Blue Light Conflict

[simoid]

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:

• 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

Just a bit miffed and confused as I’m fairly sure I did the right thing and got him past me as quickly and safely as I could. Anyone got thoughts as to what would’ve been a better course of action?

Hopefully you can see my pics/links/description makes it clear enough. If not I can elaborate/clarify.

[simoid]

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.

[simoid]

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]

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.

[simoid]

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

[simoid]

boyse7en said:

I wouldn't go through a red light nor into a bus lane as both those manoeuvres are illegal, but blocking an ambulance just because you are worried about the remote chance of getting a puncture is a bit OTT

Putting a tyre on the chevrons is illegal too.

[simoid]

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!

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’.

[simoid]

silverfoxcc said:

simoid said:

Putting a tyre on the chevrons is illegal too.

Only if it is a solid white line bodering the chevrons, a broken line is OK

In this case, it’s a solid white line.

[simoid]

eAyeAddio said:

simoid said:

In this case, it’s a solid white line.

No it isn't.

The line closest to lane 2 is broken and it is not illegal to cross it in this case.

It is. The paint is merely faded for a short stretch towards the end of the chevrons on the google streetview screenshot.

[simoid]

Aye that’s what I did as far as I’m concerned. Squirted the throttle so I could get across to the next gap in traffic in the left lane.

[simoid]

ATG said:

Jesus wept. If you can't judge whether it is safe to creep over the line at a red light to let an ambulance pass, then you shouldn't be on the road in the first place. And surely it is better for the car to change lane rather than require a faster moving, less manoeuvrable vehicle with a potentially fragile cargo to do so? And finally if getting some points in those circumstances could cost you your job perhaps the problem is the existing nine points on your license (i.e. your driving) or the knuckle headed attitude of your employer?

Perhaps the previous 9 points were for illegally clearing the way for emergency vehicles

[simoid]

Graveworm said:

Sorry late to this but this is only illegal if chevrons are part of a double white line system dividing carriageways in opposite directions.

Edited by Graveworm on Saturday 12th May 12:42

Aye? I’m just going by Highway Code:

“Areas of white diagonal stripes or chevrons painted on the road. These are to separate traffic lanes or to protect traffic turning right.
If the area is bordered by a broken white line, you should not enter the area unless it is necessary and you can see that it is safe to do so.
If the area is marked with chevrons and bordered by solid white lines you MUST NOT enter it except in an emergency.“

The bold being pertinent in this instance

[simoid]

LarsG said:

Blue light? Might be your mother, father, brother, sister, best friend in there. Be aware of your surroundings, if you hear the siren male your head swivel and look where it is coming from so that you can safely get out of the way without causing the ambulance to be delayed, if it means legging it at 70mph in front until you can pull over for him do it. No excuses.

Indeed. That’s what I did, without the bit admitting to breaking the speed limit!

[simoid]

Indeed - I was following the “must not enter chevrons bordered by solid white line”

[simoid]

Graveworm said:

And indeed you are right. I suppose it could be an emergency, in these circumstances, but that still wouldn't make me right.

Aye there was traffic in the other lane, otherwise I probably would've strongly considered getting out the way earlier. Although if there was no traffic over the chevrons, the ambulance would've gone up that lane. Or I would've and the ambulance would've had unimpeded passage up the right lane.

Anyway, in conclusion I think I'm fairly satisfied that I did "the right thing" as required by HC, blueilghtaware, conscience, and most importantly PH Massif.