We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Flashing blue lights: should I stop?
Road layout:
Single carriageway road. Speed limit 30 mph. My direction has 2 lines. There is a traffic light very soon. Before the traffic lights the road has a short additional third line. Third line is for cars turning right. Cars turning right position themselves in second line, then when third line appears position themselves in third line and stop at the traffic lights.
Situation:
The road is empty in both directions (11pm). I am driving 30mph in a second line preparing to turn right. I notice that there is a police car with flashing blue lights approaching me very fast from behind. The left line is empty so if they want to overtake me from the left they can do it without any problems. However they choose to take the second line as well and switch on police siren. I am mentally prepared to turn right so I swerve to the right on the line which goes in opposite direction. There are no cars so it is kind of safe to do it. They overtake me. I know they are not supposed to overtake from the left but giving that they are driving much faster then 30 mph why not brake overtaking rules as well and overtake me on the left line without switching siren and forcing me to change direction.
Question:
Am I supposed to stop when I see flashing blue lights? Is it OK to drive if I see that they can pass without problems?
I know it was stupid to swerve to the right on the line which goes in opposite direction but I could not help myself to avoid this mistake.
Single carriageway road. Speed limit 30 mph. My direction has 2 lines. There is a traffic light very soon. Before the traffic lights the road has a short additional third line. Third line is for cars turning right. Cars turning right position themselves in second line, then when third line appears position themselves in third line and stop at the traffic lights.
Situation:
The road is empty in both directions (11pm). I am driving 30mph in a second line preparing to turn right. I notice that there is a police car with flashing blue lights approaching me very fast from behind. The left line is empty so if they want to overtake me from the left they can do it without any problems. However they choose to take the second line as well and switch on police siren. I am mentally prepared to turn right so I swerve to the right on the line which goes in opposite direction. There are no cars so it is kind of safe to do it. They overtake me. I know they are not supposed to overtake from the left but giving that they are driving much faster then 30 mph why not brake overtaking rules as well and overtake me on the left line without switching siren and forcing me to change direction.
Question:
Am I supposed to stop when I see flashing blue lights? Is it OK to drive if I see that they can pass without problems?
I know it was stupid to swerve to the right on the line which goes in opposite direction but I could not help myself to avoid this mistake.
0
Comments
-
Doesn't seem to be anything untoward here.
Perfectly reasonable actions by everyone.0 -
You don't need to stop you just need to get out of the way. As for undertaking if you were in a right hand lane of two thats perfectly acceptable anyway as the road splits.Everyones opinion is the most important.....no wonder nothing is ever agreed on.0
-
Should you stop? no, you should avoid hindering their progress.....
At least twice now ive had the Police or Ambulance service behind me on a narrow road and i've chosen to drive on until I can move out of the way, where a lot of drivers might pull over immediately and actually cause more of an obstruction.... Like the fool a few days ago who pulled over at a pinch point to let an ambulance past.
You have to look at the situation and decide what course of action will help them to reach their destination as quickly as possible. If your on a road that's about to open into a dual carriageway for example, the best course of action would be to boot it, not to brake and stop.“I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”
<><><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><> Don't forget to like and subscribe \/ \/ \/0 -
1st question is why do you not know what to do and have a driving licence?
When you noticed the Police Car approach they would have been a very long distance behind you, as you say it was night and very quiet, when you noticed them then you should have moved to the left to allow them to pass.
The reason they turned on the sirens as they approached is because they had made a judgement that the driver they were approaching wasn't paying much attention to what was behind them and therefore the use of audible warning devices was needed since it was obvious the visual warning devices hadn't been enough.
It isn't really a good idea to undertake incompetent road users as what is to stop the road user from swerving left and hitting the Emergency Vehicle.
Are you telling me that you really didn't know that you should move to the left to allow the Police car to pass freely.
The fact that you needed to turn right soon isd meaningless. As if you moved to the left lane and then slowed down then you could easily allow the Police car to pass and then continue to safely continue with your right turn.
I suggest you take some kind of driving course.0 -
Well. I decided that they can undertake me on the left however they did not agreeStrider590 wrote: »You have to look at the situation and decide what course of action will help them to reach their destination as quickly as possible.
I wonder what was the best course of action in this situation? One option was to switch to the left line and stop.
I guess when they switched siren on they expected me to change to the left line. I am slightly disappointed by my decision to change to the line which goes in opposite direction. I do not like head on collisions.0 -
Are you telling me that you really didn't know that you should move to the left to allow the Police car to pass freely.
I reread Highway Code
It does not say that I should move to the left. It says that I should let them pass which I did however they did not like the way I did it.219
Emergency and Incident Support vehicles. You should look and listen for ambulances, fire engines, police, doctors or other emergency vehicles using flashing blue, red or green lights and sirens or flashing headlights, or Highways Agency Traffic Officer and Incident Support vehicles using flashing amber lights. When one approaches do not panic. Consider the route of such a vehicle and take appropriate action to let it pass, while complying with all traffic signs. If necessary, pull to the side of the road and stop, but try to avoid stopping before the brow of a hill, a bend or narrow section of road. Do not endanger yourself, other road users or pedestrians and avoid mounting the kerb. Do not brake harshly on approach to a junction or roundabout, as a following vehicle may not have the same view as you.0 -
When you say line, do you mean lane? I'm getting a bit confused!
If its safe to pull over, I will. Often onto the pavement. If I can't do it safely, or its on a bend, I'll carry on until its safe. Its annoying when someone pulls over on a blind bend and you can't overtake.
Sadly people seem to panic when they see/hear sirens, don't pay enough attention to the road it seems.What is pi? Where did it come from?0 -
I reread Highway Code
It does not say that I should move to the left. It says that I should let them pass which I did however they did not like the way I did it.
Your amazing lack of insight just goes to show you shouldn't be on the road.
The Highway Code shouldn't need to tell you to move the left to allow the emergency services to pass. As you are not supposed to overtake on the left in the UK unless your lane is flowing quicker in slow moving traffic etc.
Therefore it is obvious to anybody with an ounce of sense(common or road you chose which) that to allow a vehicle to pass you must move to the left!
You have also just admitted that your driving was bad enough for the Police to make their feelings known, pity they were on a call as they could have had a word and explained what you should and shouldn't do.
Basically you have driven down an empty road at night completely oblivious to anything happening around you or behind you.
How loud did you have your stereo or do you drive in a trancelike state?0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 352.1K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.6K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 454.3K Spending & Discounts
- 245.2K Work, Benefits & Business
- 600.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.5K Life & Family
- 259K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.7K Read-Only Boards