Get out of the way of that ambulance!
What gets me is when you are driving along in your car, and you hear an ambulance siren behind you (along with seeing the blue flashing lights), all of a sudden all the cars around you just pull over, anywhere, stopping and blocking the ambulance in its tracks. Some of them just point their car towards the kerb and think that's okay. How on earth is that meant to help an emergency vehicle get past and are these drivers just brain dead or what?
Surely anyone with any intelligence would get right out of the way of an ambulance behind you with blue flashing lights. You'd pull over somewhere when it was safe to do so anyway wouldn't you? You find somewhere other than the middle of the road, for example a lay-by, bus stop, a driveway, entrance or exit to somewhere.
I just visualise some of the ambulance drivers going crackers on how they are brought to a sudden stop by dumb drivers reacting like rabbits frozen in the headlights of an approaching car!
Quite often during the year I will experience a situation similar to this and I will keep driving until I see somewhere safe to pull in, indicating as I do so. This also happens to police and fire engines, whom I have seen sounding their horns to try and move these idiots out of the way. Perhaps they ought to make a "police camera action" type programme for TV showing these morons and where exactly they are going wrong. The odds are that there are probably some emergency vehicle drivers who read this site so please tell us what you think.
By: Gainsborough Lad
Comments from visitors
There is no law, as far as i know, that requires you move out of the way of an emergency vehicle. However if you do and you come unstuck (grass verges and getting bogged down) well thats careless driving under our laws. Be mindfull however that the emergency vehicle mught just be on its way to your house without you knowing.
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Ambulance noise is a particular problem where I live. Their emergency "cousins" police, fire etc seem to use their sirens with much greater caution, but the ambulance crews seem to turn them on and leave them on irrespective road conditions, hazards and the like.
It is amazing just how few medical emergencies seem to occur when there is half an inch of snow on the ground!
It is amazing just how few medical emergencies seem to occur when there is half an inch of snow on the ground!
-7
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brettchallenger - 2-Jun-11 10:47
I am as interested as the original griper to hear what an emergency driver with lights flashing & klaxons blaring would like me to do?
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What concerns me is the number of prosecutions which have successfully been brought against motorists who have gone through a red light or a 'stop' sign in order let an emergency services vehicle pass. Clearly a judgement has to be made as to whether it is safe to do so or not, and the average motorist may not have perfect judgement, but I know of one case where a driver went 3 feet across the line at a red signal, he considers that no other road users were endangered, so that a police vehicle could pass, and he was given a fixed penalty ..... £60 and 3 points. He appealed, and lost.
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I drove emergency ambulances for 23-years and one of the most dangerous practices I saw was other drivers stopping on the approach to a bend to let the emergency vehicle pass , how on earth can the emergency vehicle driver see round the bend to see if it is safe to overtake. Bearing in mind that if if an emergency vehicle is involved in an accident the driver as to stop to exchange details and the obvious delay to the emergency crew attending the incident. I cannot speak for the other emergency services but it as been known to me that the ambulance I was driving was the only one available to get help for the emergency situation and the severe effects that could happen to the people requiring emergency treatment.
Vehicles are also stopped too quickly which could result in the emergency vehicle running into back of another vehicle, the best practice of driving when you know an emergency vehicle is approaching from behind is to view your road ahead for a safe place to stop and with plenty of room to stop, look in your review mirror and indicate your intention to stop and slow down gradually.
There are lots hazzards of driving scenarios, too numerous to mention here, where other motorists put at risk of the emergency vehicles having a collision and with a little forethought about our driving can help the emergency services get there sooner.
Vehicles are also stopped too quickly which could result in the emergency vehicle running into back of another vehicle, the best practice of driving when you know an emergency vehicle is approaching from behind is to view your road ahead for a safe place to stop and with plenty of room to stop, look in your review mirror and indicate your intention to stop and slow down gradually.
There are lots hazzards of driving scenarios, too numerous to mention here, where other motorists put at risk of the emergency vehicles having a collision and with a little forethought about our driving can help the emergency services get there sooner.
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What about if you have nowhere to go? Where I live, after 5pm three lanes are blocked solid to a roundabout. We cant go anywhere until cars on the roundabout move off... which ona roundabout you cant do if cars are coming from your right!
As it stands, if you watch the adverts on behalf of paramedics, the onus is on the paramedic drving to move around us.... we are suppposed to just give them room, which by mounting kerbs etc we are doing.
As it stands, if you watch the adverts on behalf of paramedics, the onus is on the paramedic drving to move around us.... we are suppposed to just give them room, which by mounting kerbs etc we are doing.
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Murphy ! It would be interesting to hear ( If you were able ) your comments if and when YOU are in the back of the ambulance when it was being held up ! !
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I agree Jayne Price, ambulance service sympathisers are scum, baby killers, and they are as bad as the Ambulance drivers themselves. scum.. Im just glad you and your child got away...click.........click.......click,theres another baby...clickclickclick.... ambulance sympathisers are baby killers
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Murphy Taylor - 13-Apr-10 00:08
A car narrowly missed myself and my 8-month-old baby because an idiot car driver just pulled straight on to the pavement without warning when an ambulance came down the road, sirens blaring. He didn't even brake until he was on the pavement, missing us by a few feet. He just ignored me when I tapped on his window and drove on, content that he had done his good deed for the day, nearly killing a baby because he's a 'good driver'.
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20 minuntes? Damn, I may have lied slightly when I said 'I know my rights'. I blocked one of those swines off for about an hour, hour and a half the other day, with the help of my friend 'Cornish Dave'. I blocked of the front and read about DaveCam in the NOTW and 'Cornish Dave' sat and read the Sunday Sport...Bit common is old Dave...I mean it's alright, but it gets a bit embarrassing when we are out in public together, he insists on talking about 'Football' and how 'Rovers are better than City even though Rovers are in the Pepsi Cola Conference and City are in the Coca Cola Champions Division 2 ' or something like that.
Bloody Peasants.
Bloody Peasants.
+4
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Murphy Taylor - 26-Mar-10 01:28
Legally you can block a road for 20 minutes iirc. Not 100% on that one though.
Even though I said in my previous post that I wouldn't move out the way and damage my car, guess what I did 2 nights ago.
Needed a new exhaust silencer and exhaust guard.
The one thing that REALLY gets me miffed are the retarded morons that follow the ambulance. You pull over, the ambulance ploughs past and the car that was behind you when this happend, pulls out and storms past without allowing you back in to the traffic flow so you then sit there for any length of time. Turd munchers!.
Even though I said in my previous post that I wouldn't move out the way and damage my car, guess what I did 2 nights ago.
Needed a new exhaust silencer and exhaust guard.
The one thing that REALLY gets me miffed are the retarded morons that follow the ambulance. You pull over, the ambulance ploughs past and the car that was behind you when this happend, pulls out and storms past without allowing you back in to the traffic flow so you then sit there for any length of time. Turd munchers!.
-1
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Sirens that wake me up in the night. I know my rights, and the thought that someone's death may be caused only makes me more mildy cheesed off at Gordon Brown for allowing the NHS to slip to such standards that a grown Cat like me can't sleep at night is causing me to take it into my own hands and punish those partly resposible. more deaths in the backs of ambulances will cause these siren merchants, paramedics, to possibly lose their jobs which is a plus and also it may look bad on Browns rap sheet.
it pleases me that while my ONE vote doesn't make a real different, if I can cause about 10-15 deaths that might sway a few more people to vote for that lovely young chap Dave Cameron.
it pleases me that while my ONE vote doesn't make a real different, if I can cause about 10-15 deaths that might sway a few more people to vote for that lovely young chap Dave Cameron.
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Murphy Taylor - 25-Mar-10 01:24
Nice Murphy. You could be causing someone's death there holding up that ambulance.
