Emergency Vehicles and Bus Lanes

neilmcl

vax2002 wrote: »

Happened in Leeds, 18 drivers were given penalties by bus lane cameras that pulled over for emergency vehicles attending a crash all were enforced.
So by all means pull in the bus lane, or move through the Red lights, but be prepared to get your wallet out.

Evidence???

Road_Hog

adriandilly wrote: »

My question, is there a rule they have to follow about only overtaking on the right; or should they be making use of all available space?

It is very simple. You do not break any traffic regulations, unless ordered to do so by a police officer.

Do not ever go through a red light or pull into a bus lane etc., you will have no defence unless you have been ordered to do so.

As has been said, people have been done for going through red lights etc. to let emergency vehicles through.

I remember a police car pulling up behind me at a red light on the M40 High Wycombe roundabout. He sat there for about a minute with his blues and twos going, trying to intimidate me to go through the red light (he should have turned them off), but didn't get out of the car (there were two of them) to knock on my window, to ask me to go through the red light (thereby making it legal for me to do so).

If you get hit by another car doing anything like that, you'll be paying out on your insurance. Plus, we no longer have traffic officers monitoring our roads and using common sense, we just have cameras everywhere, issuing penalties for any minor transgression, even if well intentioned.

So, the moral of the story is, until the law is changed, that covers well meaning motorists and absolves them when pulling over to let emergency vehicles through, then you stay where you are, until you find a safe and LEGAL place to move to.

Unfortunately, we live in a world of Common Purpose, not common sense and the law is unlikely to be changed. When I grew up as a teenager in the '70s (as a passenger), you would immediately do anything to get out of the way when you saw flashing lights in your mirror, no one would ever think of prosecuting you for trying to help a vehicle going to help someone in need. Things are different these days.

Sgt_Pepper_2

vax2002 wrote: »

Just asked terry our neighbour, he was an ambulance driver for 20 + years until he got a very cushy part time job in the office.

He says : The Ambulance drivers should use the route that offers the quickest and safe route, that the use of Blue Lights and sirens is an aid not a necessary and at Bus lanes, he would have switched off the sirens and used the bus lane as it causes less panic than leaving them on full time and the Ambulance would gain a considerable advantage just like buses do in that lane and if he needs to hop out in to traffic, hit the hooters, he also says that emergency vehicles are exempt from bus lane rules .

PS, He also says Leeds United will win the premiership in 2014...

Maybe you should ask Terry about insurance too, he speaks more sense than you do.

scotsbob

Road_Hog wrote: »

It is very simple. You do not break any traffic regulations, unless ordered to do so by a police officer.

Only a month ago you were bemoaning people who refused to break the law.

"They are the sort that will sit in the fast lane at 70 mph refusing to move over (because they are already doing the maximum speed limit) or who 'police' the 50 mph limit in roadworks."

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=50868197&postcount=9

Now you are bemoaning people who do.

Try to be consistent in your arguments.

Obukit

I got a red light ticket once - went through a red light when directed to by a police man in Oxford after an accident.

Useless muppets at the ticket office basically said because the policeman wasn't on the photo I either had to pay the fine or take it to court. Took it to court and got the satisfaction of seeing the vermin that work for the speed cameras have red faces when I produced CCTV from a museum showing the police waving me (and about twenty other cars) through.

You don't get paid for your time though so I lost out, although it was worth it for the withering look the magistrates gave!

Strider590

scotsbob wrote: »

Only a month ago you were bemoaning people who refused to break the law.

"They are the sort that will sit in the fast lane at 70 mph refusing to move over (because they are already doing the maximum speed limit) or who 'police' the 50 mph limit in roadworks."

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=50868197&postcount=9

Now you are bemoaning people who do.

Try to be consistent in your arguments.

For as much as some would have us believe otherwise, the world is not black and white, it's not absolutes, it is many shades of grey and you can't write rules for every situation you encounter,

Rules are there so that stupid people will know what to do 90% of the time.

Stigy

andygb wrote: »

:beer:

Pretty logical really isn't it Joe. If the emergency vehicle decided to belt up the inside, it would be only a matter of time before someone simply pulled over to the left (as is normal practice) and found themselves rear ended.

Is it not the same for the Hard Shoulder? Emergency vehicles use this when on blue lights without worrying about traffic pulling over to the left. Admittedly it's only when traffic is at a standstill and not moving (when there's an accident ahead), but the principle is the same.

I'd say it's down to common sense in that if there's a clear bus lane, the emergency vehicle should use this when on blue light calls and if drivers move to the left, it's their problem!

Strider590

Stigy wrote: »

Is it not the same for the Hard Shoulder? Emergency vehicles use this when on blue lights without worrying about traffic pulling over to the left. Admittedly it's only when traffic is at a standstill and not moving (when there's an accident ahead), but the principle is the same.

I'd say it's down to common sense in that if there's a clear bus lane, the emergency vehicle should use this when on blue light calls and if drivers move to the left, it's their problem!

It's not drivers moving left, that are the problem...... It's people leaving gaps to allow cars coming in the opposite direction, to turn right. Straight into the path of the emergency vehicle.

Road_Hog

scotsbob wrote: »

Only a month ago you were bemoaning people who refused to break the law.

"They are the sort that will sit in the fast lane at 70 mph refusing to move over (because they are already doing the maximum speed limit) or who 'police' the 50 mph limit in roadworks."

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=50868197&postcount=9

Now you are bemoaning people who do.

Try to be consistent in your arguments.

You need to understand the slight difference. Members of the public are not police officers and have no right to try to enforce the law. Secondly, if I decide to drive above the speed limit because conditions allow it, then that is my choice and I understand the risk that I take.

That is completely different to a police officer trying to intimidate me to break the law, by sitting on my @rse with the blues & twos going. His fellow officer could have got out of the car and asked me to move forward, thereby making it legal for me to go through a red light.

Do you understand the difference?

Stigy

Strider590 wrote: »

It's not drivers moving left, that are the problem...... It's people leaving gaps to allow cars coming in the opposite direction, to turn right. Straight into the path of the emergency vehicle.

But that would be an issue wherever the emergency vehicle is coming from. Occupational hazard of a blue light trained driver? They have to take in to account what other drivers might do, and there's as much chance of an accident happening wherever on the road they are.