Police cars wanting past on a Country road, what to do?

[jmkodes]

Hi folks.

Asking for a bit of advice.

I was out driving on Boxing Day on a Country road, I think I was about here (driving away from Newtownards)

A police car, followed by a police van came up behind me blasting the sirens. it turned out there had been an accident just up ahead.

I slowed down to about 20 and indicated to the left, after a few seconds they overtook me and beeped their horn. A minute or so later I caught up with them at an accident site. preparing to divert traffic. Traffic was still for a few minutes, then they waved me through.

Just wondering if I did the right thing? Were they beeping their horn because I pissed them off, or to say thankyou? Any general advice if this sort of thing happens again?

Thanks very much

[Caddyshack]

I generally think you want to make decent progress so as not to hold them until your earliest opportunity to let them through efficiently but allow the expert to decide how to get past.

[Benrad]

jmkodes said:

...A minute or so later I caught up with them at an accident site...

This demonstrates you did the right thing is say. If you'd got carried away trying not to hold them up you might have easily added to the accident. Can't remember what the police call it, when their drivers go dangerously fast because they think getting there quickly is more important than getting there safely

[hajaba123]

Don’t overthink it

The horn beep was likely to have been when they cycle from one siren sound to another or when they turn it off

[Rh14n]

hajaba123 said:

Don’t overthink it

The horn beep was likely to have been when they cycle from one siren sound to another or when they turn it off

Sounds to me like you did exactly the right thing and the beep was a little 'thank you'. Pulling over to the left at the earliest opportunity to allow them to pass safely is just what they want.

[dvenman]

Benrad said:

This demonstrates you did the right thing is say. If you'd got carried away trying not to hold them up you might have easily added to the accident. Can't remember what the police call it, when their drivers go dangerously fast because they think getting there quickly is more important than getting there safely

Red Mist.

And yes - to a previous poster - the horn buttons are used to change between siren tones.

[meatballs]

jmkodes said:

Hi folks.

Asking for a bit of advice.

I was out driving on Boxing Day on a Country road, I think I was about here (driving away from Newtownards)

A police car, followed by a police van came up behind me blasting the sirens. it turned out there had been an accident just up ahead.

I slowed down to about 20 and indicated to the left, after a few seconds they overtook me and beeped their horn. A minute or so later I caught up with them at an accident site. preparing to divert traffic. Traffic was still for a few minutes, then they waved me through.

Just wondering if I did the right thing? Were they beeping their horn because I pissed them off, or to say thankyou? Any general advice if this sort of thing happens again?

Thanks very much

Sounds like everything fine. A few ambulance drivers I know say they are trained to do the following (if anyone can confirm!):

Hang back (so as not to panic you) when they want you to continue at the speed limit and just pull in at an obvious spot. It's often quicker to follow someone at NSL down a single carriageway double white line road than have everyone braking and coming to a stop (and they don't have any legal exemption to cross double solid white lines at will).

Close up the gap if they'd like you to slow/pull over.

[Bigends]

hajaba123 said:

Don’t overthink it

The horn beep was likely to have been when they cycle from one siren sound to another or when they turn it off

I always gave a couple of of horn beeps as thanks when allowed past or others gave way

[Chicken_Satay]

If you're not sure, give them the finger the next time they pass. Then, depending on how they react, that will let you know if you did the right thing or not.

[Pica-Pica]

OP, that sounds fine. Just give them an opportunity to overtake at a safe and convenient spot for you.

[watchnut]

For OP go to watch a short film clip of a couple of minutes on www.bluelightaware.org the video shows you what you should do in the event of an emergency vehicle approaching you.

The "hoot" may well have been a "Thankyou"

[rainmakerraw]

dvenman said:

Red Mist.

Noble cause risk-taking. Red mist is more about developing tunnel vision and marginalising risks to yourself and other road users because you've become so focused on catching the guy in front.

[PhilAsia]

Benrad said:

This demonstrates you did the right thing is say. If you'd got carried away trying not to hold them up you might have easily added to the accident. Can't remember what the police call it, when their drivers go dangerously fast because they think getting there quickly is more important than getting there safely

Noble cause...

[PhilAsia]

dvenman said:

Red Mist.

And yes - to a previous poster - the horn buttons are used to change between siren tones.

I thought "red mist" was pursuit based and "noble cause" destination based...although probably interchangeable.

[PhilAsia]

rainmakerraw said:

Noble cause risk-taking. Red mist is more about developing tunnel vision and marginalising risks to yourself and other road users because you've become so focused on catching the guy in front.

Ah! Should read the whole thread first....

[Caddyshack]

Years ago one of our trainers was telling us that he had an xr3i and on a dual carriage way that was blocked on one side the police kept gesturing for him to speed up until they could pass, he said he did 115mph before it cleared....that was fast in the 80s.

[FA57REN]

dvenman said:

And yes - to a previous poster - the horn buttons are used to change between siren tones.

I know a couple of ambulance drivers and this drives them mad, not just because the beep is misconstrued by other drivers but also because it requires moving their hands off the primary controls to change siren modes.

For as long as they remember there have been requests for a separate wheel-mounted siren control, but non change.

[RogueTrooper]

FA57REN said:

I know a couple of ambulance drivers and this drives them mad, not just because the beep is misconstrued by other drivers but also because it requires moving their hands off the primary controls to change siren modes.

A bit of a non-issue IMHO.

Changing the siren tone is most usually useful approaching places of conflict (junctions, roundabouts, traffic lights etc) where the emergency driver tends to be going slower anyway, and can include planning for a (very) momentary hand off the wheel.

If taking a hand off the wheel means losing too much steering control at a critical moment, then I'd suggest that the driver has more important things to worry about than changing the siren tone, and probably should have slowed down, which might give them more time and space to play with.

[Pica-Pica]

RogueTrooper said:

FA57REN said:

I know a couple of ambulance drivers and this drives them mad, not just because the beep is misconstrued by other drivers but also because it requires moving their hands off the primary controls to change siren modes.

A bit of a non-issue IMHO.

Changing the siren tone is most usually useful approaching places of conflict (junctions, roundabouts, traffic lights etc) where the emergency driver tends to be going slower anyway, and can include planning for a (very) momentary hand off the wheel.

If taking a hand off the wheel means losing too much steering control at a critical moment, then I'd suggest that the driver has more important things to worry about than changing the siren tone, and probably should have slowed down, which might give them more time and space to play with.

The change in tone is to give a lateral spread of sound, rather than a forward directional sound.

In Japan we were woken up at night by loud shouts. There, in Osaka anyway, they reinforce the siren with spoken loud speaker warnings.

[steve S owner]

I used to much prefer the rocker switch to change siren tone. I always felt the horn beep would be misunderstood by drivers who had kindly moved out of the way. This post confirms it.