They have sirens and a blue flashing light for a reason.
They have sirens and a blue flashing light for a reason.
+3
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After having more than a dozen insulting name calling postings in the last ten or so days on the "ex not paying child support gripe" by a certain individual,
It is not hard to guess who is behind the posting below, if everyone did this on this site it would probably shut down, grow up please,
It is not hard to guess who is behind the posting below, if everyone did this on this site it would probably shut down, grow up please,
+5
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Gainsborough lad. - 25-Feb-10 21:27
That last posting is by someone else if admin wants to remove it,
Obviously my words are beating somebody into frustration.
Obviously my words are beating somebody into frustration.
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Gainsborough lad. - 24-Feb-10 20:28
I am an idiot! I am an idiot! I am an idiot! I am an idiot! I am an idiot! I am an idiot! I am an idiot! I am an idiot! I am an idiot! I am an idiot! I am an idiot! I am an idiot! I am an idiot that speaks utter sh*te!
-2
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Gainsborough lad. - 24-Feb-10 20:25
I've seen people at the very front of a queue pull off for about 2 or 3 meters so others behind can utilise the space. Unfortunately they have then been pictured by the red light runner cams.
I've exceeded the speed limit on a motorway to get past cars that refused to allow me in and actually accelerated to prevent this. I exceeded 100 just to get past the morons and pulled into the middle lane, as the police went by, I expected to be pulled by police units behind but they went past and the lead car passenger put his hand up in thanks. Yes I am a moron too, but hey, it worked...once.
My car is low to the ground anyway and to be fair, I'm not pulling onto the kurb or pavement and ripping my front bumper off. If I did that then I've only got myself to blame, take care of the repair myself and get no thanks from either the Ambulance driver or the person/s that need the ambulance. Lesson?, there isn't one. Only foreseeable incident with that happening is bunched up at lights, so it wouldn't just be me not going anywhere.
I've exceeded the speed limit on a motorway to get past cars that refused to allow me in and actually accelerated to prevent this. I exceeded 100 just to get past the morons and pulled into the middle lane, as the police went by, I expected to be pulled by police units behind but they went past and the lead car passenger put his hand up in thanks. Yes I am a moron too, but hey, it worked...once.
My car is low to the ground anyway and to be fair, I'm not pulling onto the kurb or pavement and ripping my front bumper off. If I did that then I've only got myself to blame, take care of the repair myself and get no thanks from either the Ambulance driver or the person/s that need the ambulance. Lesson?, there isn't one. Only foreseeable incident with that happening is bunched up at lights, so it wouldn't just be me not going anywhere.
+5
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Round these parts, I find people are really sensible. They just pull in to the side of the road, indicating as they do so, and the ambulance or other type of emergency vehicle just roars on past. Can't see a problem myself with pulling in - in a built up area with cars parked on either side, then obviously the sensible thing is to keep going as fast as you can, and then pull in when you can, but if at all possible, I will immediately pull in wherever I am and let the vehicle past.
I can't see anything stupid in doing this, just very sensible and the correct thing to do.
I can't see anything stupid in doing this, just very sensible and the correct thing to do.
+6
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James R smith, there isn't always somewhere safe to pull over, but that doesn't make this gripe stupid, as there will usually be somewhere safer than some of the places, that some of the drivers choose, blocking the emergency vehicles progress to their emergency.
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Blue light doc - 14-Feb-10 20:37
This gripe is stupid. There isn't always "somewhere safe" as you put it to pull over, as you are more likely to impede their progress. Most drivers just pull as far to the left as possible to let them past. I once saw a police car that couldn't get pass due to the fact the cars in front of them were at red lights and there was NO ROOM due to limited road space, so there wasn't a safe place to pull over.. Also it wouldn't have been possible for those cars waiting at red lights to proceed forward to let them pass, as it's illegal to go through a red light even if it's just to get emergency vehicles pass.
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