire engines when they came hairing up behind him, he'd speed up, wouldn't move over & definitely wouldn't slow down.
On asking him why he was being such an idiot, he replied "they (ER services) prefer it if you keep moving with the speed of the traffic so they can get to their destination quicker"

Sounds a bit extreme but I agree with the principal. I tend to speed up until the best opportunity for them to pass arises. e.g. passing a line of cars in the slow lane on a dual carriageway I'll accelerate to pass the cars and then pull over when there is room enough to do so, rather than slowing down immediately to phase in with the slower traffic. Amublances may cruise at fairly high speed they don't accelerate very quickly so constantly going fron 90-60-90-60 doesn't do them any favours!

[V8 EOL - Rich]

Going down the M5 one quiet sunny day I actually overtook an Ambulance with its blue lights on. It was only going 85ish, there was no traffic, I was going quite a lot faster, so I thought why not?

[Medic-one]

Simpo Two said:

I hope they didn't have anyone in the back.

They said there was diesel leaking which came on the wheels and when trying to make a turn the car just started spinning and tipped over.

The crew was allright and there was no patient in the back.

Marki said:

From living over here ie Denmark , Sweden, Germany , and now Holland over here they give emergency services vehicles the greatest respect and the widest berth , when in England it seems people are much more me me me and still try to get out infront of it as if an ambulance in front of them will slow them down in some way ..

I most say i do not really agree with this.

I've driven ambulance's for over 3 years back in Holland, and i've driven them in Germany and Belgium as well, and now in rush through the English traffic and i most say i personally find the traffic responding much better over here.

Belgium was an absolute nightmare, Germany was quiet oke, Holland could be very annoying a lot of times, but England isn't that bad at all.

Naughty Magpie said:

It's interesting seeing people's reactions to the emergency services, how some people jam on their brakes & others, like my ex b/f will pretty much try to race them.

It really is indeed.

Some people will move over right a way, some are deaf/blind or just stupid and take a while to spot us and then move over, and others just slamm their brakes, so we have to do the same.

I once responded the this emergency when this elderly couple of front of me suddenly noticed us, slammed on their brakes and steered onto the other lane were they went straight into another car.

2 people died in that accident and 2 were seriously injuried. And the injured patient we were respondng to had to wait even longer for an other ambulance to be send now.

I think they should just pay more attention to it during driving lessons, or like to start doing in Holland and Belgium now, through commercials on the tv, saying what to do and where to look out for.

Simpo Two said:

And here's another idea - letting them past, then trying to hang on to their tail (being very careful that vehicles which pulled over for it see you as well and don't pull back into you). Quite a skill (apparently!)

Yeah we really like that...

Traffic is not expecting some idiot trailing our vehicle when to try to get back in their lane once we passed.

If it's really annoying/dangerous we just call up on our radio's and the nearest police unit will be send to our location to remove the annoying pret.

busta said:

Sounds a bit extreme but I agree with the principal. I tend to speed up until the best opportunity for them to pass arises. e.g. passing a line of cars in the slow lane on a dual carriageway I'll accelerate to pass the cars and then pull over when there is room enough to do so, rather than slowing down immediately to phase in with the slower traffic.

Amublances may cruise at fairly high speed they don't accelerate very quickly so constantly going fron 90-60-90-60 doesn't do them any favours!

True, and that's what we like to see.

I much rather see you accelerate and find a gap a little further down the line of traffic then to slam your brakes and wait untill a gap appears in the already stationarry line of vehicles.

V8 EOL - Rich said:

Going down the M5 one quiet sunny day I actually overtook an Ambulance with its blue lights on. It was only going 85ish, there was no traffic, I was going quite a lot faster, so I thought why not?

Aslong as it doesn't bother us, go ahead, i really don't mind cars doing that.

[Simpo Two]

Medic-one said:

They said there was diesel leaking which came on the wheels and when trying to make a turn the car just started spinning and tipped over.

Hmm, that doesn't explain the impressive set of skid-marks though does it?

Simpo Two said:

And here's another idea - letting them past, then trying to hang on to their tail (being very careful that vehicles which pulled over for it see you as well and don't pull back into you). Quite a skill (apparently!)

Medic-one said:

Yeah we really like that... Traffic is not expecting some idiot trailing our vehicle when to try to get back in their lane once we passed. If it's really annoying/dangerous we just call up on our radio's and the nearest police unit will be send to our location to remove the annoying pret.

If I was driving an ambulance at potentially dangerous speeds I'd keep my eyes on the road in front, not worry about what's going on behind. That way I wouldn't go into a sharp bend too fast, roll it and possibly kill even more people.

Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 12th June 14:26

[Medic-one]

Simpo Two said:

Hmm, that doesn't explain the impressive set of skid-marks though does it?

I wasn't driving it, i work all the way down the other end of the county, that just what i've been told by someone who works on that same ambulance station.

Simpo Two said:

If I was driving an ambulance at potentially dangerous speeds I'd keep my eyes on the road in front, not worry about what's going on behind.

Yeah and then you don't use your mirrors and you miss the mupput who comes up from behind and tries to overtake you just when you're about to change lanes.

Or an accident happens behind you and you drive on because you're not bothered about what's behind you.

If they muppet which is chasing us causes an accident we have to stop and attend, and our orginal patient will be screwed because he suffers a big delay in getting a vehicle.
So if some muppet is creating dangerous situations we will inform our dispatch, and they can track our vehicle and direct police to were we are at every moment.

Besides, it's 2 of us in the front whilst were going to the emergency so it will probably be the one not driving who informs dispatch anyway.

[Simpo Two]

Medic-one said:

I wasn't driving it, i work all the way down the other end of the county, that just what i've been told by someone who works on that same ambulance station.

Absolutely, I never thought that you did, only that given your profile and the photo, you had an inside track

Simpo Two said:

If I was driving an ambulance at potentially dangerous speeds I'd keep my eyes on the road in front, not worry about what's going on behind.

Medic-one said:

Yeah and then you don't use your mirrors and you miss the mupput who comes up from behind and tries to overtake you just when you're about to change lanes.

You misunderstand me. I wasn't talking about trying to overtake an ambulance, and wouldn't do so. But if some numpty wants to park his Micra on the verge to let an ambulance (or fire engine) past, I will use my judgement to decide whether or not to pass him if it is safe to do so.

Medic-one said:

If they muppet which is chasing us causes an accident we have to stop and attend, and our orginal patient will be screwed because he suffers a big delay in getting a vehicle.

You're right. Like the accident victim who had to wait somewhere near Ardleigh for another ambulance to arrive because the first one crashed. I don't suppose the real reason will ever be known (or rather released, as it's a bit embarrasing) but my bet is driving without due care. Point is - we're all human and maybe we should spend less time telling other people what to do.

Medic-one said:

Besides, it's 2 of us in the front whilst were going to the emergency so it will probably be the one not driving who informs dispatch anyway.

A sound point. But I maintain that an ambulance crew's prime directive should be in getting to the the scene as rapildy as possible without risking an accident, and then taking the victim/s to hospital in the same manner. The actions of other road users are of secondary importance.

Anyway, keep up the good work and don't prang it if I'm in the back

Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 12th June 16:28