Pulling over for blues & twos

[obi_waynne]

It strikes me that most drivers panic when they see an emergency vehicle in their rear view mirror and just slam on the brakes.

I'm sure this hamper progress made and I'm sure the drivers of these vehicles would prefer others to pull over when it would be safe and clear to overtake.

There are also a minority of people who deliberately try to hold up emergency vehicles!

Have you noticed this? Are you an emergency vehicle driver with any tips to pass on to these panic stricken motorists?

 

[bigbadjoe]

It happens quite a bit up here. I just wate untill there is a turning or a wide bit of road and move over as much as I can. Stopping dead could couse more of a problem. My breaks are a little better than an abulance or a cop car for that matter, and me slamming on the anchers would increase the chances of them to crashing into me.

However, in Bahrain, where I spent some time last year, if there was an ambulance, the locals did what old Bruce Willis did in Die Hard 3. As there is so much traffic, when an ambulance comes through, everyone moves to the side, and you always get one or two cheeky buggers follow right behind it!

 

[HDi fun]

I always go with it (above the speed limit if necessary) until there's a safe place to move over where the emergency vehicle can pass swiftly. There's no point stopping when there's a great big train of traffic coming the other way.

Don't stop across a side road either, it's possible the emergency vehicle needs access to that very road.

You do see the thickest of drivers stopping opposite a traffic island or central reservation. How can they possibly be so blissfully unaware of everything?

 

[geraint13]

when i was younger i used to flap and nearly caused an accident once. it sumthing that comes with experience i think

 

[HDi fun]

when i was younger i used to flap and nearly caused an accident once. it sumthing that comes with experience i think

I know what you mean. I was the same as a new driver. Almost paranoid thinking that they must be after me.

 

[geraint13]

I know what you mean. I was the same as a new driver. Almost paranoid thinking that they must be after me.

yes, but 7 times out of ten they were lmao :embarrest:

 

[Prince]

I usually try and follow behind them as they go past. Everyone has moved out the way so you can make some good time!

 

[HDi fun]

I usually try and follow behind them as they go past. Everyone has moved out the way so you can make some good time!

Be careful with that one, mate. Don't get yourself wrapped up in something serious. Your car isn't as large as an ambulance and doesn't have blues & twos fitted so it's likely to be missed by other road users.

 

[larry]

haha my friend slammed on the brakes in the middle of the road and the emergancy people yelled outu thier window!

 

[obi_waynne]

Larrry's friend reminds me of a story. A guy was being followed by an Ambulance, he wouldn't get out of it's way or let it pass. Anyhow to cut a long story short, it was going to his house where his wife had suffered a heart attack and because of the delay she died. - This might just be an urban myth but it does have a strong moral to it!

 

[Prince]

Sounds like a myth tbh, but even so, who doesn't let an emergency vehicle pass?! Doing so should be an actual offense.

 

[HDi fun]

It is an offence.

 

[Loz]

I thought it was too! There's a slang name for it but I can't think it at atm.

 

[dpsubaru]

isnt it also an offence to tailgate an emergency vehicle on a call? IIRC some fire engines had cameras fitted to the back to film motorists tailgating them.

in any case, always move out the way for them as fast as possible but one time had an incident when a police car came up behind me with the blues flashing and the left indicator on - clearly signalling they wanted to go up the side road (this was in town). as the road was easily wide enough to accomodate two cars each way i pulled towards the middle so they had a clear route to go down the inside and up the road they were indicating they wanted to go - then they proceeded to drive right up behind me and as they swung up the side street (that had left open to them) the policewoman was mouthing abuse at me - bloody woman drivers!

 

[dpsubaru]

larry - understand that legally, in the UK at least, if you get in the way of an emergency vehicle on a call, especiallly in a circumstance as you described, that you are at fault and that insurance may not have to pay out - anyone know if this is correct?

 

[MsEditor]

You would be amazed at what people will do when you see the blue lights coming up behind them!

I was doing about 85mph down the fast lane of the motorway (which people forget is actually the emergency lane) I had my lights and sirens on and traffic was reasonably heavy put with plenty of room to move. My crew mate was stood up in the back working on the patient when the car in front of my just slammed their breaks on and stopped dead in the fast lane.

An Ambulance weighs 5 tonnes and when you are doing that kind of speed it takes quite a distance to stop. Needless to say my crew-mate went flying and I still to this day do not know how I didn't hit that car! they definitely got the wrong end of my bull horn!!!

Tips: if you are sat at red lights and you see us coming up behind - watch for where we go before moving, part of our training is to position vehicles where we want them (this doesnt always work) if we are sat in the middle of two lanes, then give us the space in the middle. If the lights go green then move on as normal, we will get round you.

If we come up behind you on a single carriageway, and there is nowhere to stop PLEASE PLEASE do not stop in the road, slow down and pull in as far as you can, this gives us the line of sight to move out to the oncoming lane and stop oncoming traffic just by being there... if the car on the other side doesn't give us enough room then by all means stop when we are alongside as this creates a gap... ambulances don't do too well in a slalom!

And well pointed out earlier in this thread, try not to pull into a junction, chances are we might want to go in there and you would be amazed how many people don't even realise ambulances have indicators!!!

I have to say its nice to see a thread where people are actually thinking about this...it makes our job so much easier when we can get to where we need to quickly and as smoothly as possible.

:blink1:

 

[larry]

yah I told him to pull over but he froze up and he wouldnt talk for 5 min.

 

[HDi fun]

yah I told him to pull over but he froze up and he wouldnt talk for 5 min.

?? - I've missed your point here, sorry - post again pls.

Rgds,

P.

 

[WLBjork]

Police Dog Handlers are the worst for this, especially back in the 80s when all they had were dinky little 50hp Escort Vans, but were one of the first to get anywhere.

Had a Dog Handler (although they use vRS Estates now) flying up behind me the other morning on the A38.
Bit of an oddity where I was, I had a single lane with reservations in the next "lane" whilst the other part of the road had 2 lanes. Simplicity itself, I just pulled into the dividing area to let the DH fly through.

 

[thexav]

HDI, Larry's post follows on from his earlier one in this thread.

 

[HDi fun]

HDI, Larry's post follows on from his earlier one in this thread.

Thankyou