Ticket for moving for an ambulance
Discussion
t, she stays where she is.cobra kid said:
I think my view is clouded after knowing my dad died in one in transit to hospital 15 years ago. I'm not sure I could just sit there and wait patiently .
I get that, however would 2 minutes stuck behind a car which is stationary behind a red, make that much difference to an outcome.HTP99 said:
cobra kid said:
I think my view is clouded after knowing my dad died in one in transit to hospital 15 years ago. I'm not sure I could just sit there and wait patiently .
I get that, however would 2 minutes stuck behind a car which is stationary behind a red, make that much difference to an outcome.Not defending or arguing, just saying.
In those circumstances, I probably would move myself.
HTP99 said:
I get that, however would 2 minutes stuck behind a car which is stationary behind a red, make that much difference to an outcome.
Yes, it's called the golden hour: https://www.airambulancesuk.org/goldenhour-rebekah...Never mind cars moving, I pulled aside to let an ambulance pass for it only to hesitate at a pedestrian crossing ahead when the lights changed to red. The pedestrians were caught in two minds too, but when the paramedics did stop, they all strolled across. One even gestured a semi wave to express their thanks.
HTP99 said:
an Ambulance driver will not expect anyone to do it for them, they will sit behind with their lights on but turn off their sirens.
It is their job to make safe progress, they are the professional drivers.
Not sure if you are joking Mr HTP. Certainly not my experience with ambulance drivers who will attempt to bully you with sirens, especially in London, where you are more likely to be caught for red light and bus lane infractions.It is their job to make safe progress, they are the professional drivers.
Southerner said:
Law needs changing, it’s stupid. Should be permissible to pass a red ATS “with caution” or something similar for the purposes of allowing blue lights to pass. Really can’t be that difficult surely.
A common theme in threads here is how terrible most people are at driving. Would you trust them to cross a red light safely? Especially as so many are unlicensed, uninsured, and off their teats on coke. Funk said:
One solution is to stop a car or more's length before the line at the red light. This gives you similar space to move forward/manoeuvre into out of the way without crossing the line and risking a ticket.
That only works if there’s only the one car at the lights. Usually that’s not the case. I’m pretty sure I copied this from a thread here years ago:
“Blue Lights at Traffic Light
1) The vast majority of blue light ambulances are for going out calls, and the vast majority of calls turn out to not require blue light transfer to hospital. Therefore, in the vast, vast majority of cases, getting out of the way of a blue light ambulance isn't even for a true "blue light" emergency.
2) For the remaining few true blue light cases, the extra 30-40 seconds of waiting, probably much less, due to the red light will have absolutely NO effect on the overall chances of survival of the patient. If they die, what will kill them will be the medical condition. If time is a factor, it will be the 1 hour+ it took from the 999 call to the departure of the ambulance crew from the scene (cutting them out of a mangled car, maneouvring an obese patient down narrow stairs, lack of ambulance crews, too much stay-&-play etc.) and certainly not the red light. If their heart stops, it will have stopped because there's something seriously wrong with their body and there's already very little us doctors can do to bring the dead back to life. Remember that that's what CPR/ALS/resus is, somebody has already died and we're trying to bring them back, but chances are that it was going to happen anyway and CPR/ALS/resus it's not going to work. Although I no longer need to due to specialty and seniority, I have been the doctor in charge of more trauma calls than the number ambulances you dad's seen in his life so I know what I'm talking about on this particular subject, and also about point 1.
3) YOUR CAR does NOT have blue lights and a siren. Others around you, pedestrians, cyclists, other motorists, are not necessarily going to notice you going through the red light. You have, therefore, created the ideal circumstances for an accident and more casualties. That's why the law is worded the way it is, and ALL blue light drivers, not just ambulances, are taught to switch sirens off when stuck behind traffic at red lights which they cannot get past. They are not supposed to cause or incite other drivers to break the law.”
“Blue Lights at Traffic Light
1) The vast majority of blue light ambulances are for going out calls, and the vast majority of calls turn out to not require blue light transfer to hospital. Therefore, in the vast, vast majority of cases, getting out of the way of a blue light ambulance isn't even for a true "blue light" emergency.
2) For the remaining few true blue light cases, the extra 30-40 seconds of waiting, probably much less, due to the red light will have absolutely NO effect on the overall chances of survival of the patient. If they die, what will kill them will be the medical condition. If time is a factor, it will be the 1 hour+ it took from the 999 call to the departure of the ambulance crew from the scene (cutting them out of a mangled car, maneouvring an obese patient down narrow stairs, lack of ambulance crews, too much stay-&-play etc.) and certainly not the red light. If their heart stops, it will have stopped because there's something seriously wrong with their body and there's already very little us doctors can do to bring the dead back to life. Remember that that's what CPR/ALS/resus is, somebody has already died and we're trying to bring them back, but chances are that it was going to happen anyway and CPR/ALS/resus it's not going to work. Although I no longer need to due to specialty and seniority, I have been the doctor in charge of more trauma calls than the number ambulances you dad's seen in his life so I know what I'm talking about on this particular subject, and also about point 1.
3) YOUR CAR does NOT have blue lights and a siren. Others around you, pedestrians, cyclists, other motorists, are not necessarily going to notice you going through the red light. You have, therefore, created the ideal circumstances for an accident and more casualties. That's why the law is worded the way it is, and ALL blue light drivers, not just ambulances, are taught to switch sirens off when stuck behind traffic at red lights which they cannot get past. They are not supposed to cause or incite other drivers to break the law.”
hellorent said:
HTP99 said:
I get that, however would 2 minutes stuck behind a car which is stationary behind a red, make that much difference to an outcome.
Yes, it's called the golden hour: https://www.airambulancesuk.org/goldenhour-rebekah...Tony1963 said:
Southerner said:
Law needs changing, it’s stupid. Should be permissible to pass a red ATS “with caution” or something similar for the purposes of allowing blue lights to pass. Really can’t be that difficult surely.
A common theme in threads here is how terrible most people are at driving. Would you trust them to cross a red light safely? Especially as so many are unlicensed, uninsured, and off their teats on coke. Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff